This year feels different: Hawkeyes optimistic about 2023

Football season is upon us and kickoff at Kinnick is just three weeks away. But all the Hawkeyes wanted to do at Iowa media days is talk about practice.

“I’ve had a lot of fun this fall camp,” Luke Lachey said. “It’s been a great time practicing. You don’t you don’t usually hear that much, but I love to practice. I love to go out there and compete against my brothers and my teammates.

“It’s kind of like a chess match out there,” Jay Higgins added. “The offense is looking really good. Obviously you’ve got Cade [McNamara], Luke [Lachey], offensive line looking good out there. There are some athletic dudes.”

But the word that stuck at media days was “different.”

“It’s different,” offensive lineman Mason Richman said. “Everyone says that every year and I think this year. It’s just a different feeling of what we’re working for what we’re motivated by and what wakes us up each morning.”

“One thing of note — this year is a little bit different, and I made note of that back in January and certainly every press conference since that time,” Kirk Ferentz said. “With the infusion of transfer players and new players, it’s a little bit of a different dynamic and it’s kind of been enjoyable actually, in a lot of ways, to work with some new guys.”

Two of those transfers don’t know any different, but share Ferentz’s excitement.

“I’m excited about going out there to win,” tight end Erick All said. “These guys are hungry, and you can see it every day. They’re ready to go out there and compete. And it’s a blessing just working with them and being with them every day.”

“I mean, I haven’t had one bad experience,” Cade McNamara said. “I think — not just like overall the fan base — but I think the people of Iowa, when I first moved to Iowa City, I could really know just truly how nice of people are here and it almost feels like southern hospitality.”

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