Kirk Ferentz Puts His Reputation on the Line as D-III Athlete Joins Iowa Football

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Kirk Ferentz is facing the biggest special teams rebuild of his 26-year tenure at Iowa. LeVar Woods, the longtime special teams coordinator, bolted for Michigan State on December 17. Thirteen days later, starting punter Rhys Dakin followed Woods to East Lansing, leaving Iowa without a punter, a coordinator, or a clear plan. Ferentz has already made moves to patch things up, bringing in North Dakota State kicker Eli Ozick and promoting defensive analyst Chris Polizzi to special teams coordinator. But the punter situation? That’s where things get interesting.

On Saturday, Iowa landed a commitment from Simpson College transfer punter Tanner Philpott. Philpott is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound Waukee Northwest product who spent the last two years dominating at the Division III level. He has two years of eligibility remaining. He announced his decision on Instagram with a message, “I want to thank God and my family and friends for their support in this decision. I also want to thank Simpson for all of the opportunities that I was given, which helped me achieve things that I never thought was possible. With that being said, I will be transferring to the University of Iowa to finish my collegiate career with two years of eligibility. I can’t wait to see what this incredible opportunity has in store. GO HAWKS!”

It’s not every day you see a Power Four program pluck a punter from D-III. But Ferentz has never been shy about finding diamonds in the rough. And Philpott’s resume suggests he’s exactly that.

This is a developing story…

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