You would think with Iowa's propensity to run the football and with what are usually good to great offensive lines we would not have the trouble we seem to have recruiting top notch RB's. I know we've had issues with guys leaving, transferring etc. But you would just think that we could get some 4 and 5 star recruits at RB on a fairly consistent basis. Thoughts?
RB Recruiting ?
- Thread starter silkhawk
- Start date
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
no one can disagree with this post. iowa has recruited some pedigree, but have had a lot of attrition additionally. Markel Smith is a pedigree type back - he's just last year -
i think a lot of it, recently, is it appears on paper that iowa has a lot of RBs - but it is filled with guys who are filling in as necessary - Weisman, Bullock being the obvious two - they did a remarkable job given their skill set -
just think of the backs iowa would have had the past couple years if the astronomer wouldn't have gone footloose, and the boxer wouldn't have broken his ankle then 'gone rogue'....etc.
i think a lot of it, recently, is it appears on paper that iowa has a lot of RBs - but it is filled with guys who are filling in as necessary - Weisman, Bullock being the obvious two - they did a remarkable job given their skill set -
just think of the backs iowa would have had the past couple years if the astronomer wouldn't have gone footloose, and the boxer wouldn't have broken his ankle then 'gone rogue'....etc.
Name me a 4 star runningback that got redshirted. The offense might be outdated but it does feature the runningback position so that isn't a negative. As far as playing time as a young player, I can't think of a position where more young players have played under Ferentz.
Until the last couple years we've had a 4 star runningback in pretty much every class haven't we? Wegher, Coker, and Garmon were 4 stars. McCall was a high 3 I think. Wasn't Danials a 4 star on at least 1 site? If all the guys I listed plus Robinson and Hampton would have stayed, we would have had no issues at that position at all.
Daniels was closer to a 2* than a 4. He had offers from BC and a couple of MAC schools before we jumped in, EXTREMELY late in the process. As others have noted, we've actually recruited some players with pretty solid credentials at RB, it's just that they hardly every stick around and develop. Wegher was another example of a huge recruit that never panned out. It should also be noted here that Rodney Coe was a 4* RB when he signed with us, and we actually turned down a commitment from future stud Wisky player James White, because we already accepted a verbal pledge from DeAndre Johnson. We also famously had Melvin Gordon committed for about 6 months.
deanvogs
Well-Known Member
Iowa has had more than their share of bad luck at the RB position. Iowa actually put together a run of getting guys who if they stayed would have been very good: '09 Wheger (4*), '10 Cocker (4*), '11 McCall high 3*), '12 Garmon (4*).
In theory Iowa should have been "set" at the RB position through the '16 season. As it is, Iowa can't afford that kind of attrition. Iowa never has, and probably never will recruit well enough that losing high 3* and 4* guys won't hurt them (as it didn't hurt OSU losing 2 highly ranked QB's as they had a 3rd waiting there for them on the bench)
In theory Iowa should have been "set" at the RB position through the '16 season. As it is, Iowa can't afford that kind of attrition. Iowa never has, and probably never will recruit well enough that losing high 3* and 4* guys won't hurt them (as it didn't hurt OSU losing 2 highly ranked QB's as they had a 3rd waiting there for them on the bench)
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
but iowa does get 4* rbs........
Last one being Markel Smith - was ranked as the 36th best back in the country - 5.7 3* per rivals - 5.8 being 4* - so very close to 4* - had offers from Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois and Iowa - given what we know today those are some pretty solid offers -
deanvogs points out some of the previous - and like he says - iowa is a school that can't afford attrition.
Some would say we might bring on some of our own "bad luck" as some profiles are simply higher risks:
Wegher - reported numerous run-ins with the law (not necessarily while at Iowa) and always struggled academically
Coker - suspended for a period of time while a Hawk
McCall - suspended for a period of time while a Hawk
Garmon - charged with burglary (and others) after dismissal from Hawks
Markel Smith - academic struggles, still looking to qualify.......by the way I wouldn't say he is a "get" quite yet until he puts on a uniform.
This. He is exhibit A as to the problem being endemic to the Iowa football program, not necessarily with the type of kids that we're bringing in. If a kid with Coker's background can't hack it here, there are significant issues going on behind the scenes.
DodgerHawki
Well-Known Member
Coker had little/nothing to do with the football program. That was a university/administration issue. It impacted the FB program because it caused him to leave, but Coker was pretty much what you want as a player in the program. Good player, good teammate, good student who took the academic side seriously.
Maybe, maybe not..............he was also suspended for the season opener this year at Stonybrook for violation of "team rules".
CPHAWK82
Well-Known Member
I did not know this and I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
It's a fact. We had offers out to both players, but were only going to take the first one to commit. We accepted a verbal from Johnson (even though he had a torn ACL at the time), and then told White that we were no longer interested. 100% fact.
CPHAWK82
Well-Known Member
Well the latest 4* RB to commit to the Hawks (Karan Higdon) from all accounts seems to not have any red flags. No run ins with the law, excellent academic standing and even does volunteer work. Also looks to be a solid player. Some might call a kid like that a can't miss. Hope he's a kid that breaks the trend of highly ranked RB's staying with the program and playing well for multiple seasons.
So it is your contention that the University as a whole has no bearing or impact on the football program? That what happens in Mason's office is not interrelated in any what to what goes on in Kirk's? This is why you fail to grasp the bigger picture about what's going here.
There's no such thing in this program. And he's not a 4* according to most services.
Agree 100%.................maybe our new recruiting strategy should be to scour all high school rosters for elite skill players that want to pursue the medical profession.
This program should NEVER turn down a RB and give them the either or game. Most HS RB's are one of the best if not the best athletes on the team and are usually versatile enough to play CB, S, WR or LB depending on size. So the White situation should never happen IMO. Take them both and sort out the position thing later. As we all are well aware of, attrition happens for lots of reason but to turn away top RB's is silly in my book.
