Hawkeye News and Notes

Iowa Football News

-The Hawkeyes will play a home game under the lights next season. The homecoming battle against the Michigan Wolverines will be played under the lights of Kinnick Stadium at 7 p.m. and televised by either ABC or ESPN

-Jewel Hampton is at the top of the depth chart at Running Back thus far during spring practice, but the surprise is former third-string Quarterback Marvin McNutt. McNutt, who moved over to wide receiver at the end of last season, is the #1 receiver on the depth chart, bumping Derell Johnson-Koulianos to #2. "Marvin has really had a good spring," Offensive Coordinator Ken O' Keefe told the Daily Iowan.


-Radio broadcaster and former Hawkeye great Ed Podolak is back from alcohol rehab and will be back in the radio booth calling Hawkeye games next Fall


-The 2009 NFL Draft is April 25 & 26 and quite a few Hawkeyes have the chance to get their named called on Draft day...

Shonn Greene: ESPN and Scouts Inc rank him as the 5th best Running Back in the draft
Rob Bruggeman & Seth Olsen: ESPN and Scouts Inc rank them as the 9th best Center and 23rd best Tackle in the Draft
Mitch King: ranked the 14th best Defensive End in the Draft
Bradley Fletcher: ranked the 33rd best Cornerback in the Draft


Iowa Basketball News

-The Hawkeye basketball team received another verbal commitment, no not from MJ's son, but from Schaumburg (IL) point guard Cully Payne. The 6 foot 1 inch, 180 pound point guard averaged 22 points a game in a senior season that was cut short 16 games into the season due to a stress fracture in his back. Payne signed a letter of intent to play for Alabama, but the Crimson Tide released him from that commitment after the firing of then Head Coach Mark Gottfried.

-Speaking of MJ's son....Sorry Hawkeye fans, he verbally committed to play for the University of Central Florida next season.