DE Log Jam

[HawkleberryFinn]

We have a log jam at DE: Hesse, M. Nelson (JR), A. Nelson (SO) Romeo McKnight, Brandon Simon, Chauncey Golston, Austin Schulte (FR) AJ Epenesa, Jack Kallenberger (TR FR). Prime contenders Hesse, A. Nelson, M. Nelson, Simon, Golston, and Epenesa will all be around for the next two years. Did we over-recruit DE? Will Kirk leave talent on the bench in favor of the "blue collar, hard-working" guy?

 

[EstronHawkKing]

so, should we be worried?

 

[Bordone]

D line wins games , being able to rotate 6-8 guys is very important. Also can have passing packages taking one or both dt's out.

 

[Joshbrown]

Outstanding depth on D-line (I figure excess DEs will be pulled inside if needed)

TE - amazing depth

QB - I know Boyle and Cook will never play QB, but imo they would produce if called upon. Add those names to Stanley; Weigers; Peyton Manziel. At the minimum we have adequate game managers.

Defensive backfield - because of the stellar haul last Feb. I think Iowa sits well.

LB - Mends can't even make the 2 deeps. Either he is being punished for something or we have depth here.

O-line. Well they did win an award last year and the two incoming freshmen were both All-Americans.

WR - problem area. Will the transfers help? We'll find out.

Fullback - a position of strength nearly every year. 2017 seems no different.

Running Back - even without DMX, nice depth. But is AIRBHG watching?

Kickers - Duncan is an ace. Have the rest of them improved since January?

Punter - Question mark.

Returners - no Tim Dwight here but my gut says someone will surprise us in the fall.

Iowa has the horses. It's the jockeys who worry me.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

This does seem to be a recurring pattern... we somehow end up with double/triple depth at a position or positions... and really thin at another. Curious.

 

[SmokeTownHawk]

I like the idea of having fresh bodies to rotate through. It's a long season and we'd love nothing more than to make it even longer than 13 games. Depth like this is important when playing an upgraded schedule. That and the potential talent coming in at WR and a new OC with something to prove this season has all the makings of being very special.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

Outstanding depth on D-line (I figure excess DEs will be pulled inside if needed)

TE - amazing depth

QB - I know Boyle and Cook will never play QB, but imo they would produce if called upon. Add those names to Stanley; Weigers; Peyton Manziel. At the minimum we have adequate game managers.

Defensive backfield - because of the stellar haul last Feb. I think Iowa sits well.

LB - Mends can't even make the 2 deeps. Either he is being punished for something or we have depth here.

O-line. Well they did win an award last year and the two incoming freshmen were both All-Americans.

WR - problem area. Will the transfers help? We'll find out.

Fullback - a position of strength nearly every year. 2017 seems no different.

Running Back - even without DMX, nice depth. But is AIRBHG watching?

Kickers - Duncan is an ace. Have the rest of them improved since January?

Punter - Question mark.

Returners - no Tim Dwight here but my gut says someone will surprise us in the fall.

Iowa has the horses. It's the jockeys who worry me.

Simple question. Take our best 22 you pick them and ask yourself how many of these players start at OSU, Michigan, Bama. Then get back to us on having the 'horses'.

 

[Hawk1960]

No such thing as "over recruiting" for either the OL or DL. The battles are won in the trenches.

 

[ohhawk]

Hopefully it doesn't matter to the state's No. 1 recruit this year.

 

[HawkleberryFinn]

No such thing as "over recruiting" for either the OL or DL. The battles are won in the trenches.

Yes there is. Iowa's problems are at the skill positions. It's not intelligent to have a whole bunch of talent stacked up at one position---especially when our shortcomings are almost always in the skill areas. This is a direct result of the "we're just Iowa" culture Kirk has cemented in the program. Fry did not have this defeatist mentality--he went searching for talented skill players.

John Waggoner is far enough removed that the log jam shouldn't affect him so much.

 

[HawkleberryFinn]

And yes I know "the running game is great," but our award-winning o-line can't pass protect to save their lives...the award was an undeserved, sycophantic sham in my opinion (compliments of the Ferentz-Joe Moore connection).

But more importantly, we don't have a balanced attack. You can rarely compete at a championship level unless you can make the defense fear your downfield threat. I'm hopeful Bryan can add this threat, but it might take awhile. We've been told "young talented receivers are coming in" for years with little produce. Grabbing one top-flight WR every 1 to 2 years would help. A durable, mobile quarterback would be great too, but Iowa too often goes for the pro-style. The NFL is more amenable to pro-style. College is more amenable to the mobile QB--and he doesn't need to be the passer of the decade--just needs to open things up with his legs and wide-open receivers will start to appear.

 

[HawkleberryFinn]

I'd like to see Epenesa at DE, but he came in at 6-5, 270? He'll have to stay on the Tommy Lasorda slim fast plan to stay at that weight. AJ will bat an eye and be 300 lbs. His future is at DT...and he will be amazing. You often see power at that position, but AJ's athleticism combined with his superior power will make him a gap plugger and sack threat on every snap.

Then having Golston, Simon, Waggoner coming off the edges? Could be something special.

 

[MiniMoeHawk]

Simple question. Take our best 22 you pick them and ask yourself how many of these players start at OSU, Michigan, Bama. Then get back to us on having the 'horses'.

Yeah, since Iowa has problems getting players into the NFL. Do you even pay attention? There is a ton of active plays suiting up on Sunday's and getting paid. Plenty of horses in the Iowa City stables

 

[SpecialKHawk]

Yeah, since Iowa has problems getting players into the NFL. Do you even pay attention? There is a ton of active plays suiting up on Sunday's and getting paid. Plenty of horses in the Iowa City stables

Go ahead and take the challenge and list the impact players as you think they are or will be for this year's roster. How many start for a 10+ win program of your choosing?

The comment has nothing to do with players drafted into the NFL over the course of an 18 year tenure. Did OSU have something like 10+ in one draft 2 years ago?

 

[Joshbrown]

Simple question. Take our best 22 you pick them and ask yourself how many of these players start at OSU, Michigan, Bama. Then get back to us on having the 'horses'.

Apparently NDSU also has better horses . . . fewer by 20 . . . but better.

BTW, KIrk does have a winning record against Michigan. Remember the horse named Rudock we cast off and they gobbled up to lead them to a Citrus bowl victory?

I'll say it again, IOWA HAS THE HORSES TO BEAT EVERY TEAM NOT IN THE BLUE BLOOD CATEGORY.

SO WHY THE **** DO WE KEEP LOSING TO TEAMS WITH LESS TALENTED HORSES????

Crappy jockeys . . . well, one crappy jockey, who plays not to lose rather than playing to win.

 

[ibahawkeye]

Depth is a good sign and the DE position and maybe the even the entire DL is following a similar pattern in what we've seen in RB and 1 guy isn't enough. I think a team wants some fresh guys to go against a position like the OL who doesn't sub.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I'd like to see Epenesa at DE, but he came in at 6-5, 270? He'll have to stay on the Tommy Lasorda slim fast plan to stay at that weight. AJ will bat an eye and be 300 lbs. His future is at DT...and he will be amazing. You often see power at that position, but AJ's athleticism combined with his superior power will make him a gap plugger and sack threat on every snap.

Then having Golston, Simon, Waggoner coming off the edges? Could be something special.

Hope your wrong about AJ... The kid is athletic and explosive. I think he's also got the NFL on his mind. If you want to get drafted higher and make the most moola you play DE... He's said he wants to stay there coming in. There's no guarantee he'd naturally balloon up to 300ish in time. I bet he could if he tried. But the dude wouldn't be nearly as athletic or fast as he is so I look for him to stay at DE and force the coaches to make a decision in regards to how much you play him.. If he's better than Hesse (he's bigger faster stronger day 1 but better is still subjective)then I'd like to see him out there more.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

As a whole I think it'll be interesting to see how the staff handles 6 plus guys that may all deserve reps out there. I suspect there'll be more substituting than ever before at that spot keeping them fresh and healthier late in games and the year. How will the PT all get sorted out? Who knows we'll have to see. But WR and DB are the only spots I'm actually worried about. (Besides QB that kinda goes without saying)

 

[Joshbrown]

Yeah, since Iowa has problems getting players into the NFL. Do you even pay attention? There is a ton of active plays suiting up on Sunday's and getting paid. Plenty of horses in the Iowa City stables

I also schooled him. He got a double dose of schooling.

Hope your wrong about AJ... The kid is athletic and explosive. I think he's also got the NFL on his mind. If you want to get drafted higher and make the most moola you play DE... He's said he wants to stay there coming in. There's no guarantee he'd naturally balloon up to 300ish in time. I bet he could if he tried. But the dude wouldn't be nearly as athletic or fast as he is so I look for him to stay at DE and force the coaches to make a decision in regards to how much you play him.. If he's better than Hesse (he's bigger faster stronger day 1 but better is still subjective)then I'd like to see him out there more.

He weighs 270. You think ballooning up from 270 to 300 is hard for a 6-5 guy?

I do agree that he should stay at DE if possible.

 

[Hawk1960]

Yes there is. Iowa's problems are at the skill positions. It's not intelligent to have a whole bunch of talent stacked up at one position---especially when our shortcomings are almost always in the skill areas. This is a direct result of the "we're just Iowa" culture Kirk has cemented in the program. Fry did not have this defeatist mentality--he went searching for talented skill players.

John Waggoner is far enough removed that the log jam shouldn't affect him so much.

A) I never understood the term "skilled position". I think it takes more skill to pancake a 300 lb. DT or pass block against a quick 260 lb. DE who rushes the edge than it does to run a 7 yard square out.

B) If your definition of "skilled positions" includes WR, RB, QB and let's throw in TEs I think we are in good shape in 3 of 4. No doubt we need more speed at WR and more numbers there but we've had some 4 star guys who have not come through and also some attrition at that spot. They identified that and have four freshman coming in plus Easley as a JUCO and the pending grad transfer from New Mexico. Is the WR position our achilles heel? Probably, but that doesn't mean we can't be stacked in the trenches with talent when we can get it.