Iowa Announces QB & Other Starters For Saturday’s Opener

We're just days away from the start of the football season and Iowa's man under center Saturday will be #4 Nathan Stanley.

Stanley gets the starting nod over junior Tyler Wiegers. It's been said the two have been in a very tight race for the starting job, which leaves only one question. Will they share snaps in Saturday's opener against Wyoming?

Stanley, a 6-foot 5-inch sophomore from Wisconsin, played in seven games last year but threw only nine passes. He completed five of them for 62 yards and a long of 37.

The rest of the starting lineup on the offensive side of the ball includes the return of Matt VandeBerg at one receiver spot and Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson, a redshirt freshman, at the two tight end spots. Miguel Recinos has won the kicking job.

Though there are plenty of familiar faces in the Iowa starting lineup on both sides of the ball, the two-deep features 24 underclassmen. There are 20 Iowans listed. The complete two-deep is at the bottom of this story.

Wyoming will bring one of the nation's best quarterback's to Iowa City. Josh Allen has started only one season at Wyoming, but his numbers got the attention of scouts. He threw for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns. The Cowboys went 8-6. They won the Mountain West Conference's Western Division and lost the league championship game and the Poinsettia Bowl (to BYU) by a combined six points.

Sports Illustrated reports that at least one pro football personnel director believes Allen will be the #1 overall pick in next year's draft. It all may be a little ridiculous speculation at this point, but Iowa will clearly be battling a special talent Saturday in Iowa City.

Saturday's season opener at Kinnick Stadium kicks off at 11:01. It will be televised by the Big Ten Network.

[via Sports Reference, University of Iowa Sports Information, Hawkeye Sports, and Sports Illustrated]