D Line Next year..........at least decent???

C

clim

Well-Known Member
With the coming of Jaleel and the development of LTP and Coop this year I am hoping the D Line will at least be ok next year. If we could only get a DE that could hold the edge on runs and bring some heat on Pass plays. I think thats the biggest need we have. We got spoiled by AC and Ballard and haven't been the same since. We need our front four to get a good push and create turnovers for our D.

You guys think the D Line can be ok next year??
 
clim said:
With the coming of Jaleel and the development of LTP and Coop this year I am hoping the D Line will at least be ok next year. If we could only get a DE that could hold the edge on runs and bring some heat on Pass plays. I think thats the biggest need we have. We got spoiled by AC and Ballard and haven't been the same since. We need our front four to get a good push and create turnovers for our D.

You guys think the D Line can be ok next year??
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Ok, yes but the things you listed that the d-line will need to do, probably not.

I like LTP and Cooper, they are going to be alot better next year. Carl Davis is going to start running out of time soon if he doesn't find his stride.

DE is the big question in my mind. Riley McMinn and Drew Ott are young and need to build up their strength. I like Dom Alvis but he doesn't have the big play ability. Iowa needs to go after quicker more athletic DE's. That is why I was so upset when David Kenney Jr. decommited, I would know why he did but he is the type of DE Iowa needs.
 
I think the DL will be better. But the question is will it be good enough. Agree Davis needs to start getting it done. The only way we will ever find out just how good the three Sr linebackers are is if the DL can dominate the line of scrimage. Its could very well define the season next year. Im also concerned about the secondary. We have been spoiled by Spveiy, Prater and Hyde. Not sure we have a replacement for them in this bunch. All the talk is about the offense but the real key to next year is the D. In my opinion
 
Very good topic for discussion. I have always focused more on the lines than the skilled players. Oline will be fine next year, dline needs significant improvement from players like Supa cooper, alvis, LTP, and we need a new face or two to have big years. Davis needs to produce or he's just another big body without results (see CJFED)
 
HawkeyeMHA said:
Very good topic for discussion. I have always focused more on the lines than the skilled players. Oline will be fine next year, dline needs significant improvement from players like Supa cooper, alvis, LTP, and we need a new face or two to have big years. Davis needs to produce or he's just another big body without results (see CJFED)
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Maybe CJF can play DE? He has the size and strenght for it. With all the hype this kid had last offseason, I am surprised guys weren't calling for him to QB.

I don't know I think DT is fine, not great but fine. DE is what really kills me.

We will see how Melvin Spears does at DE he has the body for it but not sure about the speed and power.

I was hoping that Dean Tsopanides would put on some muscle and strength to go along with his speed but I thought I heard he had moved to DT. Can anyone verify that?

I know this isn't the place or time but I really wish John Raymon was still here, he had the size to play right way. He seemed like a kid that would have thrived under Coach Reese as he crumbled until Coach Kaz.
 
dave3912 said:
Maybe CJF can play DE? He has the size and strenght for it. With all the hype this kid had last offseason, I am surprised guys weren't calling for him to QB.

I don't know I think DT is fine, not great but fine. DE is what really kills me.

We will see how Melvin Spears does at DE he has the body for it but not sure about the speed and power.

I was hoping that Dean Tsopanides would put on some muscle and strength to go along with his speed but I thought I heard he had moved to DT. Can anyone verify that?

I know this isn't the place or time but I really wish John Raymon was still here, he had the size to play right way. He seemed like a kid that would have thrived under Coach Reese as he crumbled until Coach Kaz.
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Things do no look good for next year on the D-llne. We can always hope someone has a 'JJ Watt' breakout year, like he did at Wisconsin, but that is a a rarity, to say the least. The D-line was slow, slow, slow this year. Iowa will be seeing even more athletic QBs next year than this year. And to compound problems, the offense has NO signs of looking better next year....which puts the defense on the field a lot. Looking at the schedule, I see 4 - 5 wins tops!
 
I don't get how we can keep saying the OL will be fine next year. The OL is never fine minus 2002, 2003, and 2008. Every year we hear about the depth on the OL, how we've never had this experience before, and so many able bodies.

Then the season starts and it takes most of the non conference schedule for the OL to gel, usually costing us offensive production (like the NIU game this year and the six sacks, though the pass blocking got a little better...or JVB just released the ball too quickly to ever take the sack). And then we almost always have an injury, and as soon as one guy goes down, the entire OL suffers. 2010 team saw McMallin go down (and ARob) and the line never was the same. Last year it was Scherf, and the OL never opened up the same holes (though our comptition did get better too after he went out).

I think the DL can surprise us, usually because the expectations are so low, there's only upside. But the confidence in the OL, I have never understood it. They have to be 100% healthy the entire year for the offense to be somewhat functional (won't even get into the skill positions)
 
DBAHawkFan said:
I don't get how we can keep saying the OL will be fine next year. The OL is never fine minus 2002, 2003, and 2008. Every year we hear about the depth on the OL, how we've never had this experience before, and so many able bodies.

Then the season starts and it takes most of the non conference schedule for the OL to gel, usually costing us offensive production (like the NIU game this year and the six sacks, though the pass blocking got a little better...or JVB just released the ball too quickly to ever take the sack).
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+100

Our OL wasn't very good as a unit this year - even before the injuries. Rarely have we had a top tier B1G OL. Yes, we have produced a couple NFL lineman but those are like scattered singles that don't produce too many runs.
 
hwks1 said:
+100

Our OL wasn't very good as a unit this year - even before the injuries. Rarely have we had a top tier B1G OL. Yes, we have produced a couple NFL lineman but those are like scattered singles that don't produce too many runs.
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Yes, we have rarely seen a top tier B1G OL at Iowa but there is a difference between being "fine" and being "top tier". Please point out where anyone said that next year the OL would be top tier?

Also if you can tell me why BEFORE the injuries what you saw that said the OL wasn't very good? They had multiple 100 rushers. Everyone keeps talking about Weisman how great he was but no one mentions that he ran through huge holes and half the time was being arm tackled by LB's and DB's smaller than him. There was a huge difference between before Scherff got injuried and after it then after it.
 
Have to agree with Dave on this. I think we will have a number of good options on the OL next year. I understand no one may be all BT but will work well as a unit. If I have a concern on the OL it is replacing Ferntz leadership. A lot of the guys are still a little young. But we do seem to always come up with a pretty good center.
dave3912 said:
Yes, we have rarely seen a top tier B1G OL at Iowa but there is a difference between being "fine" and being "top tier". Please point out where anyone said that next year the OL would be top tier?

Also if you can tell me why BEFORE the injuries what you saw that said the OL wasn't very good? They had multiple 100 rushers. Everyone keeps talking about Weisman how great he was but no one mentions that he ran through huge holes and half the time was being arm tackled by LB's and DB's smaller than him. There was a huge difference between before Scherff got injuried and after it then after it.
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Very weak group at DE. I mean SCARY bad. The returning defensive linemen have a grand total of THREE sacks (all by Alvis). To put that into perspective, our 3 starting LBs combined for 4.5 This unit will once again finish in the 100s in both sacks and TFLs. I'd imagine we'll give up another 150+ rushing yards per game, as we've done for the past 2 season.
 
I understand that people like to get on Davis about not stepping up because he had more of a name during recruitment, but I dont get why people dont call Alvis's name more. I think he is a very weak link in our line. I really hope that Ott takes him out of the starting line. Ott has the speed just hope he is able to maintain it while he puts more pounds on.
 
The reason is Alvis plays up to his potiniel Not so sure Davis does
HawkI4eva said:
I understand that people like to get on Davis about not stepping up because he had more of a name during recruitment, but I dont get why people dont call Alvis's name more. I think he is a very weak link in our line. I really hope that Ott takes him out of the starting line. Ott has the speed just hope he is able to maintain it while he puts more pounds on.
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LASBUR said:
The reason is Alvis plays up to his potiniel Not so sure Davis does
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This is exactly right, no one expected Alvis to be a standout at DE. Davis on the other hand he had offers from Wisconsin and Michigan St. He was 300lbs in HS and he was supposed to be one of the first larger sized recruits at DT, less of a project. Dom was a 225lb guy with a "reported" 40 time of 4.6, clearly as he put on size he lost a step or two of speed. Plus Davis has a better group (more potential in my opinion) of DTs behind him than Dom does at DE. If Davis doesn't play well he won't see the field much going further.

Carl Davis - Yahoo! Sports

Dominic Alvis - Yahoo! Sports
 
Actually watching Iowa a few times this season, I expected the DL to be absolutely terrible. Instead, the offense proved the be further behind the defense.

Looking at next year, the DL will be very tough against the run as they continue to mature and get stronger, but getting to the QB is another story. Iowa will need to get a lot more creative and find ways to get to the QB next season.
 
sportstalent said:
Actually watching Iowa a few times this season, I expected the DL to be absolutely terrible. Instead, the offense proved the be further behind the defense.

Looking at next year, the DL will be very tough against the run as they continue to mature and get stronger, but getting to the QB is another story. Iowa will need to get a lot more creative and find ways to get to the QB next season.
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How about just good ole collapse the pocket. Nothing fancy, nothing new, just plain blowing them off the ball. THAT WOULD BE FUN TO WATCH.
I was thinking about putting together a how many starters are returning for each team list, but I am not that bored yet. I am thinking off the top of my head, we have to be right up there in the conf.
 
olddude said:
How about just good ole collapse the pocket. Nothing fancy, nothing new, just plain blowing them off the ball. THAT WOULD BE FUN TO WATCH.
I was thinking about putting together a how many starters are returning for each team list, but I am not that bored yet. I am thinking off the top of my head, we have to be right up there in the conf.
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The problem is that most of the returners at DE are talented but are also young and inexperienced, with the exception of Dom Alvis but he isn't that talented. He is serviceable but seems to disappear deep into games. He is better as a back up than a starter. I don't know if he was completely healthy or not this year but he just wasn't that great. He didn't flash like he did the year before.
 
dave3912 said:
The problem is that most of the returners at DE are talented but are also young and inexperienced, with the exception of Dom Alvis but he isn't that talented. He is serviceable but seems to disappear deep into games. He is better as a back up than a starter. I don't know if he was completely healthy or not this year but he just wasn't that great. He didn't flash like he did the year before.
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Lack of experience, yes. They do have to go up against our OL, which I bet in the spring will be the talk of the B10 boys when they make their rounds. There are ways for all of them to grow, should they choose to do so.
 
dave3912 said:
The problem is that most of the returners at DE are talented but are also young and inexperienced, with the exception of Dom Alvis but he isn't that talented. He is serviceable but seems to disappear deep into games. He is better as a back up than a starter. I don't know if he was completely healthy or not this year but he just wasn't that great. He didn't flash like he did the year before.
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You people need to quit dissing on alvis. He was playing pretty well in 2011 before the knee injury. Remember the knee injury , after a few games this year you could see him favoring one leg and dragging it around.

I think alvis is giving it his all and would be pretty good without the bum knee.
 
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