What if Derby joined Morris at linebacker?

troy

troy

Well-Known Member
When I see AJ Derby, I think of Chad Greenway and AJ Eads. I know Derby is currently playing quarterback, but I can't help but think how effective he would be alongside James Morris for the next 4 years as an outside linebacker. Derby, like Morris, has speed, power, athleticism, and toughness. Sounds like a linebacker to me! Of course, I think Tim Tebow would make one heck of a linebacker, as well. I hope it works out for Derby at QB, if that is where he wants to play.
 
At first I thought the idea was crazy but I do think LB would be his best chance to have an impact. With Vandenberg and Rudock I can't see him being much more than a backup QB. The only thing I would worry about at LB is speed. It's my understanding he runs a 4.9 40. That's not really very effective speed for pass coverage in D1. Maybe he's actually faster than that. In D1 that's really closer to OL speed. In fact, I hear one of ISU's linemen actually runs a 4.9. Don't get me wrong. I couldn't do a 4.9 myself but D1 is tough.
 
According to Scout he runs 4.6 40. Seems pretty fast to me, considering our newest RB recruit, Melvin Gordon, runs a 4.5.
 
sonofjim said:
At first I thought the idea was crazy but I do think LB would be his best chance to have an impact. With Vandenberg and Rudock I can't see him being much more than a backup QB. The only thing I would worry about at LB is speed. It's my understanding he runs a 4.9 40. That's not really very effective speed for pass coverage in D1. Maybe he's actually faster than that. In D1 that's really closer to OL speed. In fact, I hear one of ISU's linemen actually runs a 4.9. Don't get me wrong. I couldn't do a 4.9 myself but D1 is tough.
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I'm not buying this.....I'm not really big on high school recruiting, but that can't be accurate......4.6 maybe a 4.7 I buy, but not a 4.9.

As for next year, Nielsen at the SAM, Morris at the WIL, and Davis at the Mike. Davis is the wildcard in all this, pass coverage isn't his strength and he is coming off a knee injury.....Kirksey and Dibona will probably have a say in all this before it is all said and done.
 
maybe we should watch the tape from this last weekend to see what a fast tough QB can do to a defense. I am still not sold that we need to move him, but we know our coaching staff wont change their offense style so...
 
311hawk said:
maybe we should watch the tape from this last weekend to see what a fast tough QB can do to a defense. I am still not sold that we need to move him, but we know our coaching staff wont change their offense style so...
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Piggyback what you are saying........They really don't ask Persa to throw deep either.
 
Listen to Rob Howe on the radio a couple of hours ago and he is sticking by what he said earlier in the year. Derby will move to linebacker and this will probably be it for Norm.
 
A.J. Derby's Rivals profile says that he ran a 4.88 forty. OK, that seems slower than what is expected for him. Look deeper and you see where it comes from - January 2009 U.S. Army National Combine - mid-way through his junior year of high school. Likely electronic timing at that event, which as a rule of thumb adds 0.2 sec to a consistent hand-timed forty (this is why H.S. player's forty times are often better than NFL combine times). This was in the middle of winter, when he was in basketball season, so probably hadn't been training to run the forty. His speed is probably fine by LB standards, 4.6 hand-timed range, and that would explain why so many other D1 BCS schools were offering him to play LB.
 
hawkeye1998 said:
A.J. Derby's Rivals profile says that he ran a 4.88 forty. OK, that seems slower than what is expected for him. Look deeper and you see where it comes from - January 2009 U.S. Army National Combine - mid-way through his junior year of high school. Likely electronic timing at that event, which as a rule of thumb adds 0.2 sec to a consistent hand-timed forty (this is why H.S. player's forty times are often better than NFL combine times). This was in the middle of winter, when he was in basketball season, so probably hadn't been training to run the forty. His speed is probably fine by LB standards, 4.6 hand-timed range, and that would explain why so many other D1 BCS schools were offering him to play LB.
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I honestly think Derby would be starting at OLB now if he were on defense. He has the athleticism to cover the slot receiver, running backs, and TE's. He was a very good high school basketball player. He started for City High's State Championship basketball team as a sophomore. Plus he's got the bloodlines to play linebacker; his dad was a starting linebacker at Iowa.
 
What ever happened to LB Jim Poggi? I guess he red-shirted this year. He was considered a 'get' out of high school. Any word on his progress?
 
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