STORY: Noah Fant, T.J. Hockenson Will Look into Leaving Iowa Early for NFL

There's no need to be afraid. It's all going to be OK.

Absolutely, this is killer for the kids and great for the program too. Iowa isn’t hurting at TE and I assumed this was common knowledge by most people who follow the team even casually.
 
Not a surprise for Fant. Never hurts to get evaluated. I don't think many thought Hock would be in a position to possibly leave early at the beginning of this year but he has been outstanding. Good luck to both of them with the process.
 
Absolutely, this is killer for the kids and great for the program too. Iowa isn’t hurting at TE and I assumed this was common knowledge by most people who follow the team even casually.

Two very good tight ends coming the '19 class. I like Logan Lee and Josiah Miamen quite a bit.

That said, Fant and Hockenson leaving would leave a huge void because of what they would bring next year. Guys like Brandon Smith and Smith-Marsette will be a year better, though, and that could help mitigate some of the loss.
 
Two very good tight ends coming the '19 class. I like Logan Lee and Josiah Miamen quite a bit.

That said, Fant and Hockenson leaving would leave a huge void because of what they would bring next year. Guys like Brandon Smith and Smith-Marsette will be a year better, though, and that could help mitigate some of the loss.
The problem is we lose Epenesa after 2019. Ferentz is due to pull another rabbit out of his hat next year. We bunched up a slew of close losses, next year the Football Gods give those back and we have a good run. If we're looking out past that, I ain't gonna lie, I start to get a bit nervous. Like this year, I can shrug off the 4 losses and say "we're gonna be good next year" but with a new QB in '20 and without Epenesa, I don't have my usual amount of high optimism.
 
The landscape is changing. I think Iowa will be dealing with losing guys early to the NFL moving forward. That's tricky for a developmental program. This year's team sure could have used James Daniels and Josh Jackson.
 
The landscape is changing. I think Iowa will be dealing with losing guys early to the NFL moving forward. That's tricky for a developmental program. This year's team sure could have used James Daniels and Josh Jackson.
Omg don't remind me... Or the coaches
 
The problem is we lose Epenesa after 2019. Ferentz is due to pull another rabbit out of his hat next year. We bunched up a slew of close losses, next year the Football Gods give those back and we have a good run. If we're looking out past that, I ain't gonna lie, I start to get a bit nervous. Like this year, I can shrug off the 4 losses and say "we're gonna be good next year" but with a new QB in '20 and without Epenesa, I don't have my usual amount of high optimism.
AJP going to be a top 5ish pick ya think? If he comes out next yr just dominating he'll be talked about like how Bosa is this year and that guy hardly played till he shut it down this yr. Hell him going #1 as crazy as some might think sounds can't be off the table... The dude is physically there just another yr of playing more and getting name out there is about all he needs.
 
The landscape is changing. I think Iowa will be dealing with losing guys early to the NFL moving forward. That's tricky for a developmental program. This year's team sure could have used James Daniels and Josh Jackson.

if we're starting to have guys leave early, at a regular pace, then I think we should re-think the developmental program moniker and move to lets just win. this is iowa and we should just win moniker.
 
I love KF trying to explain his specialist crack.

Umm Kirk we aren't idiots ok? Just because your boss buys your BS explanations.

CLARIFYING SPECIALIST COMMENT:Ferentz felt some blowback from the public when he called Fant a “specialist” last week. It was taken as a negative and as a way to explain why he only played nine second-half snaps against Northwestern on Nov. 10.

“I’ve floated the term specialist out there. It sounds like that gained some traction,” Ferentz said.

“But I guess my inference there was like, he runs like a specialist. There aren’t many tight ends I’ve ever seen or been around, certainly, live that can run like he can. He almost effortless when he runs. So it puts him in a little different category in my mind as a tight end. So he can take a 10- or 20-yard gain and he might go the distance with it, and he has done that.”


What the hell does "runs like a specialist" even mean?

Based on your phony explanation, you should have called him special or unique. But you weren't being complimentary, you were being your typical passive aggressive self. Big difference between those two words: special vs specialist.

Bottom line is you decided, for whatever reason, to limit Fant's involvement against Nortwestern thereby reducing our chances for victory. Own it and at least be honest cowardly Kirk.
 
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I hope Beyer can step it up next year at TE, I know he had that bone headed play vs the Badgers, but the guy could flat out ball when he played at CR Kennedy. He has gotten some playing time this year which helps.
 
Great. Iowa will have to methodically work down the field on every drive now. Somebody is going to have to step up in the running game next year.
 
if we're starting to have guys leave early, at a regular pace, then I think we should re-think the developmental program moniker and move to lets just win. this is iowa and we should just win moniker.

Great in theory, but the problem with a football team is that in clutch situations your offense is only as good as your worst lineman and your defense is only as good as your worst defensive back. Iowa needs all those pieces to come together at the same time and guys leaving after 3 years is disastrous. It ain't like Bama where there's another all-conference caliber player warming up the bench.
 
If we lose both expect at best about a 6-6 season next year

I am not thinking 6-6 if we lose the two TEs. We have no idea if we might have a new qb, will we have a better run blocking line, a 5 ypc running avg will help. I think Young and Sargent are two powerful runners,

Defense might be better next year as I hope Welch, colbert, and Neimann are really ready to take over.
 
The problem is we lose Epenesa after 2019. Ferentz is due to pull another rabbit out of his hat next year. We bunched up a slew of close losses, next year the Football Gods give those back and we have a good run. If we're looking out past that, I ain't gonna lie, I start to get a bit nervous. Like this year, I can shrug off the 4 losses and say "we're gonna be good next year" but with a new QB in '20 and without Epenesa, I don't have my usual amount of high optimism.

No we wont. Our offense will be vanilla plain again, 8-9 wins will be the good years moving forward.
 

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