Iowa Football's Joe Evans Returning for 6th Season

Hawkeye D-End Announces He'll Be Back in '23

IOWA CITY, Iowa - It's been a good news-bad news week for the Iowa Football defensive line. Tuesday, Lukas Van Ness announced he was leaving the Hawkeyes for the NFL Draft. A day later, Joe Evans revealed he would be returning for a sixth college season. 

Evans (6-2, 246) shared the team lead in sacks in each of the last two seasons. He piled up 7.0 of them in '21 and 6.5 this past campaign. The former walk-on linebacker from Ames (IA) High added four quarterback hurries and forced two fumbles this fall. 

Other Iowa super seniors could join Evans in staying in college. Linebacker Seth Benson, defensive linemen Noah Shannon and John Waggoner, fullback Monte Pottebaum and offensive lineman Jack Plumb are among those guys yet to have announced their future plans. 

Receiver Nico Ragaini stated before the Dec. 31 Music City Bowl that he would be back for '23. Quarterback Spencer Petras, who is recovering from surgery, said he would be back for the spring semester.