One of Top Recruiting Classes in Kirk Ferentz Era

DunderMifflinHk

DunderMifflinHk

Well-Known Member
http://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sp...rk-ferentz-dallas-craddieth-rivals/309882002/


Rivals four-star safety Dallas Craddieth out of St. Louis chose Iowa over several other stellar offers. So did Indianapolis defensive backs Julius Brents and D.J. Johnson. These guys turned away the likes of Michigan State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and LSU.

They are emblematic of the type of player Iowa consistently nabbed during this cycle.

That was why McDonald’s Monday commitment felt like the Hawkeye coaching staff punctuated this class with an exclamation point. They put a lot of effort into landing McDonald, and they got their man.

Also in this class: The Hawkeyes got their quarterback (four-star Spencer Petras, who is already on campus); they got instant help on the defensive line (led by Alabama-offered junior-college transfer Daviyon Nixon); and they got prospective playmakers (Indiana player of the year Tyrone Tracy among them).

“I will say this: This class, top to bottom, is one of their more heavily recruited classes," Trieu says, "if you looked at who Iowa had to beat on each of these guys."
 
Hawk4Fan said:
That is not saying much, and kinda sad considering iowa still bottom 3rd of the conference in rankings...
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Except for the fact that a total of 2.2 points (on a scale of 100) separate the average player rankings of Iowa and Michigan's 3rd ranked class. Past the top 20 spots, you're splitting hairs for a good while. From there it depends on how you develop guys, something we've shown we can do a lot better than most of the teams in our recruiting tier.
 
Said it before and I'll say it again...

Iowa consistently puts out NFL-caliber players, many of them immediate or eventual starters, and several Pro Bowlers.

But until Daddy and Baby 'Rentz put together a scheme that can use those players to win games we're going to mired in 6-6, bottom half of the conference football. Without Jewell and Jackson this year and King and Jewell before that (each a pro-level guy), we'd be more in the range of 4-8, 3-9.

Talent isn't the Hawkeyes' problem, guys. It's play calling. Our defense is usually top notch and saves otherwise unwinnable games because Parker is a competent, football-minded coach who does what he does based on the science of the game and ADAPTS to the players he has on the field at any given time, as well as the team he's playing.

In contrast, the 'Rentzes speak psycho-babble like "That's football," and "Next man in," and keep running a 190 lb RB into 1,200 lbs of defensive linemen over and over, followed up with a 3 yd out route on 3rd and 7 because by god...that's the way we play football here.

Watch this... ,

and then this...,

and tell me who's a football coach, and who's a wannabe who drank too much of dad's kool aid last year.
 
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Parker has been this for awhile now and he's continuing to be quite the DB whisperer. That's a pretty under the radar thing nationally and I think landing the crop of guys they just did is the fruits of it. It's not been just Jackson and King the last couple years either. If this Dline can be the disruptive force a lot of us think and hope and LB play can just be competent I don't see how our D isn't close to the top in the league. I'm pretty fired up for that side of the ball
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Parker has been this for awhile now and he's continuing to be quite the DB whisperer. That's a pretty under the radar thing nationally and I think landing the crop of guys they just did is the fruits of it. It's not been just Jackson and King the last couple years either. If this Dline can be the disruptive force a lot of us think and hope and LB play can just be competent I don't see how our D isn't close to the top in the league. I'm pretty fired up for that side of the ball
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Agreed. I think at least one, if not two of the group of Craddieth/Johnson/Brents/Roberts plays meaningful snaps this season, and I think McDonald and Doyle both play special teams this year, with the former having a better shot at meaningful snaps as well.
 
BVHawk95 said:
Agreed. I think at least one, if not two of the group of Craddieth/Johnson/Brents/Roberts plays meaningful snaps this season, and I think McDonald and Doyle both play special teams this year, with the former having a better shot at meaningful snaps as well.
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Yup. Wouldn't surprise me a bit. Rugumba/Hankins/Ojumedia didn't exactly set the world on fire it'll be quite a battle for both of those starting corner spots I bet. May the best men win.
LB should be quite the battle too. But I do think the upperclassman will have the upper hands at em. At least more so than the DBs. But we'll see. I doubt spring ball will give us many answers but it'll be the beginning of finding out.
 
Interesting things:

DiNardo expects Nebraska to have top 10 recruiting classes each year. Heard that on BTN at lunch. He must still live in the 90s. It was hard to dislike Riley as a person, but might be easier for Hawks to find nemesis status with Frost.

Clay Travis posted the stat that 21 of last 22 natty champs had top 10 recruit classes for 2 of the 4 years prior to title. He was shooting down idea ranking doesn't matter as far as national champion opportunity goes.

Ohio State had something like 21 or 22 of 4 and 5 star kids sign. Crazy numbers.

That's what the Hawks are up against.

Northwestern had lowest rated class in Big ten, per BTN at lunch time anyway.
 
If you ran a correlation between the average star ratings of recruits and how many guys Iowa puts into the NFL, I imagine KF is close to #1 or #1 at getting the most bang out of his buck which speaks to his ability to develop players.
 
Fryowa said:
Said it before and I'll say it again...

Iowa consistently puts out NFL-caliber players, many of them immediate or eventual starters, and several Pro Bowlers.

But until Daddy and Baby 'Rentz put together a scheme that can use those players to win games we're going to mired in 6-6, bottom half of the conference football. Without Jewell and Jackson this year and King and Jewell before that (each a pro-level guy), we'd be more in the range of 4-8, 3-9.

Talent isn't the Hawkeyes' problem, guys. It's play calling. Our defense is usually top notch and saves otherwise unwinnable games because Parker is a competent, football-minded coach who does what he does based on the science of the game and ADAPTS to the players he has on the field at any given time, as well as the team he's playing.

In contrast, the 'Rentzes speak psycho-babble like "That's football," and "Next man in," and keep running a 190 lb RB into 1,200 lbs of defensive linemen over and over, followed up with a 3 yd out route on 3rd and 7 because by god...that's the way we play football here.

Watch this... ,

and then this...,

and tell me who's a football coach, and who's a wannabe who drank too much of dad's kool aid last year.
Click to expand...

Brian sounds a lot like Parker did six or seven years ago (when Parker was new to the DC job).
 
westender said:
Interesting things:

DiNardo expects Nebraska to have top 10 recruiting classes each year. Heard that on BTN at lunch. He must still live in the 90s. It was hard to dislike Riley as a person, but might be easier for Hawks to find nemesis status with Frost.

Clay Travis posted the stat that 21 of last 22 natty champs had top 10 recruit classes for 2 of the 4 years prior to title. He was shooting down idea ranking doesn't matter as far as national champion opportunity goes.

Ohio State had something like 21 or 22 of 4 and 5 star kids sign. Crazy numbers.

That's what the Hawks are up against.

Northwestern had lowest rated class in Big ten, per BTN at lunch time anyway.
Click to expand...
I can't stand DiNardo. He thinks Frost will just turn Nebraska into the Bama of the Midwest overnight huh? Well I'll say this I'll be pretty impressed if anything close to that happens. I think he's done pretty good right out of the gate and he's got some momentum going the right direction as of now. But cart ahead of the horse. That D of there's was pretty pitiful and turning that around enough to be winning games will be tough. Let alone league titles and more...
 
Perusing the Nebraska boards prior to Scotty's hire it was common to see parallels drawn between Frost and St. Tom.
Being one of the hottest younger coaches with name recognition will help bring Michigan/tOSU level recruiting to UNL. But unlike Osborne playing in the Big 8 most of his career the rest of the conference is not going to roll over; not even Iowa with KF mucking up the offensive philosophy.
 
Knight78 said:
Brian sounds a lot like Parker did six or seven years ago (when Parker was new to the DC job).
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Look, I get your angle with your post. You think I'm full of shit and don't like my posts, and I'm fine with that. You hate it anytime someone dogs on the Hawkeye coaching staff and AD and you'd jump off a bridge if Kirk said it was the best thing for the Iowa football program. You're the definition of a homer fan and it's because of those types that we have the idiocy we do in office at the athletic department.

But if you're going to say "Brian sounds a lot like Parker did six or seven years ago" then wouldn't you at least support it with something? Because I've been watching the pressers since before he was DC and I can tell you the guy has more football smarts in his pinkie toe than Brian will ever have. He's been a paid football coach for 30 years and and was 1st team all B1G 3 times.

Look back on any interviews or pressers from back then and you'll see that he actually talks specifics about schemes and gameplay. Not a bunch of vague, "Fed speak" that you get from Brian to try and cover up that he's way in over his head.

This is 7-8 years ago like you wanted.

 
Hawkfnntn said:
I can't stand DiNardo. He thinks Frost will just turn Nebraska into the Bama of the Midwest overnight huh? Well I'll say this I'll be pretty impressed if anything close to that happens. I think he's done pretty good right out of the gate and he's got some momentum going the right direction as of now. But cart ahead of the horse. That D of there's was pretty pitiful and turning that around enough to be winning games will be tough. Let alone league titles and more...
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Agree. Nebraska had an advantage of exposure back in the day, but that is gone and what is left is Nebraska. I guess selling point is close to KC and Omaha. This year's game in Iowa City will be very interesting. Nebraska has a brutal schedule this year and we shall see how beaten down or emboldened they are after Thanksgiving.
 
Fryowa said:
Look, I get your angle with your post. You think I'm full of shit and don't like my posts, and I'm fine with that. You hate it anytime someone dogs on the Hawkeye coaching staff and AD and you'd jump off a bridge if Kirk said it was the best thing for the Iowa football program. You're the definition of a homer fan and it's because of those types that we have the idiocy we do in office at the athletic department.

But if you're going to say "Brian sounds a lot like Parker did six or seven years ago" then wouldn't you at least support it with something? Because I've been watching the pressers since before he was DC and I can tell you the guy has more football smarts in his pinkie toe than Brian will ever have. He's been a paid football coach for 30 years and and was 1st team all B1G 3 times.

Look back on any interviews or pressers from back then and you'll see that he actually talks specifics about schemes and gameplay. Not a bunch of vague, "Fed speak" that you get from Brian to try and cover up that he's way in over his head.

This is 7-8 years ago like you wanted.

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I wonder if Belichick would concur with you? I bet not.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
I can't stand DiNardo. He thinks Frost will just turn Nebraska into the Bama of the Midwest overnight huh? Well I'll say this I'll be pretty impressed if anything close to that happens. I think he's done pretty good right out of the gate and he's got some momentum going the right direction as of now. But cart ahead of the horse. That D of there's was pretty pitiful and turning that around enough to be winning games will be tough. Let alone league titles and more...
Click to expand...
Nebraska's ship has sailed.

The recruiting hotbed isn't in their back yard anymore and kids from Florida, Texas, PA, and Jersey weren't even born when they were relevant. They don't give two shits about Nebraska and he's not going to be able to save that tire fire.

The worst thing is he's the golden boy of that state and even if he never wins a game he'll still get a pass because it couldn't possibly be his fault.

Uncle Rico comes to mind.
 
Fryowa said:
Nebraska's ship has sailed.

The recruiting hotbed isn't in their back yard anymore and kids from Florida, Texas, PA, and Jersey weren't even born when they were relevant. They don't give two shits about Nebraska and he's not going to be able to save that tire fire.

The worst thing is he's the golden boy of that state and even if he never wins a game he'll still get a pass because it couldn't possibly be his fault.

Uncle Rico comes to mind.
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Yeah from the larger picture way of looking at it I totally agree. However can they steadily get better and dominate the BIG west in a few years? Dominate might not be the right word but succeed. I don't think that can be totally dismissed. Iowa and Wisconsin have a ton to say about that themselves. I think MN and Northwesterns ceilings are fairly low the next few yrs. So part of where Nebraska's notch on the totem pole is will be based on where Iowa and Wisky are/continue to be.
 
Fryowa said:
Nebraska's ship has sailed.

The recruiting hotbed isn't in their back yard anymore and kids from Florida, Texas, PA, and Jersey weren't even born when they were relevant. They don't give two shits about Nebraska and he's not going to be able to save that tire fire.

The worst thing is he's the golden boy of that state and even if he never wins a game he'll still get a pass because it couldn't possibly be his fault.

Uncle Rico comes to mind.
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Well, they signed like 8 Florida kids in Frost's transition class. Their ship has probably sailed for National Championships, but to believe that with better coaching they can't do what Wisconsin has been doing is naive. Despite their irrelevance on the football field, they are still recruiting at a higher level than Iowa ever has.
 
I'm not ready to throw Brian on the scrap heap. I saw some decent things out of the Iowa offense last fall to say it's not hopeless. However, I do expect to see big strides this fall on offense, not a hope, an expectation. As fans, we're entitled to that.
 
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