Iowa football had the least competent offense in college football last season. Despite their inability to move the ball or score points, the Hawkeyes still managed to win 10 games and reach the Big Ten Championship (where they scored zero points and lost).
The shocking success was, in part, because of the defense.
Perhaps even more important was Ray Guy Award-winning punter Tory Taylor.He booted the ball 86 times (for 4,119 yards) in 2023, which was the most in the nation by at least five punts. Most other punters hovered around 35/60 attempts, max.
Of Taylor’s 86 punts, only 26 were returned. Only six were touchbacks.
36 of them went 50 yards or more, with six going 60 yards or more. 30 of them were downed inside the 20-yard-line.
There was a legitimate case to be made for the Heisman!
Iowa is going back Down Under.
Taylor is off to the NFL at 26 years of age. It would be a shock if he is not drafted, which is a rarity for specialists.
Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes were tasked with replacing their most valuable player. They went back to Australia, Taylor’s home country, to do so and landed a commitment from Rhys Dakin.
Excited to announce my commitment to study and play football on a full scholarship at the university of iowa.
I would like to thank @ProkickAus @JohnnyPKA @tglees for coaching me. Thank you also to Coach @LeVarWoods for coming to visit me and my family. pic.twitter.com/ACfa4rDpKR
— Rhys Dakin (@Rhys_dak1n)
The Melbourne-native has a big leg.
Here's some video of new Iowa punter commit Rhys Dakin courtesy of @ProkickAus
STORY: https://t.co/x480LNSxYg pic.twitter.com/c2egwP6pQM
— Blair Sanderson (@BlairASanderson)
A graduate of Pro Kick Australia, he gets some serious hangtime on his punts!
Rhys Dakin’s importance to the Iowa football program cannot be understated. The Hawkeyes would not have won the majority of their games without Taylor.
There are some big shoes to fill in Iowa City!
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