I am ready to watch the resurgent DLine

U

uihawk82

Well-Known Member
I think young, hungry, athletic hawk linemen are going to do a great job this year. Even last year the defense did a generally good job of stopping the run. I think Coach Morgan will do a great job with this group and have them occupying the opponent, getting off blocks to fill gaps and being a part of getting more pressure on qbs.

I am optimistic this unit can get the team to 6 or 7 wins.
 
uihawk82 said:
I think young, hungry, athletic hawk linemen are going to do a great job this year. Even last year the defense did a generally good job of stopping the run. I think Coach Morgan will do a great job with this group and have them occupying the opponent, getting off blocks to fill gaps and being a part of getting more pressure on qbs.

I am optimistic this unit can get the team to 6 or 7 wins.
Click to expand...

I know I'll hear the usual "your expectations are too low" garbage, but I'll be one very happy Hawkeye fan if we can get to 6 wins and a bowl game with this brutal schedule. We MUST win 3 of the first 4 non-conference games to make that happen....
 
I'm definitely excited to see the d-line this season. I really hope the young guys get a good amount of playing time. Faith, Jaleel, and Cooper have really high ceilings in my opinion. Expectations for the season are the lowest I've seen in years so why not put the young guys out there and see if we can find ourselves another Clayborn.
 
I think one huge key this year will be what the coaches do with the DE spot opposite Alvis. If they can find a solid DE to man that spot, it can make a huge difference. If they decide that playing Cooper, LTP, and Davis all on the field at the same time, with one guy at DE, then it could make a huge difference. If the coaches aren't willing to take risks and are comfortable with playing an undersized/ill-equipped DE, it could be a big problem this year.
 
This should be a good D Line. We have all but 2 members returning from last year plus a lot of new talent. Here is a list of some of them:
Drew Ott, He was going to redshirt last year but he was too much of a beast to keep off the field even as a true freshman! He will be bigger, stronger and more experienced this year. He will be strong on the edges and will put major pressure on opponents QBs.
Nate Meier, This is another strong athletic end similar to Ott. He is getting bigger and stronger to play end. He had the athleticism coming in to play linebacker, full back, or even a power running back! If he can bulk up enough this year he can compete with Alvis for playing time at DE.
Nathan Bazata, This is a big strong athlete that was a bit under the radar but dominated the senior games that he competed in. He has the size and strength to compete for playing time on the inside even as a true freshman!
Jaleel Johnson. A big strong athletic player on the inside. High School All American he is ready to compete for a starting DT spot with Davis or Cooper.
Faith Ekakitie An all state player from Illinios. He is a redshirt freshman that could compete for a starting spot there. He not only has the size but he also has the speed!
Daumantas Venckus-Cucchiara, An athletic redshirt freshman defensive end from Florida. He has a big time motor and has the talent. He should be a good pass rusher.
 
Pass rush, interior D-line penetration, stop the run......Pretty much standard stuff, football 101, Iowa is no different they do a decent job of this the D will be okay, if not, the O better be putting up points.
 
Wow...6 posts in and no KF will play the wrong guys, or since Norm isn't here any more, we can't play defense...or our recruiting has been so bad we can't compete any longer. I'm with the OP...the building blocks are there...it may take another year where they can get to a 2008 / 2009 level, but I think they will hold their own this year. It wasn't the defenses fault we were 4-8 last year...they kept us in all but 3 games...we just were anemic, after game 6, on offense.

People who don't see this team has talent, albeit young, aren't seeing the big picture. We were as young a team as we have probably ever fielded last year, and until the slew of injuries, they were making progress. These are proud young men...they don't want to come down the tunnel in Kinnick and disappoint 70,000 fans. With the improved depth, greater competition in practice, and maybe a little clarity about what we are going to be on offense. I wouldn't bet against this team to surprise alot of people. I also agree with another thread...it kind of feels like 2008 to me.
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
Wow...6 posts in and no KF will play the wrong guys, or since Norm isn't here any more, we can't play defense...or our recruiting has been so bad we can't compete any longer. I'm with the OP...the building blocks are there...it may take another year where they can get to a 2008 / 2009 level, but I think they will hold their own this year. It wasn't the defenses fault we were 4-8 last year...they kept us in all but 3 games...we just were anemic, after game 6, on offense.

People who don't see this team has talent, albeit young, aren't seeing the big picture. We were as young a team as we have probably ever fielded last year, and until the slew of injuries, they were making progress. These are proud young men...they don't want to come down the tunnel in Kinnick and disappoint 70,000 fans. With the improved depth, greater competition in practice, and maybe a little clarity about what we are going to be on offense. I wouldn't bet against this team to surprise alot of people. I also agree with another thread...it kind of feels like 2008 to me.
Click to expand...


Why dont you keep your mouth shut then? You always complain about it but you bring it up half the time.
 
The talent on this team is good enough to win six games if healthy. The coaching is good enough to blow one or two games. This is why the over under is 5/5.5.
 
We have a ton of DT talent.....Jaleel, Coop, Davis, Ekaktie (DE/DT)......But, one guy people are forgetting about is Trinca-Pasat. Not the flashiest DL the team but was by Far the best on the team last year. By the end of the year he was a constant playemaker and the Nebraska game he absolutely dominated the LOS.

All in all I agree that this group has a load of potential. And on top of that it is young depth. I am glad we can afford to reshirt kids like Bazata and Gressel. I think Ott, Alvis, McMinn, Ekaktie, and Spears will do a solid job at the DE position. Expect an improved Alvis.
 
tgraham907 said:
We have a ton of DT talent.....Jaleel, Coop, Davis, Ekaktie (DE/DT)......But, one guy people are forgetting about is Trinca-Pasat. Not the flashiest DL the team but was by Far the best on the team last year. By the end of the year he was a constant playemaker and the Nebraska game he absolutely dominated the LOS.

All in all I agree that this group has a load of potential. And on top of that it is young depth. I am glad we can afford to reshirt kids like Bazata and Gressel. I think Ott, Alvis, McMinn, Ekaktie, and Spears will do a solid job at the DE position. Expect an improved Alvis.
Click to expand...


Thanks for mentioning LTP. He's that classic Hawk defensive lineman who will simply outwork his opponent to make plays a la King/Kroul/Daniels/Luebke/Klug. I'm not sure he has the highest ceiling though. However, this D needs guys like him in order to be successful.

I'm wondering if somewhere in this depth is there a future star like Clayborn just waiting to emerge. If I had to guess I figure I might as well put my faith in the guy who's first name is exactly that... Faith Ekakitie. I'm probably reading into it a little bit, but the coaches seemed giddie about the kind of size and speed combination that he showed them during the spring practices. If I remember right he doesn't have a ton of football experience. I hope he can learn to just go out there and wreck havoc instead of trying to over-think things. That warrior mentality is what made Clayborn and Roth so fun to watch. Just snap the ball and turn them loose.
 
DP5555 said:
Thanks for mentioning LTP. He's that classic Hawk defensive lineman who will simply outwork his opponent to make plays a la King/Kroul/Daniels/Luebke/Klug. I'm not sure he has the highest ceiling though. However, this D needs guys like him in order to be successful.

I'm wondering if somewhere in this depth is there a future star like Clayborn just waiting to emerge. .
Click to expand...

I'd keep an eye on Cooper and or Davis.
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
Wow...6 posts in and no KF will play the wrong guys, or since Norm isn't here any more, we can't play defense...or our recruiting has been so bad we can't compete any longer. I'm with the OP...the building blocks are there...it may take another year where they can get to a 2008 / 2009 level, but I think they will hold their own this year. It wasn't the defenses fault we were 4-8 last year...they kept us in all but 3 games...we just were anemic, after game 6, on offense.

People who don't see this team has talent, albeit young, aren't seeing the big picture. We were as young a team as we have probably ever fielded last year, and until the slew of injuries, they were making progress. These are proud young men...they don't want to come down the tunnel in Kinnick and disappoint 70,000 fans. With the improved depth, greater competition in practice, and maybe a little clarity about what we are going to be on offense. I wouldn't bet against this team to surprise alot of people. I also agree with another thread...it kind of feels like 2008 to me.
Click to expand...

Six posts in ... until your comment bringing up the subject :)
 
OUTofTOWNHAWK said:
I agree I think theres a stud in there. I think the DL steps up and it will allow the LBers to shine this year.
Click to expand...

Are you feeling ok? Jkjk.

I agree with you. I think there is a stud in the mix. In fact, I'd say a couple real good potential players. IMO, LTP is a motor guy that could wreak havoc when he wants to. I also think Davis and Coop will shine this year. I think Alvis and Ott/McMinn can be serviceable (at a minimum). If these guys can do this, the LBers can stay clean and make the plays (as our D is designed to do).
 
Cooper's style reminds me of Daniels, anyone else? He really showed glimpses of being special player last year. Wouldn't surprise me if he performs the best out of this young group.
 
NCHawker said:
I'd keep an eye on Cooper and or Davis.
Click to expand...

No way. Cooper might end up at Hodges or Babs level by senior year. Davis would be a unique case for the Hawks as someone who didn't show anything to this point to finally emerge. But no way either ends up being AC.

Faith is really the only candidate with that potential ceiling. Jaleel might end up being a Ballard. But if you have an AC, CB, and HH or JB, as 3/4 of your line next year, you are doing well. This year they will still take some lumps though.
 
Last edited:
CAARHawk said:
No way. Cooper might end up at Hodges or Babs level by senior year. Davis would be a unique case for the Hawks as someone who didn't show anything to this point to finally emerge. But no way either ends up being AC.

Faith is really the only candidate with that potential ceiling. Jaleel might end up being a Ballard. But if you have an AC, CB, and HH or JB, as 3/4 of your line next year, you are doing well. This year they will still take some lumps though.
Click to expand...

Obviously, I agree with you regarding Faith's ability (as I posted earlier). However, I wouldn't sleep on Drew Ott either. He's the one redshirt I wish the coaches wouldn't have burnt last year. They must have seen something in him, because he wasn't all that big either. He's added 20 pounds in a year, and will probably add another 10-20 lbs before his career is done at Iowa. I know he isn't the flashy pick, but as an Iowa fan I've learned to never underestimate the potential of a hard-working farm kid who has all the tools.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top