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Iowa

Key offensive players could miss Purdue game

On3 imageby: Tom Kakert10/07/23HawkeyeReport
Mason Richman
Starting left tackle Mason Richman will be out today.

The Iowa football team could be without two of their starting five offensive linemen on Saturday when they host Purdue. Starting left tackle Mason Richman and left guard Nick DeJong could potentially miss this game against the Boilermakers. Richman is listed as questionable for the game. DeJong is listed as out.

DeJong appeared to injury his elbow late in the game against Michigan State and left the field. He did not return. He was replaced by Connor Colby, who was an emergency backup after being injured in the Penn State game. Colby has started the first four games of the season. DeJong has earned a 67.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus this season, including a 72.9 grade in pass blocking in 189 snaps.

Richman has started 33 games in his Iowa career. He started every game the last two seasons at left tackle and started 12 of 14 contests in the 2021 season. The junior tackle did miss all of spring ball last year due to recovery from post season surgery. The nature of his injury is unknown. Richman has played 272 snaps this year for the Hawkeyes and earned a PFF grade of 57.7 with the pass blocking grade of 67.8

In his place, Iowa could be starting Tyler Elsbury, a 6-foot-5 and 312 pound lineman from Byron, IL. He has played in 29 games in his Iowa career, but the junior lineman has made just two starts and they were both last season. Elsbury has played just 30 snaps this season on offense and earned a 52.7 grade from PFF. He does have a strong 83.5 grade in pass blocking this season.

Also appearing on the injury report today is backup tight end Addison Ostrenga. He is listed as out for the Purdue game. This season he has two receptions for 19 yards. That means Iowa’s tight end rotation will likely be Erick All, Steven Stillianos, and Johnny Pascuzzi.

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