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Iowa football: Could Terrell Washington Jr. be Swiss Army knife for Hawkeyes’ offense?

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Iowa football: Could Terrell Washington Jr. be Swiss Army knife for Hawkeyes’ offense?


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IOWA CITY — In a flash, Terrell Washington Jr. showcased his playmaking ability.

During the Kids’ Day at Kinnick open practice on Saturday, Washington Jr. took a handoff from quarterback Brendan Sullivan, put his foot in the turf and whizzed through the line. Once reaching the secondary, Washington Jr. set up a spin move and put a defender in a blender.

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Washington Jr. lined up for that play at running back. This is notable, and not only because he clearly has some flair to his game. But also the fact that where he was lined up actually needs to be specified.

Because Washington Jr. wasn’t solely at the running back position on Saturday. He also spent time split out at receiver. The way Washington Jr. was utilized during Saturday’s open practice illustrates the versatility he can bring to the offense.

“He’s a great athlete,” running back Kamari Moulton said of Washington Jr. “He really knows how to do both. He’s the best of both worlds.”

Washington Jr. began his Iowa career as a running back. But leading up to the 2024 season, Iowa decided to expand his responsibilities. 

“It just popped up one day after we had practice,” Washington Jr. said in April. “I caught a (few) balls from the backfield and they liked that I could move and they wanted to try me out. So I just said, ‘Yeah, I’m down for whatever.’”

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Playing receiver is not entirely new to Washington Jr. In fact, he was sort of a jack of all trades offensively at Wylie East High School in Texas, where he played quarterback, running back, receiver and even contributed in the return game.

It wasn’t a direct path for Washington Jr. to end up at Iowa. He was originally committed to Purdue. But in December of 2022, Jeff Brohm left the Boilermakers to take the head coaching job at Louisville. Shortly after, Washington Jr. reopened his recruitment. That’s when Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts swooped in.

Said Betts: “Once I watched the tape and I saw he had such a broad skillset with running receiver, quarterback, running back, I knew he kinda fit something different that we didn’t have in the room, I felt like, at the moment. Which is a guy that can do a little bit of everything, and that was what drew me to him.”

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Iowa was able to get him on campus. A moment during that visit also put to bed a potential hesitation on the Hawkeyes’ end — as explained by Director of recruiting Tyler Barnes:

“The thing I liked the most when we get kids up here is we go to the photo shoot in Kinnick Stadium, right, because then you really get to see body types on kids,” Barnes said. “I know that may sound weird, but it’s true. You get to see what they really look like because they come in with big jackets and hoodies on. Like, you can’t really see everything. And our biggest thing was, ‘Hey, how big is he actually?’ When he gets here, you still don’t see it, but once he puts on the jersey, I texted Ladell immediately like, ‘This kid’s is going to be all right.’ Like ‘I think we’re fine.’”

Now in preparation for his redshirt freshman season, Washington Jr. has been working with both receivers and running backs. At receiver, he said he has been playing more slot, but “if they need me outside, I’ll go do it.” So not only has Washington Jr. been getting used to new offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s system, but doing so at multiple positions.

“He just has an incredible approach,” Iowa wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr said. “And he’s a guy that you want to be around every day because his attitude is just awesome. He’s continued to work the skills within this receiver position. You’ve seen him progress. Each and every day he gets a little bit better. He does something that is like, man, that’s what we emphasized in the meeting and he got it and did it.”

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Video: Iowa WR coach Jon Budmayr trying to build consistency in room

Wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr discusses a variety of topics at Iowa football media day on August 9, 2024.

To contribute to the narrative of being a Swiss Army knife, Washington Jr. brings up a name: 

Deebo.

“They’ve been comparing me to Deebo a lot lately,” Washington Jr. said at Iowa football media day on Aug. 9.

That would be Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers. Samuel has established himself as one of the NFL’s most versatile offensive players — with an ability to make plays both running and receiving the ball. It’d be an extreme exaggeration to say that Washington Jr. is even close to the level of one of the NFL’s premier players. But it’s reasonable to draw parallels based on skillset.

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Iowa is loaded at running back entering the season. But the unfortunate reality of football is that injuries happen. Iowa’s running backs room was hit by them last season — including Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson missing time. 

More: Leistikow: A Kaleb Johnson resurgence would stave off quarterback panic for Iowa football

More: Iowa football: Can Jon Budmayr erase skepticism, revive Hawkeyes’ wide receivers?

The Hawkeyes’ receiving corps has a lot to prove. That position group, now under the direction of Budmayr, has been a sore spot for Iowa the last few seasons. Iowa will be shorthanded for the season opener as Kaleb Brown serves a suspension for his June OWI arrest.

The point is, having someone you can plug into multiple spots on offense is a luxury. True freshman Brevin Doll, a speedster who came to Iowa as a running back, is also working with receivers.

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“Contributor,” Washington Jr. said of what he expects his role to be in 2024. “Just wherever they need me, I’m gonna go in. And whenever I get my chance, I’m gonna handle business.”

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com





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18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown

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18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown


An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.

Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.

Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.

Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.

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Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.

An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.



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Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education

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Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education


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ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today continued his statewide “Delivering for Maryland” tour with a series of engagements in Washington County, highlighting vital investments in local transportation infrastructure, manufacturing job growth, and early childhood education. The governor emphasized state contributions to modernize the Hagerstown Regional Airport, toured the state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail facility, and celebrated the opening of a new child care center in the South End of Hagerstown funded by the administration’s historic ENOUGH Initiative.

“From investing $1.5 million to update Hagerstown Regional Airport’s aging control tower to supporting 1,300 jobs at Hitachi Rail, the Moore-Miller administration is delivering for Hagerstown, Washington County, and Western Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Through our administration’s ENOUGH Initiative partnerships and investments, we’ve tripled child care capacity in the South End of Hagerstown — because no parents should be forced to pick between staying in the workforce or securing quality care for their kids.”

The governor began the day at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, touring the Air Traffic Control Tower and airport grounds. During the visit, Governor Moore highlighted the State’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2027 investment to complete the design for a critical replacement of the airport’s aging air traffic control facility. As a primary airport in the Maryland Aviation System Plan, the Hagerstown Regional Airport is a vital economic engine for Washington County, supporting more than 1,800 jobs and generating over $140 million in local business revenue.

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Following the airport tour, Governor Moore visited the Hitachi Rail STS facility alongside Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Mike McKay, Senator Paul Corderman and state transportation leaders. The governor toured the factory floor and rode a test train to observe the manufacturing process. Opened in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million state conditional loan, the 307,000-square-foot, carbon-neutral facility is a $100 million capital investment by Hitachi. The factory supports 1,300 jobs — including 460 newly created jobs — and is actively manufacturing railcars for both the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

“Hitachi Rail has built a cutting-edge model for advanced manufacturing here in Western Maryland which is focused on delivering clean, safe, efficient regional transportation across our state and the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “This facility is powered by Maryland’s second-to-none workforce and world-class innovation environment. I’m proud to work with Governor Moore and our public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive global investment that supports jobs and economic growth along our I-270 Tech Corridor.”

Governor Moore concluded the day at the Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center in the South End of Hagerstown, where he met with parents, children, and community leaders. During the visit, the Governor highlighted the administration’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provided critical support for the center’s opening. The new facility is a major win for the community, tripling local childcare capacity with 24 new slots and generating six new early childhood education jobs.

Governor Moore Speaking With Children

The Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center’s opening was accelerated by a $100,000 investment from San Mar Family & Community Services, the ENOUGH grantee in Hagerstown. ENOUGH grant funding was also supplemented by a $100,000 philanthropic contribution from the Bainum Family Foundation — a member of the ENOUGH Alliance — to complete necessary facility upgrades. The center’s completion underscores the strength of the ENOUGH Initiative’s public-private partnerships to deliver on community priorities and work towards ending child poverty.

Governor Moore’s visit to Washington County follows the third stop of his “Delivering for Maryland” tour in Montgomery County, where he marked a historic milestone by installing the final segment of rail for the Purple Line. This installation completes the 16.2-mile light rail corridor connecting Bethesda and New Carrollton, with passenger service expected to begin in late 2027. The governor also visited Max’s Best Ice Cream in Bethesda, a local business dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Best Buddies Jobs program.

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Washington shooting suspect seeks to bar DoJ officials from prosecution role

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Washington shooting suspect seeks to bar DoJ officials from prosecution role


A man charged with attacking the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is seeking to disqualify top justice department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.

The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, and US attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the 25 April event at the Washington Hilton hotel when Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer.

In a court filing late on Thursday, Allen’s attorneys argued that it created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case.

“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder – how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe wrote.

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Ohm and Abe, who are assistant federal public defenders, suggested that the appointment of a special prosecutor might be warranted. They urged US district judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee assigned to Allen’s case, to disqualify Pirro, Blanche and possibly other justice department officials from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution.

“Both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants. They were quickly evacuated. Shortly thereafter, they learned that law enforcement believed the target was certain administration officials,” Ohm and Abe wrote.

Pirro said her office would respond to the defense lawyers’ arguments in its own court filing.

“We will not tolerate people who come to the District of Columbia to engage in antidemocratic acts of political violence; and we will prosecute all such acts to the fullest extent of the law,” Pirro said in a statement.

Allen is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on further charges in an indictment handed up Tuesday by a grand jury in Washington.

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The charges include attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, who is a longtime friend of Pirro. Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump before joining the justice department last year. Blanche, through a spokesperson, referred a request for comment to Pirro’s office. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts.



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