Expectations are starting to take form ahead of the 2024 Iowa Hawkeye football season. Iowa is returning a plethora of experience on both sides of the ball and there’s optimism that they’ll be able to string together another double-digit win season.
IOWA CITY, Iowa– Expectations are starting to take form ahead of the 2024 Iowa Hawkeye football season. Iowa is returning a plethora of experience on both sides of the ball and there’s optimism that they’ll be able to string together another double-digit win season. As the summer goes along, HawkeyeInsider is going to unveil its list of underrated players heading into the season. There’s not a better example than sixth-year cornerback Jermari Harris.
Harris started 18 games in the 2023 and 2021 season for Iowa as he did not play in 2022. With Cooper DeJean departing for the NFL, Iowa is going to need another cornerback to step up and that person is Harris. The Illinois native finished with 42 tackles, one interception and eight pass deflections this season. Harris missed the first two games of the season due to his involvement with the gambling investigation into the Hawkeye football team.
Harris was Iowa’s third-best overall cornerback this season, according to Pro Football Focus, but still finished with a solid overall grade of 70.8 and a coverage grade of 71.0, which was second-best amongst cornerbacks behind DeJean.
Phil Parker’s secondary is always among the best in the country and they’ll have a plethora of experience in the secondary with Xavier Nwankpa and Quinn Schulte. Iowa will need another player to step up to shut down half of the field. Harris fits the bill.
“I prepared really hard and that’s why I think knowing now being a little bit older in this for a while and being around Coach Parker and understanding his key points, and instill them in myself,” Harris previously said. “There’s no such thing as enough preparation. Even when I think it’s enough, I continue to keep watching film and find anything I can to help our guys win.”
“The fun part, is talking about the human side of things, just to watch the growth we’ve seen with him over his career, it’s been unbelievable,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz previously said of Harris. “(Three) years ago, he developed into not only a good player but a really strong leader on our team. He’s taken a lot of ownership. Talk about mentoring young guys, he’s been active helping younger guys try to get better.”
In 2021, Harris appeared in 13 of Iowa’s 14 games last season and made six starts. He finished with 34 tackles, eight pass break-ups, four interceptions and 1.5 tackles for loss. The Illinois native was one of the most popular picks to be a breakout player within the conference before missing the entire 2022 season due to a ‘medical reason.’
Harris’ only power-five offer came from Iowa and it was another “Phil Parker” special on the recruiting trail. The Hawkeyes might have a bunch of returning star power on defense, but Harris has a real chance to etch himself in defensive back lore with a big final season. His combination of athleticism, fluid hips, ball instincts and leadership could help him have the best season of his career.
Nwankpa and Schulte along with Sebastian Castro should provide some help in coverage, but Iowa’s defense can maintain the ridiculously high standard if Harris can turn into that shutdown cornerback that he has the potential being.
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