John Kenny moving to linebacker
- Thread starter Hawknick
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HawkeyeMHA
Well-Known Member
We're baaaaaack
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
There are no established players at the LB spot, Kenny should play if he is good enough. I loved his toughness at fb. Hell, he should play mlb for us, he's used to running straight ahead and tagging a lb.
Eda
Well-Known Member
This made me chuckle. *tips hat*
I had always thought he would've made a nice LB, but I understand his move to FB. I also figured when he hadn't moved over during this spring he was going to stay with the other 2 FBs being seniors. Either way I think he is a good player and hope he gets on the field in some capacity. Maybe it is due to a depth issue at LBer.
Good for him if that's where he wants to be. He was a bright spot last year when he had to step in and learn a new position. Why we didn't use our actual fullback in that spot I'll never know for sure, but I guess it's because he didn't fumble much so he had to be our feature back.
We still had that one guy who transferred in from Air Force. He was a pretty good short yardage back and would've made a great fullback if we just gave him a chance there. He still had a nice career, and went above and beyond his ability, just wasn't suited to be an every down back IMHO.
SpecialKHawk
Well-Known Member
I thought Kenny did a really nice job at FB but I have serious doubts about him at LB. You have to be a freak of an athlete as well as tough which Kenny appears to be on the later. Not so sure he possesses the athleticism.
Eda
Well-Known Member
Disagree. You don't need to be a freak of an athlete to be good at a position. You can learn that position to be good at that position. You can teach a position, you can't teach tough.
CPHAWK82
Well-Known Member
Kenny was a very good linebacker at his high school in Indiana and yes he appeared to have decent athleticism. Had a 40 listed at 4.6 .... Rivals had him as the #34 linebacker in that class and he held offers from Arizona, Boise St., Indiana, Illinois, NW and Purdue. Guys like Kakert and Dochterman talked about him being Morris's likely replacement. He had a lot of pressure from people to stay home and play for Indiana. Said he like the atmosphere at Iowa and stayed with his commitment.
Senior year stats: 80 tackles, 14 TFL, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery
Senior year stats: 80 tackles, 14 TFL, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery
Kenny's credentials at LB are far far far superior to the credentials of any of the 3 who are penciled in as starters right now. We need Kenny to step up and become a starter by mid season this year. It would be unacceptable to have multiple walk-on types start at LB at a Big 10 school for multiple years. The question will be whether Kenny has the instincts needed to play the position.
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
I don't think you need to be a freak of an athlete to play any position. It certainly helps, but isn't required. Pat Angerer was probably the best MLB we've seen in some time, but I wouldn't call him a freak of an athlete. Probably the most athletic LB'er we've had in the past 8 or 10 years was AJ Edds.
I think Kenny has been at Iowa longer than most of the other 3rd year players. If I'm not mistaken he enrolled mid-year and did spring practice in 2013 and RS'd that fall. Yet Bower & Jewell, who are in the same class as him, are ahead of him on the depth chart. Niemann, a TR SO, has been here a year less and is ahead of Kenny as well. If he was that good of a LB, they probably wouldn't have switched him to FB in the first place.
HawgEyeState
Banned
It's glaringly obvious that John Kenny is needed much more at Linebacker, than FB.
Macon Plewa is a heckuva player and with Adam Cox back, we are in Very Good shape there.
The Linebacker play MUST improve in 2015.........
Macon Plewa is a heckuva player and with Adam Cox back, we are in Very Good shape there.
The Linebacker play MUST improve in 2015.........
CPHAWK82
Well-Known Member
I hear what you're saying, but it was frustrating for me last year watching our LB play and seeing a prospect like Kenny filling in at fullback. Maybe he just wasn't picking up on the signals and reads like they thought he should. Either way I'm glad to see he's moving back to the LB position cause I did like what I saw out of him at FB.
Agree ... this is a good move for him personally and for the team. Gotta give the kid credit for stepping in and doing a real nice job at FB last year when we needed him.
