Incoming Class

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stlherky

Active Member
Does it happen every year that we are extremely optomistic about our football class coming in? Because this year actually feels like we have a ton of talent coming in that can maybe push us to the next level :). Does anyone else getting this feeling?
 




On paper, this is definitely an exciting class. What's the next level? Consistent B10 championships like OSU? I don't think 1 class will do this.
 


I'm still excited about the 2009 recruiting class!

- Van Sloten and Boffeli have already been generating buzz and Nolan MacMillan has already seen starts! ... and I'm not going to underestimate Clark either.

- Hyde is already a starter ... enough said!

- DiBona was a bit of a surprise and was better at the WILL spot than either Patrick (spudhawk) or I originally anticipated. I loved his upside and toughness ... but even then he's exceeded expectation thus far. Anyhow, he's already earned a few starts as a RS FR ... that's certainly notable.

- Getz has been battling injuries but has definitely seems to be on the "radar" of the coaches. Definitely a guy to look out for in coming years at the LEO LB spot.

- Brad Rogers is still one of my faves from the class. I love his attitude. I really hope that his "heart issues" end up being only minor and not impacting his life and/or football career. Anyhow, if so ... he'll likely be our starter at fullback. And, what's more ... he's a fullback who will be more than capable of running the ball too!

- Keenan Davis will be a starter. Once he puts everything together ... Iowa fans should be in for a treat. I have every confidence that he will.

- Cotton has earned buzz as being a playmaker. His primary issue was that he was "rough around the edges" ... much like Andy Brodell as an underclassman. I think that we'll be seeing Cotton start to emerge as a contributer in 2011.

- Covert is a bit under the radar. From what I've seen and heard (and I urge folks to read past breakdowns by Patrick Webb) ... it seems like Covert is a guy who could definitely enter the picture in the future and be much like a Luebke or a Kroul ... and that's a COMPLIMENT!

Anyhow, if you go through the list of 2009 class commits who are still "on board" ... pretty much every one is squarely in the picture to be a major contributer in the very near future. That means that all the guys who are still on board were recruiting "hits" ... and that's not to say that the guys who left were necessarily misses either.
 


It hurts the perception of the 2009 class that Wegher ended up leaving, since he was clearly the headliner of that class. I think the talent from the last three classes combined is what really excites me. A solid foundation for the program to get even better in the next few years.
 


Hawksel said:
It hurts the perception of the 2009 class that Wegher ended up leaving, since he was clearly the headliner of that class. I think the talent from the last three classes combined is what really excites me. A solid foundation for the program to get even better in the next few years.
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I'm certainly still excited about the 2010 class too. It's pretty funky that something like NINE true freshman from the 2010 recruiting class saw early game experience. Thus, a bunch of young guys saw quality action already!

And, I have to say, that I rather agree with Coach Johnson ... I really like the 2011 class too. The group definitely has A LOT of talent ... and, what's more, there are a lot of "GLUE GUYS" in the class who can project at many positions. Thus, the class has a lot of flexibility too. The guys we got can end up filling nearly all our needs ... and that can BOTH help bolster our depth and prevent the squad from developing too many gaps in the depth chart.
 


Iowa had a nice class, on paper it isn't anything that would think pushes Iowa to the "next level". If anything OSU's class separated OSU even farther from the rest of the pack. Whether these kids pan out is another story....
 


fufred said:
Iowa had a nice class, on paper it isn't anything that would think pushes Iowa to the "next level". If anything OSU's class separated OSU even farther from the rest of the pack. Whether these kids pan out is another story....
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On paper we're lacking some ROTC molesters. That would put our class over the top.
 


I actually somewhat agree with fufred. On paper, this class isn't AMAZING. There's not a ton of stars scattered everywhere. But regardless, from what I've read/seen about these players, I feel like it really is loaded, even if the recruiting services don't say so. Rudock, Cooper, Law, Campbell, Hillyer, etc. all seem like they could be stars in the Big Ten one day, even though they may only be a 3-star recruit right now.

Usually I'd say that just on the blind faith that Ferentz has a track record of taking those star ratings and succeeding with them. But some of these guys really look like they were underrated. I'm more excited about this class than any outside of the 2005 class.
 


fufred said:
Iowa had a nice class, on paper it isn't anything that would think pushes Iowa to the "next level". If anything OSU's class separated OSU even farther from the rest of the pack. Whether these kids pan out is another story....
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Gee! Thanks for that brilliant assessment. You're right, we could never be as good as Bucky, right? You really kicked our ***** the last two years. We will see how it plays out.
 




tm3308 said:
I actually somewhat agree with fufred. On paper, this class isn't AMAZING. There's not a ton of stars scattered everywhere. But regardless, from what I've read/seen about these players, I feel like it really is loaded, even if the recruiting services don't say so. Rudock, Cooper, Law, Campbell, Hillyer, etc. all seem like they could be stars in the Big Ten one day, even though they may only be a 3-star recruit right now.

Usually I'd say that just on the blind faith that Ferentz has a track record of taking those star ratings and succeeding with them. But some of these guys really look like they were underrated. I'm more excited about this class than any outside of the 2005 class.
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I think one of the biggest things about this class is the apparent pipeline we have opened up with Maryland and specifically Dematha.
 


RADMAN said:
Gee! Thanks for that brilliant assessment. You're right, we could never be as good as Bucky, right? You really kicked our ***** the last two years. We will see how it plays out.
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Well sorry but its true. Of the players OSU and Iowa both offered Iowa got a commitment from exactly zero of them. Iowa's class could end up better but on paper its no where near OSU's.
 


DexterMorgan said:
I think one of the biggest things about this class is the apparent pipeline we have opened up with Maryland and specifically Dematha.
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Agreed. And we need Rudock to do very well here, and enjoy his time on campus. St. Thomas Aquinas is THE high school program to get into.
 


No offense to fufred ... but he's also one of the "star gazers."

If you went by recruiting evaluations from recruiting services alone ... Iowa would have no business playing tOSU effectively even over the past 2 years. However, given how Ferentz and Co operate a "developmental" program ... our squad is simply "built differently."

And, as history has proven, the "Ferentz formula" tends to work pretty well. The annoying part of it is that Iowa rarely has been a dominating team ... however, the Hawks have proven capable of playing with the best of the best.

Thus, I would wholeheartedly DISAGREE with any assessment that current recruiting separates any two quality teams from one another. Of course, "star gazers" tend to feel differently about this ....
 


Not a star gazer at all really, 2 of my favorite kids in the OSU class are 3* kids. Watch the film and there is a difference....and no offense to homer but I think I watch a little more film on these kids than he does. There is no Braxton Miller or Curtis Grant types in the Iowa class. Those are the guys that win you 6 B10 titles in a row and provide OSU with consistent BCS appearances.
 


tm3308 said:
Usually I'd say that just on the blind faith that Ferentz has a track record of taking those star ratings and succeeding with them. But some of these guys really look like they were underrated. I'm more excited about this class than any outside of the 2005 class.
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tm3308 -

Given the precedent that Ferentz and Co have established I really do not believe that it requires any "blind faith."

That's certainly not to take anything away from the potential and ability of Iowa recruits ... however, Iowa's emphasis on truly teaching fundamentals and developing players counters some of the advantages that other programs have.

I think that the fact of the matter is that the coaching ranks aren't littered with a ton of excellent teachers. The fact that the Iowa coaching staff has one of the better groups out there is certainly an inherent advantage that our program has to offer.

And, to throw fufred a bone ... I think that one of there inherent advantages that tOSU has is that Tressel and Co are an excellent group of teachers too. I think that is arguably one of the biggest reasons why they've enjoyed the success that they've had.
 


fufred said:
Not a star gazer at all really, 2 of my favorite kids in the OSU class are 3* kids. Watch the film and there is a difference....and no offense to homer but I think I watch a little more film on these kids than he does. There is no Braxton Miller or Curtis Grant types in the Iowa class. Those are the guys that win you 6 B10 titles in a row and provide OSU with consistent BCS appearances.
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LOL! Not a star gazer ... and yet you point to the effective 5-star guys as a meter stick.

Sorry, Iowa relies upon guys who fit our TEAM. And, arguably the biggest things that propel Iowa to success is trench play (on both sides of the ball). To that end, I'm happy to stick by what Raymon brings to the table. Similarly, through the past several years Iowa has landed OL recruits like MacMillan, Boffeli, Van Sloten, and Scherff ... all guys who I feel will play HUGE roles in continuing Iowa's great OL-tradition. When you also add more highly touted guys to the mix like Donnal, Walsh, and Blythe ... they simply complement the above group ... they're not necessarily going to be instant "headliners."

Lastly, Iowa's use of the TE is also a bit of an "equalizer" on the field. It forces opposing Ds to be a bit more predictable. And, to that end, I couldn't be more tickled about what Iowa's group of TEs bring to the table. And, as continues to be the case ... having "plug-n play" talent doesn't hurt ... but Iowa has a history of developing guys there too.
 


fufred said:
Not a star gazer at all really, 2 of my favorite kids in the OSU class are 3* kids. Watch the film and there is a difference....and no offense to homer but I think I watch a little more film on these kids than he does. There is no Braxton Miller or Curtis Grant types in the Iowa class. Those are the guys that win you 6 B10 titles in a row and provide OSU with consistent BCS appearances.
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Honest question fufred, why do you post here? Why an Iowa Hawkeye board? Do you post on other opponents sites also, if so which ones? Do you post on OSU board more or less than other sites?

Just curious, as it doesn't even cross my mind to go to a OSU board, or any other teams board at all to post....
 


No I pointed to the 2 players with the biggest star potential. Having seen Braxton play 4 times this season I don't need Scout or Rivals to tell me he's good. And Grant has been a combine star and has a who's who of offer lists. I don't care how many stars he may have but when your offer list includes perennial top 10 teams I would say it's safe to say the kid has star potential. I judge kids more by their highlight tapes, combine performances and offer sheets than I do whether Scout, rivals or ESPN give the a certain number of stars.

And if I'm such a star gazer what is your coach? He offered a lot of the 4-5 star guys didn't he? I respect what Ferentz has done at Iowa but the truth is that the state of Iowa doesn't in itself possess enough top tier talent to take Iowa to the "next level".
 


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