73 Days Until Hawkeye Football: Cody Ince

Welcome to the official countdown to kickoff! Each day through September 4th we’re highlighting a member of the Iowa football team whose number corresponds with the number of days remaining until football returns to Kinnick Stadium. You can find each of the previous players highlighted in the Countdown to Kickoff stream here. You can also find the full Iowa roster here.

Up next is #73, offensive lineman Cody Ince!

Cody Ince – RS Junior
Byron, IL (Byron)
6’4”, 285 lbs
2021 Projection: Starting Right Tackle

As we’ve noted throughout some of the prior offensive line previews, the Hawkeyes have an interesting mix of returning starters and new faces stepping into bigger roles this fall. Perhaps none is as intriguing as redshirt junior Cody Ince.

The Luck, Wisconsin native came to Iowa in the class of 2018 as a rather slender tackle prospect who earned a 3-star rating from both Rivals and 247 Sports. We wrote at the time that he would likely spend a few years in the program bulking up before emerging as a potential starter later in his career.

That was only partially true as Ince got ahead of schedule a season ago when he emerged as Iowa’s starter at left guard. Following a redshirt season in 2018, the RS freshman earned time in 11 of Iowa’s 13 games in 2019. That’s when he first appeared as a guard for the Hawkeyes and seemed to find his niche.

In 2020, he played in all eight games while starting the final six. He performed well enough to be named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.

But now he finds himself listed as a tackle again on Iowa’s spring depth chart. Why? Because head coach Kirk Ferentz loves to get his five best linemen on the field and right now, that means playing a trio of guys perhaps best suited to be guards.

So look for Ince to start fall camp atop the depth chart at right tackle, but like so many other Iowa offensive linemen, he has shown positional versatility to slide inside if injury strikes or another budding star emerges outside. In the lineup, look for Ince to continue being solid in the run game with excellent athleticism for the position and a desire to serve up pancakes. He’s also more than capable in the passing game, though his listed height (notably shorter than his recruiting profile or highlight film) puts him slightly below ideal length on the outside against some of the Big Ten’s best pass rushers.