Juco Recruiting

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WinOneThisCentury

Well-Known Member
I certainly hope we are scouring the Juco ranks for WR's and DE's. I know this runs contrary to KF's program building ways, but if you have had attrition in a class or two, you have to do what you can to make up for that. We have failed there as I don't see anyone playing now that came outside of our recruiting classes. That's a travesty in my mind and a major failure in this program right now. Why is LSU doing it, Georgia does it, are they just wrong? I know we made a major push this past off season for JUCO players on the Dl, but I don't think prior to that we have made a commitment in enough of those coaching relationships to help the program. Amari was the last player I can remember who came in and made an impact.

If we have to play with what we have in the program now next year, we are a few years away from players that can make the plays necessary to win in this program. It doesn't appear to me that any of our WR's have the quicks to be successful in this offense after the catch. If you aren't going to throw the ball past 20 yards, you have to have guys that can make things happen in space. I'm just not seeing it. Hopefully a healthy Canzeri in the slot, or one of the young receivers can make things happen and forces defenses to play nickel, which helps the running game.

It would also be great to find some actual speed at the DE position. I love the effort Gags puts out there and he's effective, but we are getting no consistent pass rush from the outside...QB's can sit comfortably, and if the pocket does break down, we don't have the speed to track QB's down or even alter their scramble to slow them down for the help that will come. I haven't seen anything from the younger guys that tells me they are going to be an impact player next year at the DE position.
 
Very good point in the last paragraph about the speed of our DE position. In my opinion, the entire front four is at the root of all of our defensive problems. They are all "serviceable", and would probably be in a rotation in many high quality defensive lines across the country, but they'd be the ones that come in to give the starters a breather.

Offense... we just need better players. Simple as that. No doubt attrition and injuries plays a huge part in that, but "that's football".
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
There...changed my signature to be more realistic.
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Haha. Well played. To seriously respond to your post, though, I'm not sure how much JUCO talent is out there each year, but every year Iowa underachieves, the 'KF people' tell us "what do you expect? we had our youngest D-Line ever!" (2005) or "we lost Angerer and Edds and had no depth at LB! That's not KF's fault!" (2010). Just having one more 20-year-old ready-to-play body at those positions would have been a HUGE deal those years. I think the JCs are an avenue we should pursue most years, even when we don't have glaring problems. We don't often get guys who can step in as freshmen and fill in.
 
No argument with your post. Recruiting is something this staff never has and apparently never will be good at. They do have offers out to JUCO recruits...actually recruiting them is a different story. I find it somewhat ironic that Kirk preaches we are a "developmental program" and in the same sentence states "it is about winning now"...winning now isn't going to happen anytime soon with the remedial talent this team has.
 
The early years of Hayden Fry, it was a great source of talent to make us competitive faster (see Andre Tippett). I think it should get more attention and become a more focused area of recruiting to supplement what we do. I know Simmons is a guy they brought in for the oline, and they are very, very high on. I'm actually surprised they didn't pull his redshirt with all the problems on the interior of the OL. He's a big kid with a nasty attitude.
 
It's baffling that Kirk hasn't gone the JUCO route the last 2 years with the obvious lack of talent in the junior and senior classes. The staff needs to peel through the JUCO ranks now and use the last rides for the 2013 class on WR, DE, FS, and LB (for depth). A ton of top programs utilize JUCO. Ignoring the JUCO programs (we have the best one in Iowa) screams complacency and someone being too comfortable at the top (thanks to a lengthy contract).
 
We have had tremendous results from JCs we brought in....WE should establish relationships with some of the top midwest JCs. And bring several players from them every year. The only downside is having them for 2 years. But in exchange you get a mature player that has already adjusted to the rigors and homesickness of college life. They can step in and contribute immediatley.
 
Even Alabama goes after JUCOs and they have the most talent in the NCAA. Clearly, a huge push to the JUCO ranks should have been made the last two years after the recruiting bust of 2009 and all of the attrition. It says to me that this coach isn't worried about the present; he only has some long term goals in mind. In the SEC, you need to win NOW. Not at Iowa, so it's "OK" to blow 2-3 years waiting for 210 lb freshmaen to develop.
 
That would require change. So it's not going to happen. Iowa Western has had several good D1 players the past few years, and Alabama had a assistant there last week. They may have up to 15 D1 players this year and they have a board that lists all the D1 schools who have come by and visited. I have heard the list is very long and I don't think Iowa is on that list.
 
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I said this at the beginning of last year. It was obvious when Iowa was playingfifth year walk ons with no game experience on the DLine. At the time I was screaming for the JUCO intervention.

But, here's the thing. Cooper, Jaleel, and Faith could end up being a good group. Add another guy and you might have another top Hawk DL. Only thing is it won't happen until 2014 at the earliest.
 
we recruited and landed JUCO Sokol last spring and is RS'ING, he is after a JUCO 4* WR this year, he does recruit JUCO'S but is very selective and yet you expect him to land every JUCO he recruits. sorry recruiting them and getting them to sign are 2 very different things, there was a JUCO de that had a offer that committed to Nebraska, rather than complaining solve the problem of getting them to commit
Snyder at KS is doing fine but he will be there just so long and most who paid attention KSU went into the crapper as soon as he left because all those great JUCO'S GRADUATED AND LEFT THE NEW COACH WITH NOTHING!
 
AHawk1 said:
That would require change. So it's not going to happen. Iowa Western has had several good D1 players the past few years, and Alabama had a assistant there last week. They may have up to 15 D1 players this year and they have a board that lists all the D1 schools who have come by and visited. I have heard the list is very long and I don't think Iowa is on that list.
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Iowa is on that list and has an offer to RB Wimberly.
 
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