Iowa Football: 3 Hawkeyes With the Most to Gain Against the Michigan Wolverines

With a 3-0 start under their belt, the Iowa Hawkeyes are eyeing a 1-0 start to Big Ten play. Things are much easier said than done, though. The requirements to get there involve a trip to the Big House to take down the Michigan Wolverines.

Not too friendly-sounding, huh? Well, Michigan hasn't been the Michigan of the Jim Harbaugh era this season, which sees Kyle Whittingham in his first year in charge of the Wolverines.

Nonetheless, Michigan is still oozing talent. That's one thing that hasn't changed. To combat that, a few Hawkeyes could stand change the course of their Iowa careers with a big win.

Anthony Hawkins, S

This door is open for Anthony Hawkins, the former Villanova product, who transferred to Iowa this offseason via the portal, to make his name widely known.

At 6-foot-3 and just a touch over 200 pounds, Hawkins is long and rangy, which gives Phil Parker even more versatility on the back end of his defense. How Hawkins is used against Michigan could go a long way in shutting down the Wolverines' passing attack.

JJ Buchanan is a big-bodied wide receiver nearly mirroring Hawkins' frame. Buchanan isn't the fastest wide receiver, which could result in Hawkins finding himself in coverage here.

And, of course, the run game for Michigan is coming all day long. Hawkins is going to have to make tackles in space to stop small gains from becoming big plays - a staple of good Iowa safety play.

Reece Vander Zee, WR

Tony Diaz is going to get all of the attention from Michigan's defense, and rightfully so. He has been an outright stud through three games for Iowa, giving them something in the passing game they haven't had in years: explosiveness.

Michigan knows that. You know that. Your mother knows that. The Wolverines' defense is good enough to take him away at times. That puts the focus on Reece Vander Zee to win one-on-one battles or bring in contested catches.

He has flashed brilliantly for Iowa before, albeit with some inconsistency. If he can elevate to his peak in this game, he opens up Iowa's offense immensely.

Kenneth Merrieweather, DE

Iowa's primary focus on defense has to be to shut down Michigan's run game. And I think they will do a solid job at that. After that, the Hawkeyes have to win a portion of the game: forcing Michigan into obvious passing downs.

That opens up the door for veteran defensive end Kenneth Merrieweather to make his mark in Iowa history with timely pass rushes in this game. Bryce Underwood is elusive. He can run. He is big. He is strong. It's going to take a top-tier effort to bring him down.

Kenneth Merrieweather finding a way to get home once or twice, along with consistent pressure against a Michigan offensive line that is no joke, would be a monstrous performance.

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