Iowa Football: Alaric Jackson, Cedrick Lattimore Suspended for Northern Illinois Game

Offensive tackle Alaric Jackson and defensive tackle Cedrick Lattimore have been suspended one game for violation of team rules, the Iowa football program announced Wednesday morning. They’ll both miss Iowa’s September 1st contest against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Part of the press release:

“As a coach one of the most important decisions is to hold student-athletes accountable,” said Ferentz. “It is painful for the players and the team to impose a suspension, but we have high standards and there is an expectation all players abide by our rules.”

The player infraction is not a legal matter. Violation of team policy or rules can include academic performance, attendance, timeliness, behavior, effort, and engagement.

The issues surfaced in late spring and both players were given guidelines to meet and milestones to achieve over the past 10 weeks. “Their response has been excellent, and I am very pleased with how they are meeting our expectations,” said Ferentz.

Jackson, who started 12 games as a freshman in 2017, is now serving his second one-game suspension in Iowa’s last two games. He was suspended for the Hawkeyes’ Pinstripe Bowl victory, also for violation of team rules. Levi Paulsen started in his place against Boston College, but struggled with injury during spring camp and is currently listed as a backup guard.

Lattimore, a junior, was listed as a starter next to Matt Nelson on the interior defensive line. He started six games in 2017, recording 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

With the suspension of Jackson and Lattimore, Iowa will now be without four would-be starters for their season opener. Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and defensive lineman Brady Reiff were both suspended in July for alcohol-related arrests, meaning that Iowa will be incredibly thin at defensive tackle and offensive tackle against the Huskies.

At the beginning of fall camp, senior Dalton Ferguson and redshirt freshman Mark Kallenberger were listed as Iowa’s backups at offensive tackle, although neither one of them has garnered a start in their respective careers. Whoever ends up with the starting spots against Northern Illinois will have their hands full - the Huskies boast NFL-caliber DE Sutton Smith, who recorded a stunning 29.5 TFL in 2017 for a team that led the nation in tackles for loss.

Defensive tackle will also be interesting, as there isn’t much depth at the position without two of their important cogs. The next man up appears to be Chauncey Gholston, although he’s only 265 pounds and a converted defensive end. Otherwise, it appears as though moving someone from the outside to the inside position next to Matt Nelson could prove necessary for the game.