Iowa football: Gennings Dunker's return, Logan Jones injury, previewing '25 offensive line

Iowa football: Gennings Dunker’s return, Logan Jones injury, previewing ’25 offensive line

Posted by Admin December 26, 2024 Football

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. − As each day passes, the excitement about Iowa’s 2025 offensive line continues to grow. Arguably the team’s two most dominant blockers in center Logan Jones and right tackle Gennings Dunker have now officially revealed their returns to the Hawkeyes for one more season.

That said, the O-line’s immediate future became a little bleaker when Jones suffered a freak accident in a recent practice that left him with a broken bone in his right (snapping) hand.

Jones had a hard cast around his right hand during Thursday’s open portion of practice at Ensworth High School, opening the door for fifth-year senior Tyler Elsbury (6-foot-5, 316 pounds) to get the start in his final game as a Hawkeye when Iowa faces Missouri in Monday’s Music City Bowl (1:30 p.m., ESPN).

“The only bright side of this in my mind is Logan is coming back (next year), and Els can’t,” left tackle Mason Richman said Thursday after Iowa’s first on-site practice after arriving on Christmas. “That’s the only thing that is beautiful about that to me, is that Els gets his shot.

“He’s been waiting for his moment. I think he’s ready for this. He’s been dying for this.”

Elsbury is a beloved teammate who Richman likens to the affability of captains Jay Higgins and Luke Lachey. Elsbury certainly could have transferred elsewhere for his final year but always loved being a Hawkeye and came back knowing he’d probably be a backup.

Elsbury started two games at left guard (Michigan State, Northwestern) when Beau Stephens was sidelined and is expected to make his sixth career start (and only second at center) on Monday. For what it’s worth, Jones did practice snapping with his left hand Thursday but was not in pads. Mike Myslinski was the second-team center.

“He’s probably one of the best backup centers in the country,” right tackle Gennings Dunker said of Elsbury. “It kind of sucks getting stuck behind Logan.”

Dunker added, “(Jones’ injury) definitely sucks. But that kind of stuff happens. You can’t just get on the bus and drive away because LoJo is hurt.”

Dunker would know. He suffered a practice injury on Tuesday ahead of the Nov. 23 game at Maryland; hurt his knee while trying to set an edge on a block, he said.

“Wasn’t very athletic,” Dunker said, “and I just kind of fell right on my knee.”

He missed two games, and sixth-year senior Nick DeJong plugged in to play and did so admirably.

Now Dunker is back. And for more than one game.

He’ll be back in 2025. That was never in doubt for him personally, but it seemed to be news to the outside world. Dunker was Iowa’s highest-graded offensive player for the season, according to Pro Football Focus, at a 90.0. Yes, even ahead of consensus all-American running back Kaleb Johnson (86.9). That’s how good Dunker has been this season as he learned how to play more “smoothly,” as he put it, at right tackle.

He never gave the NFL a thought, Dunker said, because he loves playing for offensive line coach George Barnett. He added that even if other programs had offered him more money to leave, he wouldn’t have because of Barnett – who will return as a fifth-year line coach next season for the Hawkeyes. Jones also has credited Barnett for his decision to return for a sixth year.

Video: Logan Jones on decision to return to Iowa for 2025 season

Logan Jones discusses a variety of topics on December 20, 2024.

“Just because of the man he is, and how he teaches certain things,” Dunker said. “And it’s not even really football. It’s kind of like how to act and how to conduct yourself as a man. I think that’s more important to me than anything else.”

And, suddenly, Iowa’s 2025 line looks pretty darn potent.

If the Hawkeyes don’t land another option in the transfer portal, it’s likely that Stephens will remain at left guard, Jones at center (obviously, as a first-team all-Big Ten pick), Kade Pieper at right guard and Dunker at right tackle.

So what happens at left tackle? The plan is to keep Dunker on the right side. And Iowa likes the trajectory of redshirt freshman Trevor Lauck, a natural tackle who was a highly acclaimed recruit out of Indiana. Lauck (6-5, 302) is Plan A at left tackle currently.

Mason Richman set for Iowa-record 52nd start in the Music City Bowl

The fifth-year senior looks ahead to next year’s line and how this group is operating without Kaleb Johnson ahead of the Music City Bowl.

“This year he’s really gotten a lot more reps,” Richman said of Lauck. “And he’s starting to get in shape a little bit more. I think he’s one really good offseason of strength and conditioning away from going out there and dominating guys.”

As for Pieper, Dunker has forecasted his ascent for more than a year. Pieper played a season-high 41 snaps vs. Northwestern, rotating in with Elsbury at left guard. Pieper (6-3, 275) actually had a 93.7 season grade in his 107 snaps, per PFF. He also took Dunker’s title as the Solon Beef Days hay-bale tossing champion this past summer.

“He’s got to eat a little more. He’s a little light in the (butt), but he looks good,” Dunker said. “He’s really athletically gifted. He’s probably the most gifted in the room.”

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 30 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.