Okay, I looked up the the 'crootin websites and over the past 15 years there have been maybe three blue chip linebacker commits, if you include Bonecrusher, AJ Derby, and Jeremiha Hunter. Edmond Miles was a 4-star out of Florida who actually played for Iowa. But nearly every linebacker with any production has been a two star or three star kid out of high school.
This is The Year We Should Land Blue Chip LB Recruits
- Thread starter IowaLawWasRight
- Start date
I'll bet we find out Mends is better than Bower, given the chance to play more than a snap or two he would do better than Bower. The truth is we never know until someone gets injured. Look how well Hooker has done when given the chance at Safety because of an injury, and I guarantee you that Geno Stone is better then Gervase. Jewell is quite honestly the only linebacker that should be on the field every single snap, other than him the younger guys should be rotated in for some meaningful snaps, and just to give the starters a break. KF acts like the defense will just fall apart if he gives someone a break.
My post was regarding LB's only. I said as much in my post during the first sentence. I also never said 2nd stringers shouldn't see any playing time. The last two weeks are the first time all year that Iowa was involved in a game that was definitively decided by the time the early 4th quarter rolled around. When games are tight or in doubt, you don't typically see a ton of 2nd string guys playing just for the sake of getting some experience unless that team has an exceptional amount of talent at a given position. But if you want to play a bunch of second stringers for the sake of getting experience in one score games and watch them learn through mistakes at the teams expense, more power to you.
Joshbrown
Well-Known Member
I think this person wittingly or unwittingly just brought up an important topic
"when games are close you don't substitute in your backups"
Seems like a reasonable thing to say. The problem is KF's approach to offense keeps waaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too many games close. So KF almost always has an excuse not to play 2nd teamers. Just like he has an excuse to lose to an FCS squad. Just like he has an excuse in the recruiting wars. He's been an excuse-machine for a long time. And he lucked into a job with ADs and fans who aren't smart enough to figure out he's paid to win games, not make excuses.
Of course the sheep just regurgitate his excuses cuz thinking for themselves is something that causes them pain.
earlkoppelman
Well-Known Member
Yup is sadly .correct. Coach is day LATE but not not a $$$ a Short. Gosh a SHOCKER huh? Oh Pray for surf no?
WDMTIGERHAWK2
Well-Known Member
Iowa does quite well at putting linebackers in the NFL. They don't have to be 4 & 5 stars guys. Linebackers typically have a "attitude" and mind set that is different than most people. The linebacker position by its nature of constantly and purposefully violently hitting people get hurt on a regular basis so the backups see lot's of action during the regular part of the game not to mention on special teams. In college football with eligibility regularly expiring there are some years when it is very challenging when a group of starters graduate together. Next year will be one of those years. Iowa is not unique, every college has the same challenge.
While linebackers will be a challenge next year, hopefully there will be a couple of guys with that unique "attitude" that can fill in fairly nicely 3 or 4 games in next year. There are normally guys in the Midwest who have attitude.
I am more concerned about wide receivers. That is clearly a position we have struggled with. Easly has been pretty decent and I am glad we have him, but even he has dropped a fair number of catchable balls this year.
While linebackers will be a challenge next year, hopefully there will be a couple of guys with that unique "attitude" that can fill in fairly nicely 3 or 4 games in next year. There are normally guys in the Midwest who have attitude.
I am more concerned about wide receivers. That is clearly a position we have struggled with. Easly has been pretty decent and I am glad we have him, but even he has dropped a fair number of catchable balls this year.
It has nothing to do with the Hospital. It has to do with being better than 117th in the country on offense. If Iowa was in the top 40 on offense, they'd be a to ten team. You are spinning the narrative. Name any year where the Hawks were top 40 in offense.
So true and what did we find out late last year when Miles Taylor got injured late in the year. I think it was Gair who came in and played great. Gair was a Sr so he got about 4 games of playing time for his whole career and we barely saw him on the field as a soph or JR to see what he could do.
If your team like the hawks is up 17+ points late in the 3rd or early 4th qtrs against a wyoming or n texas it would be very easy to sub in a couple Lbkrs and Dbacks. Sub them in for a whole series or just a set of downs, The DLIne is usually rotating some. Get some tape on the players for future practice time.
And as a coach if you are so scared to let the backups play then it says something about your coaching.
I would bet even money Mends hardly gets a chance on the field next year. Just a gut feeling.
Yes there are some posters who do the above but I think part of the issue here is fans and posters dont think we have any of this years sophs and JRs who are ready to step in next year and play Lbkr at a high level.
Of course there was definite dropoff in 2013 after the Lbkr corp graduated in 2013 but 2 of those grads are still doing very well in the NFL and Morris was very good his last 2 years.
I have always thought a Juco could really help at any position if they had the academics also. Wasnt Yanda a Juco? And Jucos have been in action whereas many backups at Iowa have hardly seen the field. I think they would take a big time D Tackle like Wisky has or a receiver. KF and his offense and passing game preclude getting many good Juco wide receivers. Was Clinton Solomon a juco?
Who have been some other KF Juco big time contributors?
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
This.
IowaLawWasRight
Well-Known Member
Believe me, recruits notice that the backups virtually never play at Iowa. We start recruiting kids in their sophomore years of high school. When we do, they start watching games and paying attention to their position groups. You think LB recruits who have watched Iowa games over the past few years haven't noticed the Bo Bower plays each and every snap, regardless of the score of the game or whether or not he just made a huge mistake that cost the Hawks a touchdown?
We have what, 10-12 LBs on our roster? Yet Bo Bower deserves to play every snap because he's that much better than the rest...and Bower wouldn't benefit from a rest on a few plays? Gotta feel for guys like Aaron Mends, who go to practice every day and sit on the bench every Saturday.
We have what, 10-12 LBs on our roster? Yet Bo Bower deserves to play every snap because he's that much better than the rest...and Bower wouldn't benefit from a rest on a few plays? Gotta feel for guys like Aaron Mends, who go to practice every day and sit on the bench every Saturday.
The only people at fault for the backup LBs not playing are the backup LBs. I don’t like everything KF but he has proven one thing to me beyond a shadow of a doubt. If you know the playbook and keep to your assignments, you play.
We’ve seen several examples of guys who aren’t very talented or physically ready who have played because they know what their supposed to be doing. Part of that is due to pooor recruiting and guys get thrown in. And in those instances KF values playbook knowledge over talent.
And we’ve seen several guys not play because they don’t know what their doing and don’t play assignment football that KF values.
For the life of me I don’t understand how some of the players don’t get that. You have walkons and grey shirts playing all over the place. Why, they bust their ass in practice and they know what they’re supposed to do. And we’ve seen a lot of those guys who are playing blow assignments. So what does that say about the guys who aren’t playing? They probably don’t have a clue of what they’re doing out there
We’ve seen several examples of guys who aren’t very talented or physically ready who have played because they know what their supposed to be doing. Part of that is due to pooor recruiting and guys get thrown in. And in those instances KF values playbook knowledge over talent.
And we’ve seen several guys not play because they don’t know what their doing and don’t play assignment football that KF values.
For the life of me I don’t understand how some of the players don’t get that. You have walkons and grey shirts playing all over the place. Why, they bust their ass in practice and they know what they’re supposed to do. And we’ve seen a lot of those guys who are playing blow assignments. So what does that say about the guys who aren’t playing? They probably don’t have a clue of what they’re doing out there
Have expressed for many years my disappointment with Iowa’s recruiting but don’t have an issue with playing time made available for younger more talented players. There are numerous examples of younger Hawkeye players surpassing older ones on the depth charts.
The fact that we’re out looking in the JC ranks for LB’s would seem to indicate those currently serving as backups might not have the necessary tools.....at least not yet. That could also explain some of the starters getting considerable playing time......not that we’ve had that many blowouts for the opportunity to substitute. Mends, well, his challenge has always been more on the mental side not the athletic side according to what I have read over the years.
The fact that we’re out looking in the JC ranks for LB’s would seem to indicate those currently serving as backups might not have the necessary tools.....at least not yet. That could also explain some of the starters getting considerable playing time......not that we’ve had that many blowouts for the opportunity to substitute. Mends, well, his challenge has always been more on the mental side not the athletic side according to what I have read over the years.
