How Iowa’s new-look offense draws inspiration from Green Bay Packers: ‘We’re running the Shanahan system’

The 2024 season is one of big and exciting changes in the Big Ten. The conference will add a Western Wing this summer, with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington increasing the number of schools in the league to 18. Everywhere I go – around family, friends or strangers discovering what I do for a living – I get asked how excited I am about the changes.

I tell you the truth. I’m not so much excited about the additions as I am intrigued by them. It will be interesting to see how the additions change the landscape of the league, but even that is limited because I’m pretty confident they won’t be the last additions in the near future.

The one thing that excites me — but no one asks about it — is the new-look Iowa offense.

Yes, I am a man of unique tastes. Does the Big Ten have four new teams? Cool. Is Ohio State acquiring an incredible amount of talent this offseason that could leave the Buckeyes standing for years? Organized.

But have you heard that Iowa will have a lot more pre-snap movement? This is change! This is exciting! When it comes to the changes supposedly coming to Iowa City, I’m trying to maintain an “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude. But the more I read and hear, the more I believe in the idea that this is really happening.

Take it Des Moines registry columnin Chad Leistikow about former Iowa running back and current running backs coach Ladell Betts. Of note, the Iowa staff and new offensive coordinator Tim Lester visited the Green Bay Packers, where Lester previously served as a senior analyst. The emphasis is mine:

“[Lester] it was 100% the catalyst. It was good to see that too,” Betts said. “A guy who only spent a year somewhere, he was very well received when we walked in – from the players to the coaches. It just shows me that he must have made an impact. They clearly remembered who he was. That’s a good sign you’re dealing with a good guy.”

Team visits are common in the offseason. For example, Ferentz has taken employees to New England Patriots practices in the past. Iowa once visited Georgia football practice to get a feel for how the Southeastern Conference powerhouse operates. This particular visit was beneficial because, as Betts said, “We’re running the Packers’ system. We are running the Shanahan system.”

What is that? Will Iowa run the Packers’ system? The Shanahan system? Does this include pre-snap movement?

“The main thing is the running game. It’s all about the run game,” Betts told the Register. “But I think the biggest takeaway is how much consternation can we cause the defense? How much can we keep the defense off balance? There’s going to be a lot of movement. A lot of changes. A lot of pre-snap changes with the lineups.”

I appreciate Betts for saying “dismay.” It’s a good word that needs to be used more often, just like pre-snap movement for Iowa’s offense. My issues with Iowa’s offense weren’t strictly style-of-play related. I have no problem with multiple tight end sets and hype football. My problem was how easy the Hawkeyes made things against opponents. They lined up and commanded the play.

Hearing that the Hawkeyes plan to use more pre-snap motion was a shock to the system. Pre-snap movement is not a groundbreaking discovery. It’s a basic concept that teams have long used to force the defense to assert itself and make life easier for the quarterback. How often did Iowa use motion last season? According to TruMedia, only 22.9% of the time; it ranked 12th in the Big Ten and 112th nationally.

Compare that number to Michigan, another offense that played complementary “smashmouth” football on offense. The Wolverines used pre-snap motion 59.7% of the time. This was the second highest rate in the country, behind only Florida.

The point is not that the motion resolves an offense; however, it can make an offense’s life easier, confuse a defense, and (as Michigan showed us so excellently last year) can be run by a team that is more looking to attack you than pass you.

Maybe, just maybe, Iowa will do it too.

Rutgers: So Hot Right Now

There were many changes college football recruitment in recent years, and one thing that has really changed is the lack of surprise. Recruiting is so well covered by places like 247Sports that fans can know a player will commit to their school before the player does.

This is why the movement performed by Jaelyne Matthews this week stood out. Matthews is a four-star prospect in the class of 2025 according to the 247Sports Composite, the No. 246 overall player in the country and the No. 7 player in New Jersey. Matthews held his commitment ceremony at Toms River North High School. Their list of finalists were Georgia, Tennessee and Miami. Each had a hat on the table, but before the 6-foot-2, 320-pound offensive tackle could choose one, the ceremony was interrupted by a pizza being delivered by former UFC fighter Frankie Edgar and MLB star Todd Frazier, who also attended Toms River North.

Inside the pizza box? A Rutgers cap, which Matthews hadn’t even listed as one of his finalists. A nice surprise revealed with the help of some celebrities, but just another day in the life of Rutgers football these days.

I’ll forgive you if you weren’t paying attention to the recruiting rankings in mid-June, but if you have, you know Rutgers is killing it right now. Seriously. At the time of publication, Rutgers Class of 2025 Ranks 9th Nationally following Matthews’ commitment.

Yes, volume plays an important role in this. Rutgers already has 23 total commits (including 10 on one weekend recently), and the odds are very low of finishing in the top 10 after National Signing Day. But there are also five four-star commitments among those 23. The only Big Ten schools with more blue chips are Ohio State, USC, Penn State, Oregon and Michigan. The rest of the league (12 teams) has 14 between them, and Rutgers has five of its own.

I ranked the Scarlet Knights as one Cinderella potential in the Big Ten thanks to a schedule that doesn’t include Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon or Penn State. If they can take advantage, get back to a bowl game and keep the class together, it will be a huge boost for head coach Greg Schiano heading into 2025.

Iowa is using pre-snap motion and Rutgers football has a bright future. What a time to be alive.

Ohio State is still king of the recruiting mountain

Speaking of teams doing well in the draft, the addition of four-star safety Faheem Delane propelled Ohio State’s Class of 2025 to No. 1 in the nation, passing by Notre Dame. Although many people look up to the new five-star quarterback Tavien St. (the second player in the country) as a big winner, what stands out is the work the Buckeyes are doing in the secondary.

Delane is a four-star safety ranked as the No. 50 player in the country by 247Sports and is the third-best defensive back in Ohio State’s class. Cornerbacks Devin Sanchez (No. 4 overall) and Na’eem Offord (No. 6 overall) are also in the class. Add transfer safety Caleb Downs (No. 8 overall in 2024) from Alabama through the portal this winter, and the Buckeyes are building an incredible secondary.

You’d think defensive coordinator Jim Knowles would get tired of watching Ohio State’s entire future NFL receivers terrorize their defense in practice and let Ryan Day know he wants scrimmages to be a little more even.