tgraham907
Well-Known Member
Hey Homer, not sure if you have any inside sources, but I was wondering if you think there will be someone breakthrough that nobody is talking about...like a Getz or someone like that
I'm Bored...lets do a 2011 Depth Chart Prediction
- Thread starter tgraham907
- Start date
Hey Homer, not sure if you have any inside sources, but I was wondering if you think there will be someone breakthrough that nobody is talking about...like a Getz or someone like that
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
Getz is intriguing and could potentially break through if Nielsen were to get injured ... but, I'd rather not contemplate such a situation. The LEO spot is a tough position to play and I don't think that its bad thing for him to continue to learn the position for another year.
If we see a "break-through" player ... then it I'd see it most likely happening at the WILL LB spot or on the DL.
I currently haven't heard any "inside" info that points to anybody in particular. However, here are a few impressions I have:
- Alvis: Yeah, he's been talked about ... but what folks aren't considering is that he just might be capable of winning the starting job from LeBron Daniel. If he were to do that ... then I think that that would count as a "break-through."
- Cooper: I don't expect any miracles, but I could definitely see a young guy make some noise at DT ... perhaps even having a season not unlike the one put up by Jerel Worthy of MSU. Cooper could potentially be a young guy who pulls it off. Carl Davis gets all the hype and he's definitely a guy capable of filling that bill too.
- Donavan Johnson: If he can remain eligible and continue to make strides ... then he could "break-through" for the same reason why I think that Cooper could have a chance to "break-through."
- DiBona: Most folks have been talking up Kirksey and Hitchens, however, I wouldn't sleep on DiBona. He's a tough kid who already has some high-quality experience. Furthermore, he's most natural at an ILB spot too. Of course, he needs to be at 100% to be able to make such noise.
- Alston: I just have a really good "gut feeling" when it comes to Alston. He's a guy who I really can envision as entering the equation at the WILL spot in a hurry. Of course, if he doesn't enter the picture at LB, then I think that he could also have a very bright future at DE.
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
There are some great thoughts in here. There are just a couple things I want to expound on.
1st off the vocal leader part is huge and very apropos that it was mentioned by others. I have said over & over again that when Iowa is really good it is because of leadership that produces effort, focus and attitude. As far as Binns goes I personally believe he will have a HUGE bounce back year, but I don’t see him as our “leader” per se…..for that I see Morris, Daniels, Hyde and maybe Nielsen. Morris has “it” guys, he already blitzed more than any Iowa backer we have had in recent years and although some of that was out of necessity because of injuries and limitations, he probably did it better than any we have had and he was a TRUE Frosh. He did it from inside, outside, delayed etc…. he is also pretty out spoken and confident in his speaking. In fact, although I don’t remember exactly what it was, I think he had some pretty out spoken comments about politics or such last season, if memory serves.
Daniels on the other hand is a lunch pail leader……he kicks the door down and gives his all in the weight room and on the field of battle. If we get this from these guys or others, this is 10 win plus team at the very least.
On O I really feel like McNutt, Vandy and even a sophomore Coker will be excellent leaders. And our wild card is one Mr. James Ferentz! You guys may have forgotten but when Brian played he was the catalyst AND stabilizing factor for the line and the O in general. He was an excellent leader.
Now for the position spots……Homer is spot on about Alvis and Lowery. These are classic examples of the Iowa “buzz”, not internet legends, but rather guys who have been talked about in whispers from the day they stepped on campus. They WILL be studs. Lowery is on the Godfrey, Prater, Hyde fast track to the NFL….guys who competed for time in solid 2ndarys as true Frosh and then leaped into the starting lineup as a True- Sophomore. This is a deep, athletic 2ndary that I think can even handle some down time for guys….I love what Miller brings to the table. He excelled at the end of the year in tough spots. That Missouri games was a terrific snap shot of what the coach’s thought of him. Leaving him alone in the middle of the field to make BIG plays!! He is another guy that is a classic Iowa stud…late scholly for a 2-star kid and all he does is shine as a true Frosh. As for Bernstein, he only needs a clear patch and Sleeper is an athlete. On that note Iowa has become a very athletic defense but this 2ndary at all spots will be faster and more athletic than they have ever been. We will also have some true frosh play back here, we seemingly always do.
By the way I never saw the thoughts DJK had on Bernstein but if he said those out loud, it’s just more evidence of the folly that was DJK. He could have just as easily said Bernstein is a great athlete, but the coaches know what they are doing. Less salacious, says the same thing and supports all parties.
As far as DL or Lbers go, same comments as above about speed and athleticism. We have been better than average in the past, but this team is electric from what I have gathered, 2-deep at that. The experience is the problem but a healthy Nielsen and the incredible leap I expect out of an already salty Morris will alleviate much of that.
As I said before Binns will make a big leap as well and we have some bodies there. On a side note I thought we might see something out of Trinca Passat, but he may have been fighting injury problems. Also if Bigach ever gets a clear patch of health I have always heard he is a real gem. And for that matter Nardo is another lunch pail guy who paid his dues and shows as a Snr that the work paid off.
Rogers at FB is another guy who I really hope can play; I am absolutely giddy about what he brings to the table. He will complete what I think will be Iowa’s best, deepest, most versatile O in the last 10 years.
The only other area of concern is Vandy….as long as he is at least as serviceable as a Nathan Chandler was, the sky is the limit. I personally feel he has NFL potential, but time will tell.
Chad
1st off the vocal leader part is huge and very apropos that it was mentioned by others. I have said over & over again that when Iowa is really good it is because of leadership that produces effort, focus and attitude. As far as Binns goes I personally believe he will have a HUGE bounce back year, but I don’t see him as our “leader” per se…..for that I see Morris, Daniels, Hyde and maybe Nielsen. Morris has “it” guys, he already blitzed more than any Iowa backer we have had in recent years and although some of that was out of necessity because of injuries and limitations, he probably did it better than any we have had and he was a TRUE Frosh. He did it from inside, outside, delayed etc…. he is also pretty out spoken and confident in his speaking. In fact, although I don’t remember exactly what it was, I think he had some pretty out spoken comments about politics or such last season, if memory serves.
Daniels on the other hand is a lunch pail leader……he kicks the door down and gives his all in the weight room and on the field of battle. If we get this from these guys or others, this is 10 win plus team at the very least.
On O I really feel like McNutt, Vandy and even a sophomore Coker will be excellent leaders. And our wild card is one Mr. James Ferentz! You guys may have forgotten but when Brian played he was the catalyst AND stabilizing factor for the line and the O in general. He was an excellent leader.
Now for the position spots……Homer is spot on about Alvis and Lowery. These are classic examples of the Iowa “buzz”, not internet legends, but rather guys who have been talked about in whispers from the day they stepped on campus. They WILL be studs. Lowery is on the Godfrey, Prater, Hyde fast track to the NFL….guys who competed for time in solid 2ndarys as true Frosh and then leaped into the starting lineup as a True- Sophomore. This is a deep, athletic 2ndary that I think can even handle some down time for guys….I love what Miller brings to the table. He excelled at the end of the year in tough spots. That Missouri games was a terrific snap shot of what the coach’s thought of him. Leaving him alone in the middle of the field to make BIG plays!! He is another guy that is a classic Iowa stud…late scholly for a 2-star kid and all he does is shine as a true Frosh. As for Bernstein, he only needs a clear patch and Sleeper is an athlete. On that note Iowa has become a very athletic defense but this 2ndary at all spots will be faster and more athletic than they have ever been. We will also have some true frosh play back here, we seemingly always do.
By the way I never saw the thoughts DJK had on Bernstein but if he said those out loud, it’s just more evidence of the folly that was DJK. He could have just as easily said Bernstein is a great athlete, but the coaches know what they are doing. Less salacious, says the same thing and supports all parties.
As far as DL or Lbers go, same comments as above about speed and athleticism. We have been better than average in the past, but this team is electric from what I have gathered, 2-deep at that. The experience is the problem but a healthy Nielsen and the incredible leap I expect out of an already salty Morris will alleviate much of that.
As I said before Binns will make a big leap as well and we have some bodies there. On a side note I thought we might see something out of Trinca Passat, but he may have been fighting injury problems. Also if Bigach ever gets a clear patch of health I have always heard he is a real gem. And for that matter Nardo is another lunch pail guy who paid his dues and shows as a Snr that the work paid off.
Rogers at FB is another guy who I really hope can play; I am absolutely giddy about what he brings to the table. He will complete what I think will be Iowa’s best, deepest, most versatile O in the last 10 years.
The only other area of concern is Vandy….as long as he is at least as serviceable as a Nathan Chandler was, the sky is the limit. I personally feel he has NFL potential, but time will tell.
Chad
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
When it appeared that we'd have a starting trio of Edds, Angerer, and Tarp back in '08 ... I thought that that group could potentially have been the fastest and most athletic group of LBs we've had at Iowa during the Ferentz era. Of course, Tarp got injured and we lost a bit of speed with Hunter in the line-up ... however, we also possibly got an upgrade when it came to run-D instincts.
Anyhow, I see the trio of Morris, Nielsen, and Kirksey/Hitchens providing us with the next step "up" when it comes to speed and athleticism. I'm really excited about the LB group. I'll be really interested to see how they continue to develop.
Also, every time I see highlight footage of Morris blitzing ... I just get goosebumps. The kid gets to the QB in such a hurry ... and he has a knack for not overpursuing either (which is almost a rarity). As he continues to progress ... he's going to become a bigger and bigger threat for opposing Os to account for.
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
The big thing as Homer said is the thinking and not reacting. It’s why the NFL is full of guys that don't have great forty times but look electric while guys that run 4.4’s are home on their couches. While speed or rather quickness is imperative, forty yard dash time is maybe the most overrated attribute a player can have.
Davis is big, strong and plenty quick/fast enuff…however if he is “in his head†or not exploding off the snap then he is a split second behind the play and that is the difference between closing the gap and a 5, 10, 50 yard run…
Shuttles, cone drills, film room, repetition is the key to playing fast. That’s experiences and work…..
Chad
tgraham907
Well-Known Member
This is great discussion. But, here is another question. Every year we have one unherelded recruit will sneak in the two deeps or make an impression on special teams.
06- Dom Douglas
07- Reisner, Moses
08- Hampton
09- Hyde
10- Miller, Hitchens
who for 2011- My gut feeling Johnny Lowdermilk. I think he see's the field on special teams.
06- Dom Douglas
07- Reisner, Moses
08- Hampton
09- Hyde
10- Miller, Hitchens
who for 2011- My gut feeling Johnny Lowdermilk. I think he see's the field on special teams.
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
Me too in all honesty as I began watching the Insight Bowl again recently I was just amazed at what all he was asked to do. This is high praise but in my mind he is Larry Station only bigger and faster. You want a reason why this D will be BETTER next year…look right here. This kid won’t let us play bad. He is a coach’s dream and I think Hyde and maybe Daniels will be these kinds of guys to.
Now to be more clear I don’t expect Daniels to be everyone’s All-American I expect him to play hard, be a leader, push the pocket and take up two blockers regularly because he is soooo strong.
Morris and Hyde however I expect to be everywhere and I truly see it happening. Count me as one who is Giddy about Hyde at sfty….up the gut that gives us our strongest D-lineman, our most explosive, athletic Lber and our best player maker in the 2ndary. That’s exciting men! Throw in a very fast coverage Lber in Nielsen (who also blitzed some early on last year) and an NFL CB in Prater, even if others are average (they are better than that) that’s a very good Iowa D!!!
This team will place a lot of guys in the NFL over the next several years, watch and see!
Chad
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
One last note I was a Tarpinian fan and I always heard he was very fast. Which he showed at his Pro-day…4.48, 4.56, 4.58 if the info I saw was correct. However either due to continual injury robbing his consistency or whatever may be the case, he never looked overly fast on the field. He too was out of place quite a bit vs Mizzou and looked like he was playing catch up. Point being and I think Homer may agree, as long as we don’t have a ton more injuries, even with inexperience we will be better and I think a lot better at that.
Lastly to put a number on these backers and their speed…..On NFL draft scout it suggests Nielsen may be a 4.58 guy, that’s faasssttt…a 6-4 248lb Lber that runs sub 4.6, that’s better than 95% of the Lbers in the NFL.
Morris runs a 4.62ish…..
Dibobna is likely a low 4.7 guy….NFL speed.
And I’d guess the Kirksey’s Hitchens and Getz’s all run in the 5.58 to 4.65 range.
Davis probably a 4.7ish but a very downhill guy, strong in run support limited in coverage.
We are athletic for sure.
Chad
Lastly to put a number on these backers and their speed…..On NFL draft scout it suggests Nielsen may be a 4.58 guy, that’s faasssttt…a 6-4 248lb Lber that runs sub 4.6, that’s better than 95% of the Lbers in the NFL.
Morris runs a 4.62ish…..
Dibobna is likely a low 4.7 guy….NFL speed.
And I’d guess the Kirksey’s Hitchens and Getz’s all run in the 5.58 to 4.65 range.
Davis probably a 4.7ish but a very downhill guy, strong in run support limited in coverage.
We are athletic for sure.
Chad
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
Marcus Collins for me, possibly Lowdermilk or Canzeri though admittedly he is getting a ton of buzz, but he is still a 2-star. For that matter I don't think it’s impossible the kid from Texas....Bullock could surprise.
Chad
spudhawk
Well-Known Member
CM- I disagree with you about Tarp- I though he played as fast as Angerer last season and his injury was the single biggest factor for the defense struggling. He could play all 3 positions and often outshined Edds and Angerer in pass cover situations- even replacing Edds in '09 in passing situations.
I am cautiously optimistic about Morris. I worry that he will still be undersized this season and I think the coaches will be reluctant to blitz him this season. What I am hoping is that Iowa uses more defenders. I think because of the perceived upgrade in speed at linebacker and possibly even FS that the Hawks will play more read and react. The best thing about this season is the way the schedule sets up for the Hawks- ISU and Pitt will not likely be offensive juggernauts and PSU has an unsettled QB situation. The first 5 games could allow the defense to gel and gain confidence through out the season.
I am cautiously optimistic about Morris. I worry that he will still be undersized this season and I think the coaches will be reluctant to blitz him this season. What I am hoping is that Iowa uses more defenders. I think because of the perceived upgrade in speed at linebacker and possibly even FS that the Hawks will play more read and react. The best thing about this season is the way the schedule sets up for the Hawks- ISU and Pitt will not likely be offensive juggernauts and PSU has an unsettled QB situation. The first 5 games could allow the defense to gel and gain confidence through out the season.
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
spud -
I think that Pitt might actually be okay on O. Sunseri has proven that he can throw the ball and Graham is a pretty darn dynamic offensive weapon. Furthermore, their TE (who got moved over to WR) is also a pretty darn good play-maker and is very sure-handed. Where I like Iowa's odds in that game is that the game is AT Kinnick and their coach is switching them over to more of a 3-4 and/or 3-3-5 look ... either way, I see Coker and Iowa's OL running over them.
As for Morris, I'll trust that he'll be playing at 232 just like he said he would ... and that is right in the neighborhood of where Angerer was playing. Thus, I'm not really worried about Morris being undersized.
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
I think that we'll be seeing a bunch of TR FR seeing action in 2011. Who will shine ... who knows?
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
I probably didn’t word my Tarp thoughts well, he was plenty fast enuff. However IMO he misread plays from time to time and therefore had to play catch up. Furthermore I don’t ever remember him being better in coverage than Edds. Edds was a gem, as is Nielsen and it is my opinion that Nielsen’s injury was more significant than Tarp’s. The speed isn’t, just like with Db’s, the most important element of coverage. It is the recognition, change of direction, explosion, hip swivel and being in the “lanesâ€â€¦..Edds had no equal as an Lber in coverage and that was in the Big 10 as far as I’m concerned. He could do a speed turn and I saw him run stride for stride 40 yards down field in Dorian Bryant’s hip pocket…
As for Morris he’ll play in the 230’s this year, count on it. I’ve seen it suggested he was 225 already and the Kirksey/Hitchens combo will play in the 225ish range. Their size will be fine.
Chad
PS….I want to stress again, I honestly think Tarp’s biggest problem was lack of consistency because of injury. Had he ever been healthy I believe he gets drafted and I still think he will make an NFL team. So in no way am I disagreeing you saw those things I just don’t remember it I guess.
spudhawk
Well-Known Member
Pitt loses at least both of their tackles on the offensive line and will be struggling to adapt to a high paced offense- imo they will be a more talented version of ISU in '09. Sunseri put up solid numbers but looked lost at times in the games I saw and even this version of an Iowa D would fight to be #1 or 2 in the Big East. Pitt plays two cupcakes leading up to the Iowa game- both at home. I think the combination of a Kinnick stadium, lack of receiving threats along with Sunseri's penchant for bone headed throws will make this a relatively easy game if Iowa's offense comes to play. Completely agree with you about their defense's look being a major disadvantage for them in this match up.
DexterMorgan
Well-Known Member
So what? Have you watched the kid's video? I don't care if he's playing against 8th graders it's impressive as hell. More impressive than of the other RB video imo. Also sounds like he's got the mind set, already putting in work, supposedly he's up 15 lbs and I look for him to play with a chip on his shoulder. I think he's going to be a special player.
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
I agree on all accounts, to the point it's hard to see why he was a 2-star. Though I've thought that about lots of past Iowa 2-stars. The context of the thought was...."surprise" players and while he would fit the criteria of a 2-star under the radar type, he is already being talked about as a solid contributor so he doesn't seem like much of a "surprise"!
You with me...
Chad
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
I know that both Fisher and Canzeri have been seriously busting their behinds through the off-season thus far. Of course, that's not to say that other guys haven't been busting it. Anyhow, both of those guys could possibly manage to jump on the scene in some capacity as TR FR ... at the very least on special teams. Iowa will need a guy to step up and be ready to play the LEO spot in 2012 after Nielsen leaves ... I could see Fisher potentially contending for that spot. Of course, Getz would probably have something to say about that.
DexterMorgan
Well-Known Member
Yeah i hear ya. I'm not talking about him being a contributor this season on anything but special teams, and even then i don't see him playing much there.
