Iowa football pre-spring position breakdown: Wide receivers

Kaleb Brown leads position group after productive second half of 2023

IOWA CITY — Iowa football’s attrition at wide receiver in recent years has not been pretty.

None of the scholarship wide receivers from Iowa’s 2021 recruiting class are still on the roster for what would be either their junior or senior years in 2024. Out of the seven wide receivers from the 2020, 2019 and 2018 high school recruiting classes, only one stuck around for his senior season.

Now, the wide receivers have a new position coach (Jon Budmayr) and new playcaller (offensive coordinator Tim Lester). Here is an early look at what Budmayr and Lester are working with as they look to bolster production at the position:

Who’s gone

Nico Ragaini exhausted his eligibility after six years in Iowa City. Ragaini had 156 receptions in his Hawkeye career, which ranked fifth in program history. That included 31 receptions in 2023 although he only caught 41.9 percent of his targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

Diante Vines transferred to Old Dominion after four years in Iowa City. The Danbury, Conn., native had 12 receptions (on 24 targets) for 134 yards as a junior.

Who’s back

Kaleb Brown, the former Ohio State wide receiver, highlights the list of wide receivers expected to return in 2024. After not having any receptions in the first two months of the season, he had 22 receptions for 215 yards in Iowa’s last six games.

Seth Anderson had 11 receptions for 150 yards in 2023 after transferring from Charleston Southern. He hauled in 35.5 percent of his targets, per PFF.

Walk-on Alec Wick did not have any catches last season; the former Iowa City Regina standout had two catches for 31 yards in 2022, though.

After that, Iowa does not have any other wide receivers who have caught a pass in a Hawkeye uniform.

Breakout candidates include Jacob Bostick, Alex Mota, Jarriett Buie and Dayton Howard. Bostick will be a sophomore in 2024 while the others will be redshirt freshmen.

Who’s joining the mix

K.J. Parker and Reece Vander Zee will join the Hawkeyes as incoming freshmen. Parker is from Bellwood, Ill., and was coached by former Hawkeye Matt Bowen. Vander Zee, one of seven in-state recruits in the 2024 class, hails from Rock Rapids. Both have three-star ratings from 247Sports.

Way-too-early two-deep projections

Given Iowa’s depth at tight end, Iowa fans could be seeing a lot of 12 personnel (which would mean having two wide receivers on the field):

Wide receiver

Wide receiver

Outlook

Wide receiver is one of the biggest question marks for the Hawkeyes going into spring practices after years of meager production.

Brown is not someone to sleep on in 2024, especially if Lester can find creative ways of getting the ball in his hands.

But even at tight end-loving Iowa, the Hawkeyes realistically need at least another two wide receivers to emerge as viable threats for the offense to reach its full potential in 2024.

Editor’s note: This is the ninth of a nine-part series breaking down where each Iowa football position group stands at this point in the offseason.

More Iowa football offseason position breakdowns

• Quarterback

• Running backs

• Tight ends

• Offensive line

• Defensive line

• Linebackers

• Defensive backs

• Special teams

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

Sign up for our curated Iowa Hawkeyes athletics newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks.