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14 Whatever production emerges from the Iowa receiver's room in 2020 will be welcomed support for a new Hawkeye signal-caller. Stanley, the only starting quarterback Smith-Marsette has known at Iowa, was selected by Minnesota in the NFL Dra. But Smith-Marsette corrects anyone who says the heir apparent Spencer Petras is new to the receivers. "He might be new to Hawkeye fans, but in practice he used to step in and run with the (first unit)," Smith-Marsette said. "We threw with him all bowl prep and in spring ball. Chemistry is there." Smith-Marsette helped Weequahic (New Jersey) High School to a 12-0 record and the 2016 New Jersey State Championship in North 2 Group 1 with an 18-8 win over Shabazz. He was the top receiver for the Indians, pulling in 38 passes for 773 yards and 13 touchdowns. Included in his 1,292 all-purpose yards were 197 in punt returns, 192 in kick returns and 70 in interception returns. Aer originally committing to Minnesota, Smith-Marsette changed his mind and became a Hawkeye. "I chose Iowa because of the people and environment," Smith-Marsette said. "When you walk down the street people always ask how you are doing; 'Good morning, good aernoon,' that is different from where I'm from and it's special to me." In three seasons at Iowa — that has included 27 wins and a 3-0 bowl record — Smith-Marsette has caught 85 passes for 1,270 yards and 10 touchdowns, compiled 1,344 yards on kick returns and carried the ball 27 times for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is excited to unleash that versatility again in 2020. "He loves the game and loves being part of the game," Ferentz said. "He is a high-energy player who has grown physically and also maturity-wise. As we saw last year, he is a dangerous player in a lot of ways." As a junior in 2019, Smith-Marsette led the Big Ten and was fourth in the nation in kick returns with an average of 29.6 yards on 17 returns. A year earlier, he led the Big Ten and was second in the nation in kick returns with an average of 29.5 yards on 24 returns. Smith-Marsette wants to close his college career with a bang. He has goals of 1,000 kick return yards, 1,000 receiving yards, more than 2,000 all-purpose yards, double-digit receiving touchdowns and multiple kick return touchdowns. If he can accomplish that, the Hawkeyes will be tough to beat — and the confident Smith-Marsette knows it. "I want to get a Big Ten championship and be in the national talk," he said.