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Brock Purdy is off to one of the most unique starts in NFL history.

Why it matters: Arguably the best Iowa State quarterback ever, Purdy still waited until the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft to hear his name called.

The last pick in the draft, or "Mr. Irrelevant," had never thrown a regular season touchdown before Purdy. They are often not heard from again.

But since being drafted, Purdy has gone 10-0 in regular season starts, lead the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl contention and become a dark horse MVP candidate this season.

So if you find yourself watching Sunday's 49ers game with Cyclones fans, let us help you get up to speed on why everyone's talking about the former Iowa State quarterback.

State of play: According to sports betting site DraftKings, Purdy now has the third-best odds in the 2023 MVP race, at +650 (meaning a $100 bet on Purdy would pay out $650 if he wins MVP).

He's behind Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (+450) and Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (+475).

Plus, he's become one of the league's most talked-about players.

Pick a side: Fans are debating whether Purdy the next Tom Brady or if he's benefiting from a strong team and the coaching prowess of Kyle Shanahan.

A well-timed, "I knew he'd go big since 2018" will go far.

But if you're talking to a more skeptical crowd, you could say Purdy has been performing as expected within San Francisco's elite offense.

Between the lines: If you really want to dazzle, throw in totally unrelated Purdy fun facts, like that he has nearly 11,000 unread emails or that he's an "Outer Banks" fan.

Of note: You'll also get bonus points for mentioning that former Iowa star Sam LaPorta is having one of the best rookie tight end seasons ever for the Detroit Lions.

What's next: The 49ers play the Cleveland Browns at noon Sunday.

Go deeper: Read more about Purdy's journey in The Wall Street Journal.

How to fake it: Why everyone's talking about Brock Purdy

The former Iowa State quarterback is making a big splash in the NFL.

Brock Purdy reacts after a victory against the Dallas Cowboys on October 8 in Santa Clara, California. Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Brock Purdy is off to one of the most unique starts in NFL history.Why it matters: Arguably the best Iowa State quarterback ever, Purdy still waited until the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft to hear his name called.

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Axios Des Moines, anchored by Jason Clayworth and Linh Ta, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.

The NCAA Women's Basketball Committee released its second and final March Madness preview last week, revealing who would get the top 16 seeds if the season ended today.

Why it matters: Landing these seeds is a huge advantage, as the top 16 women's teams host first- and second-round games, Axios Sports' Jeff Tracy reports.

That means Iowa, currently projected as a No. 3 seed, would host two games in March if the committee's projections hold through Selection Sunday on March 12.

1 seeds: South Carolina (No. 1 overall), Indiana, Stanford, Utah

2 seeds: Louisiana State, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia Tech

3 seeds: Iowa, Notre Dame, Duke, Ohio State

4 seeds: Texas, Villanova, Arizona, Michigan

Between the lines: Hosting early-round games has been a mixed bag for Iowa. The Hawkeyes lost to Creighton in the second round last year as the No. 2 seed, but made the Sweet Sixteen in 2015 and the Elite 8 in 2019 after winning their early-round home games.

Projected top 16 women's teams revealed, includes Iowa as No. 3 seed

Projected No. 3 seed Iowa would host two games in March if the projections hold.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Sydney Affolter (3) defends against Maryland last week. Photo: Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Iowa

The NCAA Women&#x27;s Basketball Committee released its second and final March Madness preview last week, revealing who would get the top 16 seeds if the season ended today.Why it matters: Landing these seeds is a huge advantage, as the top 16 women&#x27;s teams host first- and second-round games, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios Sports&#x27; Jeff Tracy reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/24/ncaa-womens-basketball-projected-seeds-revealed" data-vars-content-id="904b155a-1cf6-43e7-a214-b417fca0b752" data-vars-headline="Projected top 16 women&#x27;s teams revealed, includes Iowa as No. 3 seed" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/24/ncaa-womens-basketball-projected-seeds-revealed" target="_self">Axios Sports&#x27; Jeff Tracy reports</a>.

As the nation turns its eyes to Caitlin Clark, Des Moines begins to hold its breath.

Why it matters: The first round of the NCAA Tournament this weekend could be something of a basketball nirvana for Iowans.

Clark and the rest of the No. 2 seed Hawkeyes take on Southeastern Louisiana at home at 3pm Friday.

Next up is Drake, whose men's and women's teams both made the tournament as No. 12 seeds. The men take on Miami Friday at 6:25pm and the women play Saturday at 6:30pm against Lousiville.

Of note: The Iowa men lost against Auburn last night — 83-75.

Driving the news: Eye-popping stats and national commercials have become normal for Clark.

That said, she had an excellent individual year last season and the Hawkeyes still lost in the second round.

And they haven't made the Final Four since 1993, roughly nine years before Clark was born.

State of play: This year could be different.

Clark, Monika Czinano, Gabbie Marshall, Kate Martin and McKenna Warnock have started 86 career games together, per ESPN.

The Hawkeyes lead the country in scoring by a comfortable margin.

Iowa wouldn't have to play South Carolina — the most dominant team in college basketball this season — until the semifinals.

And while this team can shoot well enough to cover up most mistakes, the defense has also improved from last year.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark takes March Madness center stage

The Hawkeyes face Southeastern Louisiana Friday on ESPN.

Caitlin Clark during a moment of celebration earlier this month against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Minneapolis. Photo: Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

As the nation turns its eyes to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Caitlin Clark" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/06/caitlin-clark-show-triple-double-stats" data-vars-content-id="a15fdb2e-9870-4570-9d34-2b059ed7563d" data-vars-headline="Iowa&#x27;s Caitlin Clark takes March Madness center stage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/06/caitlin-clark-show-triple-double-stats" target="_self">Caitlin Clark</a>, Des Moines begins to hold its breath.Why it matters: The first round of the NCAA Tournament this weekend could be something of a basketball nirvana for Iowans.

One year after advancing to the first Final Four in program history, the Iowa women's basketball team enters this season ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll.

Driving the news: The Hawkeyes are behind No.1 LSU, who they lost to in the championship last year, and UConn, maybe the most successful college basketball program ever.

The high ranking is yet another sign of confidence in Iowa's own Caitlin Clark, the generational superstar who is filling Kinnick Stadium and signing record endorsement deals.

Zoom in: The path back to the national championship game will not be easy. Iowa is one of five Big Ten teams in the Top 25 and also plays No. 8 Virginia Tech, Kansas State and Iowa State in non-conference play.

LSU is stacked after returning Angel Reese while adding star transfers Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow.

And Iowa is relying on unproven front court players to step up after both its starting forwards from last season graduated.

Yes, but: If there's anyone in college basketball who can make up a talent gap, it's Clark.

Iowa women's basketball ranked No. 3 in preseason poll

The high ranking is yet another sign of confidence in Caitlin Clark.

One year after advancing to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first Final Four in program history" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/28/ncaa-women-tournament-final-four-set" data-vars-content-id="c814690d-1547-4a12-a87f-409e52c2b8a7" data-vars-headline="Iowa women&#x27;s basketball ranked No. 3 in preseason poll" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/28/ncaa-women-tournament-final-four-set" target="_self">first Final Four in program history</a>, the Iowa women&#x27;s basketball team enters this season ranked No. 3 in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AP Top 25 preseason poll" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll" data-vars-content-id="c814690d-1547-4a12-a87f-409e52c2b8a7" data-vars-headline="Iowa women&#x27;s basketball ranked No. 3 in preseason poll" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll" target="_blank">AP Top 25 preseason poll</a>.Driving the news: The Hawkeyes are behind No.1 LSU, who they <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="lost to in the championship" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/03/womens-ncaa-final-sets-record-with-nearly-10m-viewers" data-vars-content-id="c814690d-1547-4a12-a87f-409e52c2b8a7" data-vars-headline="Iowa women&#x27;s basketball ranked No. 3 in preseason poll" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/03/womens-ncaa-final-sets-record-with-nearly-10m-viewers" target="_self">lost to in the championship</a> last year, and UConn, maybe the most successful college basketball program ever.

Everett Cook

Featured stories

Iowa women's basketball ranked No. 3 in preseason poll

How to fake it: Why everyone's talking about Brock Purdy

Iowa's Caitlin Clark takes March Madness center stage

Projected top 16 women's teams revealed, includes Iowa as No. 3 seed