A Quick Review of Next Year's LBs
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Jan 19, 2011 2:52 PM CST
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LB is definately the position that has me the most nervous going into next year - especially LB depth. As of the start of next year we'll have:
2 Seniors: Tyler Nielsen and Bruce Davis. Nielsen will likely take his spot back at LEO (assuming he is completely healed) and Davis has the inside track on the other OLB spot.
2 Juniors: Terrance Pryor and Cameron Olson. Neither of these guys have played in a single game yet.
3 Red shirt sophomores: Shane DiBona, Dakota Getz, and Marcus Kloos. DiBona played in a limited capacity through most of this season; Getz played in a couple of games but didn't accumlate any stats and Kloos did not play at all.
6 True sophopmores: T.J. Fisher, Christian Kirksey, Matthew Meyers, James Morris, Jim Poggi, and David Ryberg. Of these only Morris has played in even a single game.
4 True Freshmen: Quinton Alson, Cole Fisher, Mike Orloff, and Melvin Spears. It is impossible to tell whether any of these will be able to help contribute in their first year. I could note that it is possible to add one other name to this list: Rodney Coe. I realize he was recruited as a RB, but there has been some speculation that he could play as a LB as well - a position he played well in HS as I understand.
It is a very, very young LB corps that is light on experience. Behind the three likely starters of Nielson, Davis and Morris there is only DiBona and Getz who has played in even a single game - and of those two ony DiBona has any stats.
Time to hit the panic button yet?
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Thank you for extending the offseason talk.
If we didn’t hit the panic button THIS year then there’s no reason to ever hit it.
My biggest concern is TNielson. A broken fucking neck?
James, son of Morris, is gonna be a good one. DiBona is stepping up and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him listed above Davis, though we’ll probably run the lineup you mentioned until one them gets hurt. I don’t see Pryor or Olson getting much PT.
Next year depends on development. Morris is in the middle, but do Davis and Nielson have the lateral and/or vertical quickness to stuff the run/cover receivers? That’s the big question. If Kirksey, DiBona or Poggi develop just a little more size while learning more of the system I could easily see them starting over the two seniors. However, if Davis/Nielson progress a little more and the youngsters don’t take a big leap then the seniors will be the starters.
I don’t think we see any freshmen at LB next year. Even Morris was too small to be playing Big 10 football this year (though he did well anyway).
The 2012 LB corps is much more interesting. I think the starters will be Morris/DiBona/Poggi/Kirksey (yes, that’s four… no we won’t run 3-4, I just couldn’t narrow it down due to too many factors). But I could see any of the four incoming freshmen pushing for starting spots- – they all seem to have good frames and are all well rated, and after a year of learning the system I could see one of them stepping up.
I don’t think Coe makes the switch. He wants to run, and once he sees the OL for 2012 he’s gonna be licking his chops.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Jan 19, 2011 3:22 PM CST reply actions
Wouldn't that be Jim Morrison?
James, son of Morris
I spent half my life's earnings on wine, women & song. The other half I wasted.
by therealCatnuts on Jan 19, 2011 5:00 PM CST up reply actions
Doesn't Davis play the MLB spot?
I really don’t think he has the quickness to play one of the outside spots and is an ILB all the way through.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
Nico Law
is a true freshman coming in as a safety but IIRC I’ve seen somewhere on this site that he may move to LB (the puns with his name will be awesome as well). Also, my guess is that if AJ Derby doesn’t switch to LB in the next year, that he will be gone for 2012.
for all we know, Derby is the next Tebow
or at least, for all i know. i havent seen him throw a pass yet.
by justsomehawkeyefan on Jan 19, 2011 5:01 PM CST up reply actions
He looked good last year in the Army All-American Bowl
However, he was even more impressive making plays on ST. I remember one punt where he ran down the field about 20 yards ahead of everyone else – nearlyl keeping pace with the ball itself – and just absolutely DESTROYED the poor punt returner.
They guy can run and can lay a hit.
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Jan 19, 2011 5:03 PM CST up reply actions
If they're letting him play ST
don’t we have to assume his QB journey is over?
It never gets to be easy.
Why the fuck doesn't it ever get to be easy?
by chitownhawkeye on Jan 19, 2011 8:34 PM CST up reply actions
When did Derby play on special teams?
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I think he was referring to the Army AA game
"I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score." - Dan Gable
by ClaybornSmash on Jan 20, 2011 8:19 AM CST up reply actions
Ah.
Well, where guys play in that game is pretty much irrelevant. Coe played LB, but I’ll be shocked if he sees a snap at LB next year. The chance to play RB is a big reason he verbaled to Iowa and lord knows he should have opportunities to play RB next year unless AIRBHG turns his attention to some other sad sack squad (or he strikes Coe down in fall practice PLEASE DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN I’M KNOCKING ON AN ENTIRE FOREST).
I will agree, though, that if we ever see Derby on special teams you can erase his name from any future QB depth charts.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
If memory serves...
Derby was sending in signals from the sideline with the other backup QBs at the Insight Bowl.
His family seems a bit too Hawkeye for him to transfer to some other school just to get a crack at playing QB. And what decent program would court a guy who couldn’t crack the lineup as a QB at Iowa?
Or am I being too dismissive of his talents?
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
by WaterlooChazz on Jan 21, 2011 10:24 PM CST up reply actions
I don't know.
I haven’t seen him in action since the High School championship. But I was decidedly unimpressed then. He will have improved greatly if he sees the field at Iowa. That or AIRBHG will have branched out.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Jan 22, 2011 10:10 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah, for all we know.
But I don’t think he’ll see the field at QB this year unless Vandenberg is Christiansen-esian, which I don’t see as a possibility. I’m not sure if KOK and KF have it in their genes to go to a dual-QB system if one has the upper hand, and I’d be surprised if anyone other than Vandy gets a significant number of first-team snaps this spring or fall during camp.
no, vandy definatly has the job barring injury/terrable play
but even if that happens, there is still Weinke ahead of him i think.
by justsomehawkeyefan on Jan 19, 2011 11:56 PM CST up reply actions
It's mostly a quibble, but I don't think I'd say he "definitely" has it just yet.
He’s a very strong favorite, but Weinke has spring and fall practice to turn some heads. Vandy’s had just about all the #2 snaps for the last two years (what few there were), which gives him a definite advantage, but it’s not like he’s been lights out when he’s been on the field, too. I remember three years ago we thought it was bolted on that Jake would be starting again, too, and that didn’t exactly happen.
If I was betting on it, I’d still lay money down on Vandy being the starter come the first week and likely for the entire season (barring injury), but… you never totally know.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
Weinke is certainly an intriguing player.
I’ve said it many times, Lloyd Carr just didn’t miss on QBs. Many of them also went on to be pretty decent pros too. Whether that was due more to coaching or recruiting I couldn’t tell you but the list is impressive and Weinke was the only QB in his last class.
The guy has the requisite size and reports have him with just as strong of an arm as Vandy.
Lloyd Carr QBs:
Ryan Mallett (2007-2010)
Chad Henne (2004-2007)
Dave Navarre (2000-2003)
Drew Henson (1998-2000) (Could have been a very high draft pick if he hadn’t tried baseball first.)
Tom Brady (1996-19999)
Brian Griese (1995-1997)
Scott Driesbach (1995-1996)
I have been hearing that Jake Rudock
is the real deal and could be in the mix also as a true frosh. He is considered a highly underrated prospect by one of college footballs keenest minds
"You’re talking about things that are real. That’s real. In those other dual meets, it wasn’t real, but now it’s real." ~ Tom Brands regarding the Iowa State dual.
36 TD's, 3 INT's, 69% completions? Uh, yeah. Underrated at 3 stars
Read an article that said he was sitting early after being on the good end of a lot of lopsided wins which hurt his stats. Really? They don’t look that hurt to me.
by KinnickNorthHawk on Jan 28, 2011 8:25 AM CST up reply actions
Well, if he had decommitted and gone to Miami
he would have gotten an automatic boost to 4 stars.
I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning.
No doubt.
Miami’s recruitment of Rudock was making me nervous. I’m glad he and his dad put the rumors to rest. Rudock could be huge for us.
by KinnickNorthHawk on Jan 28, 2011 12:04 PM CST up reply actions
You can probably take the mention of Coe out
He was recruited as a RB and the Iowa coaches said they would give him his shot at it. That’s not to say that he won’t be converted farther along in his career but the coaches will give him at least one year to develop and prove that he can be a productive RB
"I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score." - Dan Gable
SHHHHHHH
He’s a LB now. Really. He’s only lining up behind center because KOK is confused. Please don’t smite him AIRBHG.
It never gets to be easy.
Why the fuck doesn't it ever get to be easy?
by chitownhawkeye on Jan 19, 2011 8:35 PM CST up reply actions
not sure that helps
our LBs seemed to have some trouble with a malevolent force of some sort this year.
Also, Coe will play DL if he doesn’t play RB.
Brunettes not fighter jets
Apparently AIRBHG has a little brother:
Angry Iowa Line Backer Hating God: AILBHG.
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Jan 20, 2011 9:53 AM CST up reply actions
Movng Coe to D already
Thats just crazy talk. We have two RB’s at this point and they are both young in their own right. I want to see this monster run the ball behind what is going to be a gargantuan line in the next two or three years. OL recruiting has been impressive the last couple years and some of these guys are huge.
Andrew Donnal Fr. 6-7/285
Nolan MacMillan Fr. 6-6/288
Casey McMillan So. 6-4/305
Riley Reiff So 6-6/300
Brandon Scherff Fr. 6-5/310
Brett Van Sloten OL Fr. 6-7/290
Excluding James Ferentz (6-2, 275) our young guys are massive. For as long as I can remember Kirk Ferentz has never had this type of quality on the line right out of HS. By this time next year we may have 4 guys on the line at 300+. And I know people may say that those aren’t Doylized 300 pounders but they would be wrong in at least one case. Brandon Scherff is from my hometown and a family friend. The kid was athletic as hell out of high school considering he played TE his junior year and even qb his sophomore year. He’s very quick, and is still learning technique but he will be good. Recently he has said that he is up to 320 and feels great. He also said that this group of linemen is tight knit and hit the weight room with ferocity. I know we have some issues but I for one am excited as hell for the next three years in the trenches. I think it may not matter who is the qb because we will be what Wisconsin was this year. That is why Ferentz has loaded up on the big rb’s. He’s going even more old school and trying to build a freight train for an offense.
"I don't believe in quotes" - Karl Klug
/Tear
It’s (hopefully) going to be SO beautiful.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Jan 20, 2011 12:16 PM CST up reply actions
Seeing a pounding running game like that would be amazing
Imagine Wiscy’s offense with a better QB running the play action. I just drooled a little bit…
"I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score." - Dan Gable
by ClaybornSmash on Jan 20, 2011 12:18 PM CST up reply actions
Now imagine these brick wall O-lines with big RB's and a quality scrambling QB like Derby
I’m gonna need some tissues.
You got no fear of the underdog; That's why you will not survive!
by YouCanPutYourEddsInIt on Jan 20, 2011 12:27 PM CST up reply actions
That's disgusting...
Oh…tissues for your eyes.
by Schnebby on Jan 20, 2011 1:48 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I'm still COUNTING on the big recruiting this weekend to get CK1.
THAT would be a helluva a recruiting class to go behind this guys: Walsh, Kouandjio and Blythe. whew!
In the past 10 years, just four team owners have not paid a luxury tax and are not on pace to pay one this year: Donald Sterling, Jerry Reinsdorf, Chris Cohen (Golden State), Bob Johnson (Charlotte).
Two owners’ teams averaged an operating income of over +$10 million per year while their teams have lost over 60% of their games: Donald Sterling and Jerry Reinsdorf.
Whooooooo whooooooo!
Did somebody slip me a little blue pill, because I’m feeling a bit giggly in the groin.
by RH's Bookie on Jan 21, 2011 10:28 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Damn our O line is sexy
do you think we can just put ten linemen up and have coker run it every play?
by justsomehawkeyefan on Jan 25, 2011 9:15 PM CST up reply actions
I didn't even think of throwing Derby out there
I hope to god they can find a way to get him the ball. Is it that out of the realm to just have him take a shotgun snap and run behind Reiff, Tebow style? If we are willing to line up 7 on the line and dare people to stop us, why not do the same thing with the QB. I would be fine with it even if they never throw out of that formation.
"I don't believe in quotes" - Karl Klug
I think Wildcat and Iowa in the same sentence
only refers to planes some vets flew in WWII.
Having Coker run behind a line of athletic 6-5ish mountains makes me want to go to sleep with a note to wake me up when fall practice starts.
You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning
by The Bacon Explosion on Jan 21, 2011 7:29 AM CST up reply actions
I was thinking
if we didnt call it the wildcat, but just called it a QB draw in shotgun formation then maybe kirk wouldn’t put two and two together to realize that we just ran the “Tiger Hawk”!
"I don't believe in quotes" - Karl Klug
I have felt pretty queezy about next year's LB corps for about a month or two now.
But after seeing all those names, I’m thinking that they should all realize that there could be some playing time earned. I’m hoping that they will really compete in the spring and in camp, and that we could end up with some tough, reasonably quick dudes ready for next year to go along with Morris (and probably Davis).
I am pretty pessimistic on getting Nielsen back very quick. I can’t imagine it is easy to keep your cardio or your muscle mass while rehabbing a broken neck.
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
WaterlooQueez
"GO HAWKS!" - only cure for Hawkeye Envy
Hayden Fry. You are welcome college football.
by BentNotBroken on Jan 22, 2011 12:09 AM CST up reply actions
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