Best LB's of Ferentz Era.

I think Greenway/Hodge/Miles was probably the best combo for my money...but honestly you could probably make a case for any of the groups being thrown out in this thread. We've had some REALLY good linebackers.
 
Not Linebacker U but maybe honorable mention.
There's a lot of good ones.

Linebacker trio – Best Year


Greenway/Hodge/Lewis 2004
Angerer/Edds/Hunter 2009
Greenway/Hodge/Steen 2003
Morris/Hitchens/Kirksey 2013 *so far*
Angerer/Edds/Hunter 2008
Greenway/Hodge/Miles 2005
Greenway/Hodge/Barr/Steen 2002
Klinkenborg/Humpal/Miles 2006

Linebacker trio – Best Career
Greenway/Hodge/Steen

Most Talented trio
Greenway/Hodge/Miles 2005 - Behind a very green defensive line

Best Individual Linebackers
Chad Greenway
Pat Angerer
Abdul Hodge
LaVar Woods
James Morris
Anthony Hitchens
Christian Kirksey
A J Edds
Edmond Miles
Grant Steen
Mike Klinkenborg
Fredd Barr
Mike Humpal
George Lewis
Jeremiha Hunter
Tyler Nielsen
Zach Gabelmann – Had a hell of a game against Texas
 
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Not Linebacker U but maybe honorable mention.
There's a lot of good ones.

Linebacker trio – Best Year


Greenway/Hodge/Lewis 2004
Angerer/Edds/Hunter 2009
Greenway/Hodge/Steen 2003
Morris/Hitchens/Kirksey 2013 *so far*
Angerer/Edds/Hunter 2008
Greenway/Hodge/Miles 2005
Greenway/Hodge/Barr/Steen 2002
Klinkenborg/Humpal/Miles 2006

Linebacker trio – Best Career
Greenway/Hodge/Steen

Most Talented trio
Greenway/Hodge/Miles 2005 - Behind a very green defensive line

Best Individual Linebackers
Chad Greenway
Pat Angerer
Abdul Hodge
LaVar Woods
James Morris
Anthony Hitchens
Christian Kirksey
A J Edds
Edmond Miles
Grant Steen
Mike Klinkenborg
Fredd Barr
Mike Humpal
George Lewis
Jeremiha Hunter
Tyler Nielsen
Zach Gabelmann – Had a hell of a game against Texas

Nice post. Wow, I forget how many really really good LBs we've had in the last 12 or so years. It would be interesting to see what all these guys * rankings were coming out of high school. It appears this is a position we develop pretty well.
 
Give me Hodge/Greenway/Steen in 2003 or Hodge/Greenway/Lewis in 2004 before any other LB trio of the KF era, this years included.

Also helps to have the defensive line those guys got to play behind.

The Hodge/Greenway/Lewis trio was pretty damn good.
 
Nice post. Wow, I forget how many really really good LBs we've had in the last 12 or so years. It would be interesting to see what all these guys * rankings were coming out of high school. It appears this is a position we develop pretty well.

Oddly enough I'm pretty sure Greenway and Hunter were rated the highest. Or I suppose, oddly enough by half. Greenway came in as a S, don't know if that means anything here. I'm also beginning to see **** materialize by Angerer or Edds, GRRRR which one was it??
 
I'm pretty sure Kyle Williams was the highest rated linebacker Iowa ever landed. Wonder what he is up for these days.
 
Since I play too much EA NCAA college football, I'll come up with my LB ratings pulled out of my arse:

Greenway 98
Hodge 97
Angerer 96
Edds 95
Kirksey 93
Morris 92
Hitch 91
Nielsen 89
Hunter 88
Miles 88
Klink 88
Steen 87
Humpal 87


Ok.. except you missed the greatest of them all....​LARRY STATION!!!! The OP was talking about KF era, but you did put some in here that weren't thus, my pick.:cool:
 
Ok.. except you missed the greatest of them all....​LARRY STATION!!!! The OP was talking about KF era, but you did put some in here that weren't thus, my pick.:cool:

LaVar Woods played two years under Ferentz 1999 & 2000.
Fred Barr did all of his playing under Ferentz 1999 to 2002.
I did look it up. My memory gets stuff wrong often.

Of course you just wanted an excuse to mention Larry Station.
 
LaVar Woods played two years under Ferentz 1999 & 2000.
Fred Barr did all of his playing under Ferentz 1999 to 2002.
I did look it up. My memory gets stuff wrong often.

Of course you just wanted an excuse to mention Larry Station.
What about mel Cole and Todd Simonsen
 
By far our 3LBs have looked better than any trio I can remember in a long time in college football. It would be hard to find a trio as good as ours.
 
Since I play too much EA NCAA college football, I'll come up with my LB ratings pulled out of my arse:

Greenway 98
Hodge 97
Angerer 96
Edds 95
Kirksey 93
Morris 92
Hitch 91
Nielsen 89
Hunter 88
Miles 88
Klink 88
Steen 87
Humpal 87

Using ICHawk's EA inspired system, and getting this back to Trios...

Greenway 98
Hodge 97
Miles 88
+
TOTAL 283

Greenway 98
Hodge 97
Steen 87
+
TOTAL 282

Angerer 96
Edds 95
Hunter 88
+
TOTAL 279

Kirksey 93
Morris 92
Hitch 91
+
TOTAL 276

7 points separating the top four groups based on the sums of individual ratings!

Hard to measure interplay within the groups. That's a more subjective assessment. How players "Gel" can have a big impact on UNIT performance.

Greenway and Hodge really had a way of hitting hard that "lit up" opponents which was impressive to see. I thought GS was a better fit w/ these two. He seemed to fill the gaps even if his athleticism wasn't at the same level. No question that Greenway and Hodge were the best DUO.

The current group doesn't consistently have that kind of physicality but seem to have some sort of "telepathy" as to what the others in the group are doing which is probably a sign of Morris' leadership @ Mike. Each guy brings something to the table - you have the athlete in Kirksey, w/ good lateral speed, you have the ball hawk in Hitchens, knows where the ball is going, along w/ Morris the leader. Playing behind a line w/ a good interior, they have really shored up the outside this year.
 
Give me Hodge/Greenway/Steen in 2003 or Hodge/Greenway/Lewis in 2004 before any other LB trio of the KF era, this years included.

Also helps to have the defensive line those guys got to play behind.

People forget George Lewis, because he sat behind Steen on the depth chart but that guy could hit. I agree with you choices.
 
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