urohawk: I stand corrected

[homerHAWKeye777]

I gotta say ... while the DL play hasn't been great ... I've still seen guys like Bigach, Nardo, and Gaglione play much better than I would have expected.

The above observation led me to conclude that the coaches perhaps thought that they were seeing good enough consistency out of our upperclassmen ... that maybe many of the younger guys like Trinca-Pasat were just getting buried due to the fact that the DL is so "top heavy" with upperclassmen.

To your credit, you've stuck with your impression that the personnel decisions made by the coaches was more indicative that the younger guys just weren't all that great.

While I still don't know if that is correct ... here is a line of circumstantial evidence that really appears to support your contention:

- The rumor mill has been suggesting that Hardy might be a bit soft
- The young guys haven't been dynamic enough to displace players who might be viewed by many as being just "serviceable"
- There is now tangible evidence that the coaches are shopping around in the JUCO ranks for D-linemen

To me, that last factor is the strongest piece of evidence. You don't shop around the JUCO ranks unless you feel like you have some REAL holes to fill. This really does suggest to me that the development of some guys hasn't been progressing as they might prefer.

So, in light of many of our debates in recent threads ... I'll just say it here ....

... I stand corrected!

 

[CAARHawk]

Having rumors floating around about your DC being replaced isn't necessarily going to help too much with respect to that search.

 

[urohawk]

thanks homer...I don't know where you get your information and I truly hope that you were more correct than I was, but if the observation you have heard are true it does seem things could be ugly.

I agree that somebody like Bigach has looked much better this year than I had hoped coming in. But, I think for the dline to even hold their own several factors will have to fall into place that are extremely unlikely. When Donovan Johnson, Ferguesson and Raymon all left I realized how bad it could potentially be next year. When guys like Hardy and Trinca-Pasat haven't even sniffed the field for meaningful snaps despite injuries I became truly scared.

I agree we at least have potential to be solid at DT with Davis, Cooper, Gaglione and Bigach competing there. But Cooper will have to be the real deal and Davis will have to stay healthy. DE is another story completely. We need two players that can compete next year.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Please let the rumor be true that we are looking in the Juco ranks. There are very good players that either couldn't make grades or had other issues...injury or whatever. I think you give them a shot and if the natural talent and work ethic is there, well, it can work.

 

[urohawk]

It would be really nice if we got a couple of guys that could come in during the spring. How many JUCOs you take depends on the prospects at DE in the highschool ranks. Looking at the current roster we need 2 DEs that could contribute next year and probably one DT. Jaleel Johnson is a guy that could possibly contribute at the DT in his first year.

 

[FCAS]

Having rumors floating around about your DC being replaced isn't necessarily going to help too much with respect to that search.

It sounds like Phil Parker is the main person recruiting the JUCOs. I'm sure part of his sales pitch is centered around your concern.

 

[CAARHawk]

I voiced my concerns back in 2008 when it just looked like the Hawks were trying too hard to find the next Mitch King. Guys like Covert and Hopkins just didn't look like they really had the frame to get strong enough to handle the DT position. Just too many MAC level DT prospects were brought into the program that did not have the physical tools to be successful in the B1G.

MK was a once in a lifetime overachiever. It would be easier to find a guy with real B1G measurables than to find another guy with MK's intangibles.

 

[3GHawk]

I voiced my concerns back in 2008 when it just looked like the Hawks were trying too hard to find the next Mitch King. Guys like Covert and Hopkins just didn't look like they really had the frame to get strong enough to handle the DT position. Just too many MAC level DT prospects were brought into the program that did not have the physical tools to be successful in the B1G.

MK was a once in a lifetime overachiever. It would be easier to find a guy with real B1G measurables than to find another guy with MK's intangibles.

psst...its's for you. Karl Klug, on line 1.

 

[CAARHawk]

Klug is not MK. People throw this one out there, but his overall frame is way different. That is why he works in Tennessee's DL and Mitch didn't.

 

[smoot27]

Homer: just remember who first mentioned the JUCO recruiting at DL in that thread. I'll take the apology anytime.


smoot27: I would assume we may look at bringing in a juco transfer


Hawkfarmer: Doubtful

 

[smoot27]

Iowa recruiting 2 JUCO players | Hawk Central

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

Homer: just remember who first mentioned the JUCO recruiting at DL in that thread. I'll take the apology anytime.


smoot27: I would assume we may look at bringing in a juco transfer


Hawkfarmer: Doubtful

LOL! Very true too smoot!

You're not the first one on this board to bring it up ... but you definitely brought it up recently. And, you've definitely proven correct too.

For the record, Jon Miller, among others have also been pretty explicit in asserting that Iowa has a definite need for a few JUCO guys on the DL.

While I haven't disagreed with the assertion concerning JUCOs ... I've just been struck that we haven't had more JUCOs on the recruiting board earlier. Also, just as others have stated ... the fact that the coaches passed on Ebert makes the recent JUCO shopping all the more perplexing.

 

[smoot27]

LOL! Very true too smoot!

You're not the first one on this board to bring it up ... but you definitely brought it up recently. And, you've definitely proven correct too.

For the record, Jon Miller, among others have also been pretty explicit in asserting that Iowa has a definite need for a few JUCO guys on the DL.

While I haven't disagreed with the assertion concerning JUCOs ... I've just been struck that we haven't had more JUCOs on the recruiting board earlier. Also, just as others have stated ... the fact that the coaches passed on Ebert makes the recent JUCO shopping all the more perplexing.

Well no hard feelings. I know we participated in good debate in the earlier thread but it's all fun and games.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

I voiced my concerns back in 2008 when it just looked like the Hawks were trying too hard to find the next Mitch King. Guys like Covert and Hopkins just didn't look like they really had the frame to get strong enough to handle the DT position. Just too many MAC level DT prospects were brought into the program that did not have the physical tools to be successful in the B1G.

MK was a once in a lifetime overachiever. It would be easier to find a guy with real B1G measurables than to find another guy with MK's intangibles.

CAARHawk -

The coaches aren't trying to land the "next Mitch King" as their first option. It's not like they're passing up on uber-talents just so they can land a Covert or Hopkins. The coaches had been trying to land guys who they could actually get ... and who they felt could develop into good football players for us.

As it turned out, Covert just couldn't put on adequate size without negatively impacting his quickness ... and Hopkins just got injured too much. The coaches had absolutely no way of predicting either outcomes. They were just doing the best they could with what we could get.

You have to remember ... Iowa's poor '06 and '07 seasons really hurt our recruiting in '08. Our recruiting wasn't overly stellar in '09 either ... but it wasn't bad either.

 

[CAARHawk]

CAARHawk -

The coaches aren't trying to land the "next Mitch King" as their first option. It's not like they're passing up on uber-talents just so they can land a Covert or Hopkins. The coaches had been trying to land guys who they could actually get ... and who they felt could develop into good football players for us.

As it turned out, Covert just couldn't put on adequate size without negatively impacting his quickness ... and Hopkins just got injured too much. The coaches had absolutely no way of predicting either outcomes. They were just doing the best they could with what we could get.

You have to remember ... Iowa's poor '06 and '07 seasons really hurt our recruiting in '08. Our recruiting wasn't overly stellar in '09 either ... but it wasn't bad either.

Interesting point Homer. BTW I typed the wrong year, I meant 2009. I think I may have been influenced by the MK talk at the time. A lot of fans were targeting these guys as MK clones when they committed. However, the coaches made it clear that they were targeting these guys at DL, so it makes sense that the fans made this connection.