IOWA FOOTBALL

Ryan Boyle moves back to QB for Iowa Hawkeyes

Mark Emmert
memmert@gannett.com

IOWA CITY, Ia. — The one-season experiment with Ryan Boyle at wide receiver has ended for the Iowa football team.

Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said Thursday that Boyle has asked to move back to quarterback for spring practices next month.

“So we’ve made that move — not that we’ve done anything, football-wise. He’s out throwing the ball,” Ferentz said of Boyle.

Iowa's Ryan Boyle started his career at quarterback, but appears to be finding a new home at receiver. He'll likely contribute on special teams as well.

Boyle, a graduate of West Des Moines Dowling Catholic, will be a third-year sophomore. He was moved to wide receiver late last spring and caught a touchdown pass in the spring game. But he recorded no statistics last season.

That will give Iowa four quarterbacks this spring — presumed starter Nathan Stanley, Tyler Wiegers, Drew Cook and Boyle. Freshman Peyton Mansell will arrive in the summer.

Ferentz said there were no other significant position switches for Iowa, nor any major injuries.

Ryan Boyle caught a touchdown pass on the last play of the spring game last season, but the Hawkeyes sophomore's heart has always been as a quarterback, and he will return to that position this season.

In other news, Ferentz said:

  • His son Brian will coach running backs, in addition to being the offensive coordinator. Brian Ferentz had coached the offensive line before his promotion last month, but that spot will be filled by Tim Polasek. Kelton Copeland was hired to coach wide receivers. That left running backs and special teams as positions unaccounted for. “Last man standing,” Kirk Ferentz quipped of Brian getting the running backs role.

As for special teams, Ferentz said:

  • “We’ll probably divide it up a little bit. There is some talk about the 10th coach being added (in April), so it gives us a couple options. We’ve got a couple things on the board right now. If we stay at nine, we’re comfortable. If we move to 10, that gives us another opportunity.” Ferentz has three coaches on staff with special-teams experience: Copeland, tight ends coach LeVar Woods and linebackers coach Seth Wallace. Ferentz downplayed the importance of previous experience with a certain position group. “None of us were prepared for any of the jobs that we had. That’s part of growth, that’s part of moving forward,” he said. “Good coaches can coach.”