Ivory Kelly-Martin, running back

For his first three years of high school, Kelly-Martin attended Nazareth Academy (Illinois) and won back-to-back state titles in his sophomore and junior seasons. 

After an injury-ridden sophomore campaign, Kelly-Martin starred as a junior for the Roadrunners, rushing for 2,306 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Midway through his junior year, Kelly-Martin decided he wanted to be closer to home for his senior season and attend Oswego East High School (Illinois).

As a senior, Kelly-Martin rushed for 1,360 yards and 22 touchdowns, which were good enough to earn All-State honors in Illinois.

Although running back for the Hawkeyes is full with senior Akrum Wadley and Nevada graduate transfer James Butler, and the chances of Kelly-Martin seeing significant playing time is small, he has the tools to make a difference and become an impact player as a freshman.

During Iowa football’s Kids Day practice on Aug. 12, Kelly-Martin raised a few eyebrows, displaying great speed and vision in the open field from the backfield and the slot position.

With there being seven running backs on the roster, it’s a slim chance Kelly-Martin will get a substantial amount of carries his freshman season. But after his performance in the Kids Day, many believe Kelly-Martin possesses the potential become the third-string running back at some point this season.

Another area in which Kelly-Martin can contribute is on special teams. With his speed, he can fill the kick- or punt-returner position, which remains up for grabs after the departure of Desmond King and Riley McCarron.

But after seeing some snaps in the slot during the scrimmage, Kelly-Martin could help the Iowa receiver corps – one of the team’s main concerns heading into the 2017 season.

­—Sean Bock

Brandon Smith, wide receiver

Last season, by both the overall record and the conference record, the Hawkeye football team had a strong showing. Just looking at the numbers, Iowa had a higher average number of points scored compared with opponents, as well as a higher average of yards gained per play, rushing yards, more points off of turnovers, and numerous other statistical accomplishments.

One area in which the Hawks fell short, however, were the statistics concerning passing.

This is where freshman Brandon Smith comes in.

The Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, wide receiver has a 0.8488 247 Sports Composite, which put him in the top 10 percent of high-school football players in the nation.

Some of his high-school career highlights include first-team all-state honors and 5A Region I most valuable player both junior and senior years, a Dandy Dozen senior (one of the 12 best senior players in Mississippi), and a school record-holder for career receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns).

His high school career totals are 206 receptions for 3,672 yards and 41 receiving touchdowns.

From the numbers and accolades alone, Smith is set to make an impact.

Going on Smith’s record, and further on the video proof of his talents, he could very well surprise fans and opponents alike, who expect a lower passing yardage for the Hawkeyes.

Smith’s speed, agility, grit, and ability to catch just about anything makes him a great addition in the passing game. The increase in passing yardage to complement the Hawkeyes’ rushing yardage will certainly make the Iowa offense a force to be reckoned with.

— Taylor McNitt