CJ Hilliard gone

Kids want to play. You can't blame them. I don't think any of these departures scream that something is wrong. None of them seem to have one bad comment to say about the program or the coaches and all of them have one thing in common... They weren't gonna play anytime soon.
 
Remember when Kirk tapped into the football program's unlimited resources and added a new position on the football team designed to prevent attrition and keep kids out of trouble? Chik Ejziosi or something like that (he was a backup cb on the team maybe 15 yrs ago). That experiment has clearly failed. I hate to say it, but it appears that Kirk can't relate to kids who aren't from small town Iowa/SD/Neb, preferably 8 man players. Athletes from urban areas come to Iowa with high hopes, see that they will be playing behind small town walk on types like Bo Bower or Mark Weissmann for several years regardless of talent, and they bolt. This has been a trend for years at Iowa.

Hilliard is a 3 star athletic recruit who actually had power conference offers! Even if he was at the bottom of the RB depth chart, any coach with half a brain would have convinced him that he could contribute right away at another position. Aren't we super thin at CB? Safety? WR? Instead, one of the highest rated recruits on our low in talent roster is gone because the coach just couldn't relate.
 
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It seems that this is as simple as neither side has any reason to be together anymore. Iowa didn't land CJ's brother and he's not going to play.
 
As one tweet-reply noted, not being invited to camp probably didn't help. Wish the kid well, he left with a nice sentiment to the friends he made at Iowa.
 
iowalaw said:
Remember when Kirk tapped into the football program's unlimited resources and added a new position on the football team designed to prevent attrition and keep kids out of trouble? Chik Ejziosi or something like that (he was a backup cb on the team maybe 15 yrs ago). That experiment has clearly failed. I hate to say it, but it appears that Kirk can't relate to kids who aren't from small town Iowa/SD/Neb, preferably 8 man players. Athletes from urban areas come to Iowa with high hopes, see that they will be playing behind small town walk on types like Bo Bower or Mark Weissmann for several years regardless of talent, and they bolt. This has been a trend for years at Iowa.
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Picking nits a bit here, but Mark Weisman is from a Chicago suburb (not a small town), and though he did technically start as a walk-on due to his transfer, he is also currently in an NFL camp, so it is tough to retrospectively question his talent (although you could question the position at which his talent was used).

The early returns on Bo Bower look promising as well (noted as a standout when BTN was in town).

What makes you pick out these 2 specifically as players who were unfairly playing in front of more talented options?
 
iowalaw said:
Remember when Kirk tapped into the football program's unlimited resources and added a new position on the football team designed to prevent attrition and keep kids out of trouble? Chik Ejziosi or something like that (he was a backup cb on the team maybe 15 yrs ago). That experiment has clearly failed. I hate to say it, but it appears that Kirk can't relate to kids who aren't from small town Iowa/SD/Neb, preferably 8 man players. Athletes from urban areas come to Iowa with high hopes, see that they will be playing behind small town walk on types like Bo Bower or Mark Weissmann for several years regardless of talent, and they bolt. This has been a trend for years at Iowa.
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Using the fact that we've yet to see a practice photo of CJ with a carry, he's was probably sitting number 7 on the rotation. As for your "Kirk can only relate to small town IA kids" he was sitting behind (in no order):

Daniels - Warren, OH
Canzeri - Troy, NY
Wadley - Newark, NJ
Graham - Prattville, AL
Mitchell - St. Louis, MO
Joly - Myattsville, MD.

Not very many "small town Iowa walk-on types" in front of him.
 
The depth chart doesn't lie. This squad has more small town 2 stars on it than any other school in the Big 10, and perhaps all of college football. When you have a starting WR and a bunch of unathletic linebackers from small towns, and an entire offensive line, you are probably going have some attrition from out of staters who want to play a fun, athletic style of ball...especially after the 3 year Weismann at tailback debacle.

https://iowa.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp
 
So LAW complains we aren't ruthless enough in recruiting, then we disinvite this kid or whatever after his stud brother doesn't commit, so he can't even come to camp. Then LAW complains about small town kids on the depth chart?
 
So, Law, I see the depth chart, but no home towns or recruiting stars listed. My trust level with you demands more specifics when you draw conclusions. Thanks in advance for your clarifications.
 
I heard great things about him as he left HS. I figured he'd climb the depth chart. Shows what I know.
 
More players leave our program than any other in the Big Ten over the last five years..and it's not even close. Event the biggest deniers have to admit, there must be a reason.
 
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