'24 O-Line

RobHowe

RobHowe

Administrator
I know the topic has been discussed in other threads, but probably worthy of new thread with KP in the fold. If this unit isn't much improved next season, that would be a major disappointment.

My best guess for a starting 5 would be:

LT - Kadyn Proctor, 6-7, 360, Soph (14 starts at Bama, SEC All-Freshman Team)
LG - Gennings Dunker, 6-5, 320, JR (14 starts, HM all-B1G)
C - Logan Jones, 6-3, 290, SR (27 starts, 3rd Team all-B1G)
RG - Connor Colby, 6-6, 311, SR (37 starts, 3rd Team all-B1G)
RT - Mason Richman, 6-6, 312, SR (39 starts, HM all-B1G)

Experienced Reserves

Nick DeJong, 6-6, 305, 6 YR SR (24 starts, 3rd Team all-B1G)
Tyler Elsbury, 6-5, 312, SR (37 games with 3 starts)
Beau Stephens, 6-6, 319, JR (18 games, 10 starts)

There's also a group of second- and third-year guys that could push the experienced guys as well. I wouldn't rule out '24 recruit Will Nolan, either.

Might write up an analysis this week but wanted to workshop it here first

Go...
 
Iowa’s best lines in the past have been a group of older guys who have been in the program for 3+ yrs. This group (w/out KP) checks that box. Because of this I think they have a chance to be really good especially w/ the addition of KP. Last year they improved immensely. Well, mainly in pass protection however to their defense when you have a qb who can not throw accurately or has zero threat to extend the play it allows the defense to continually stack the box. Most good OL’s will fail in that situation. I think the reason we’ve seen all three rb stick around is because they see what this OL can be w/ a competent qb. We’ll have to wait and see if all three stick around after spring but if they do I think it speaks volumes to the camaraderie of this group. Regarding KP, I believe he is gonna be an absolute stud from day one. The fact he started at LT in the SEC, going up against SEC edge rushing talent week after week, will make the transition to starter LT in the b10 an easy one. Having KP spend a yr at Alabama was like sending your kid to IMG academy for his senior year of HS. Might end up being the best thing that could’ve happened for KP development.
 
Arguably, outside of what ultimately happens at QB, there's not a unit on this team heading into next season that will impact the W-L column more than the offensive line. The jump many were expecting from the '21/'22 season never materialized, and we heard a lot of excuses throughout the season. The bottom line is that every game was mired by fundamental errors over and over.

Some posters blamed recruiting and the talent level, but our OL recruiting - at least on paper - has actually shown an uptick over the past 4-5 cycles. Injuries and transfers played a role, no doubt, but there's no denying the fact that this unit has greatly disappointed since we hired Barnett. He's the sole common denominator.

As far as the line-up Rob, I doubt we will see Dunker at guard. Kirk stated pretty emphatically early in the season that he was strictly a tackle. I don't recall the exact quote, but it was something to the effect of, "We are not going to be experimenting with him anymore at guard. He's strictly a tackle."

My guess is that Colby and Stephens will start at the guard positions, with Dunker the swing tackle instead of DeJong.

I also wouldn't be shocked if Lauck and/or Krogh work into the mix.
 
I thought that Richman might shift inside to guard, keeping Dunker at RT. Other than that I agree with your thoughts on this, Rob. I remember during the season hearing a lot of noise about the true freshman from Nebraska, Piper? He might be pushing for some PT as well. They seemed to like him a lot.
 
Piper definitely is one of those younger guys that could push through. It's going to be hard with the experience returning, but he has impressed in practice.

I did remember KF saying that about GD when I projected the lineup. I think part of that might have been not having another option.

My guess is they try multiple alignments throughout the spring and even into August to see what works best.

They did try to move Wirfs from RT to LT with Alaric Jackson moving from LT to RT but found it worked better the other way because Jackson struggled at RT.
 
I've often been impressed with Elsbury when he fills in along the line, but he always seems to be on the outside looking in. If he still does, he should be nice depth behing an experienced line.
 
RyDogg said:
I've often been impressed with Elsbury when he fills in along the line, but he always seems to be on the outside looking in. If he still does, he should be nice depth behing an experienced line.
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Agree with the previous two posts: Iowa's OLine seemed to uptick a notch when C Jones got hurt and Elsbury replaced him in the lineup at Center. Jones just doesn't seem big enough to stop giant BTen bullrushing tackles straight up the middle into the face of the QB.
On the other end of things, I'd be very happy if DeJong never plays another snap for the Hawks. 3rd team all BTen...uh, no.
 
RobHowe said:
Piper definitely is one of those younger guys that could push through. It's going to be hard with the experience returning, but he has impressed in practice.

I did remember KF saying that about GD when I projected the lineup. I think part of that might have been not having another option.

My guess is they try multiple alignments throughout the spring and even into August to see what works best.

They did try to move Wirfs from RT to LT with Alaric Jackson moving from LT to RT but found it worked better the other way because Jackson struggled at RT.
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Try multiple alignments throughout the spring and into August? Yep. And might as well add into Sept and perhaps October. KF preaches "execution", but how are players whose importance as a unit requires repetition supposed to excel when players on the OLine change constantly -- sometimes in the middle of games? (And not because of injuries.) There's enough experience, and enough practice time in the spring and fall, to know what each of these OLinemen bring to the table, and what they don't. Get a line-up set prior to the 1st game, make a minor tweak if necessary after the live bullets fly -- but then get it set and let 'em get in a rhythm and "execute"!
 
clim3 said:
I thought Elsbury pushed at center. Might challenge jones
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RyDogg said:
I've often been impressed with Elsbury when he fills in along the line, but he always seems to be on the outside looking in. If he still does, he should be nice depth behing an experienced line.
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Jones was hurt the last third of the season. That being said, Elsbury looked better than Jones, even when Jones was healthy. Jones is a freakish athlete, not quite on the Lindenbaum level, but very, very close. So I understand why he is the starter when he is healthy. Personally, I would swap out Colby for Elsbury, but that’s not going to happen.

Elsbury does have a little bit of nastiness to his game that I do like and wish the line as a cohesive unit had more of.
 
#1DieHardHawk said:
Arguably, outside of what ultimately happens at QB, there's not a unit on this team heading into next season that will impact the W-L column more than the offensive line. The jump many were expecting from the '21/'22 season never materialized, and we heard a lot of excuses throughout the season. The bottom line is that every game was mired by fundamental errors over and over.

Some posters blamed recruiting and the talent level, but our OL recruiting - at least on paper - has actually shown an uptick over the past 4-5 cycles. Injuries and transfers played a role, no doubt, but there's no denying the fact that this unit has greatly disappointed since we hired Barnett. He's the sole common denominator.

As far as the line-up Rob, I doubt we will see Dunker at guard. Kirk stated pretty emphatically early in the season that he was strictly a tackle. I don't recall the exact quote, but it was something to the effect of, "We are not going to be experimenting with him anymore at guard. He's strictly a tackle."

My guess is that Colby and Stephens will start at the guard positions, with Dunker the swing tackle instead of DeJong.

I also wouldn't be shocked if Lauck and/or Krogh work into the mix.
Click to expand...

I actually think the OL did show significant improvement this year, it was just masked by 9 in the box and an inability for the passing game to make defenses pay for committing to the run and the blitz. There were games where the running game was effective even though we were fielding the worst passing O in the country.

I could be wrong, but I thought KF's proclamation about Dunker was specific to last season, not the rest of his career. But if they are intent at keeping him at RT, I think Richman would slide to LG.
 
Don't sleep on Trevor Lauk. Very big recruit that was forgotten in the Proctor drama. Trevor was highlighted as a massive guy and quick enough for tackle. He's had a year to get more massive and pick up some of the college game and maybe speed and agility.
 
RobHowe said:
I know the topic has been discussed in other threads, but probably worthy of new thread with KP in the fold. If this unit isn't much improved next season, that would be a major disappointment.

My best guess for a starting 5 would be:

LT - Kadyn Proctor, 6-7, 360, Soph (14 starts at Bama, SEC All-Freshman Team)
LG - Gennings Dunker, 6-5, 320, JR (14 starts, HM all-B1G)
C - Logan Jones, 6-3, 290, SR (27 starts, 3rd Team all-B1G)
RG - Connor Colby, 6-6, 311, SR (37 starts, 3rd Team all-B1G)
RT - Mason Richman, 6-6, 312, SR (39 starts, HM all-B1G)

Experienced Reserves

Nick DeJong, 6-6, 305, 6 YR SR (24 starts, 3rd Team all-B1G)
Tyler Elsbury, 6-5, 312, SR (37 games with 3 starts)
Beau Stephens, 6-6, 319, JR (18 games, 10 starts)

There's also a group of second- and third-year guys that could push the experienced guys as well. I wouldn't rule out '24 recruit Will Nolan, either.

Might write up an analysis this week but wanted to workshop it here first

Go...
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Beats the hell out o where we have been the last couple of years. Could very well be a big time change.
 
After KF commented that Dunker “could mess up an assignment and still bury people” (paraphrasing) I watch the kid on dvr and a couple of times, I would charged him with manslaughter. He is huge and nasty. Dont care where he plays. Just get him on the field.
 
CP87 said:
I actually think the OL did show significant improvement this year, it was just masked by 9 in the box and an inability for the passing game to make defenses pay for committing to the run and the blitz. There were games where the running game was effective even though we were fielding the worst passing O in the country.

I could be wrong, but I thought KF's proclamation about Dunker was specific to last season, not the rest of his career. But if they are intent at keeping him at RT, I think Richman would slide to LG.
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Could be with Dunker. Kirk was pretty definitive, but you could be right about just for the season. I remember being surprised when Kirk made that proclamation. It was a bit out of character for him. Before he said that, I saw Dunker as a potentially a very good guard, a bit of a poor man's Scherff.

The line improved somewhat at the very end of the season, but still way too many fundamental errors, stuff that should have been corrected much earlier. If he somehow hangs on to his job, I'd love for Barnett to prove me wrong. Perhaps like many of us, I've been spoiled by great OL coaching at Iowa.
 
HuckFinn said:
After KF commented that Dunker “could mess up an assignment and still bury people” (paraphrasing) I watch the kid on dvr and a couple of times, I would charged him with manslaughter. He is huge and nasty. Dont care where he plays. Just get him on the field.
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I'm inclined toward a Proctor/Dunker left side. Definitely some defenders will be unexpectedly pancaked.
 
Proctor may be the all-time best tackle at Iowa. With a year of Nick's tutelage and reps against the best linemen in the country down in the SEC he's going to be ridiculous in the Big Ten.
 
HuckFinn said:
After KF commented that Dunker “could mess up an assignment and still bury people” (paraphrasing) I watch the kid on dvr and a couple of times, I would charged him with manslaughter. He is huge and nasty. Dont care where he plays. Just get him on the field.
Click to expand...
I kinda think guard would be a better spot for him just so he can bulldoze guys. I kinda want to put someone experienced next to Proctor that's good at pass pro though for when it comes to handling stunts and blitzes and passing off guys. So I'd probably put Dunker on the right side and have Colby next to Proctor.

Stephens is a guy who when he gets healthy could push for time. He played some before he got hurt and he's a huge dude too. I'm not sure exactly what the best lineup is and a lot will get sorted out in the spring. The good thing is LT and center should be solidified. They can build from there.
 
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