Where are they now?

[HawkfaninWA]

This latest recruit (Orloff) got me thinking and reviewing old commits. The nice thing is now we can go back a few years and see what the player was recruited at vs. how they "turned out". I noticed a couple of things:

1) They don't change position that much. I hear all this talk about different recruits that come in as a QB or a TE and then they change into a WR or a lineman. The reality is that is definitely the exception (i.e. McNutt and Reiff) and not the rule. Most guys stay in the same part of the field (DT to DE, LG to LT, etc.).

2) Again, star rankings mean very little in the long run. Look at some of our better players right now.
Ricky Stanzi: 2 star
Amari Spievey: 2 star
DJK: 3 star
Karl Klug: 2 star
Jewel Hampton: 2 star
Obvious holes in my argument are Clayborn, Edds, and Hunter at 4 stars each (yet Hunter has to step up a bit in my book to be considered a better player in my book)

Anyway, I like to go back and review where they came from because a LOT changes from commit to snap of the football.

Side note: I'm really interested to see who emerges from the 2010 class. I'm hoping it's Donnal at the OL. Would be nice to get some stability started early there.

 

[HawkForce]

I remember hearing about Adrian and being excited because he was such an athlete in HS...got that one right.

 

[tm3308]

This latest recruit (Orloff) got me thinking and reviewing old commits. The nice thing is now we can go back a few years and see what the player was recruited at vs. how they "turned out". I noticed a couple of things:

1) They don't change position that much. I hear all this talk about different recruits that come in as a QB or a TE and then they change into a WR or a lineman. The reality is that is definitely the exception (i.e. McNutt and Reiff) and not the rule. Most guys stay in the same part of the field (DT to DE, LG to LT, etc.).

2) Again, star rankings mean very little in the long run. Look at some of our better players right now.
Ricky Stanzi: 2 star
Amari Spievey: 2 star
DJK: 3 star
Karl Klug: 2 star
Jewel Hampton: 2 star
Obvious holes in my argument are Clayborn, Edds, and Hunter at 4 stars each (yet Hunter has to step up a bit in my book to be considered a better player in my book)

Anyway, I like to go back and review where they came from because a LOT changes from commit to snap of the football.

Side note: I'm really interested to see who emerges from the 2010 class. I'm hoping it's Donnal at the OL. Would be nice to get some stability started early there.

While it's true that our recruits don't change positions too often, one needs to consider the switches that were made. McNutt's case is not uncommon. QB's usually switch to WR if they change positions, and usually because they are just too athletic to keep off the field (see: Austin Flynn, Kerry Meier). And at Iowa in particular, TE's turn into great linemen. Gallery, Steinbach, Nelson were all TE's coming in, and each turned into All-American linemen. I don't know how common that is nationally, but it seems to be kind of a trademark for us.

 

[HawkfaninWA]

Yeah, I think the whole TE switch happens a lot in other teams as well. That big frame is versatile. LB to D line and vice versa is pretty common too.

I wonder how often RB end up changing positions?

 

[smbhawk1]

Tyler Sash was a 3 star recruit. I can't say that I ever thought he would turn out to be a first team All American. In fact, there were questions if he would even play football out of HS. Some thought he might opt for basketball.

 

[arthawk333]

Tyler Sash was a 3 star recruit. I can't say that I ever thought he would turn out to be a first team All American. In fact, there were questions if he would even play football out of HS. Some thought he might opt for basketball.

I previously doubted he would be a good football player, but I saw him play against Pella his senior year, and he was just a better athlete than anyone else on the field. I remember the QB just tossing the ball as far as he could and Sash would kind of mosey along and all of the sudden burn past the db and go catch the ball in stride. But, give him credit...he's worked hard to be a great defender.

 

[stevoskin]

This latest recruit (Orloff) got me thinking and reviewing old commits. The nice thing is now we can go back a few years and see what the player was recruited at vs. how they "turned out". I noticed a couple of things:

1) They don't change position that much. I hear all this talk about different recruits that come in as a QB or a TE and then they change into a WR or a lineman. The reality is that is definitely the exception (i.e. McNutt and Reiff) and not the rule. Most guys stay in the same part of the field (DT to DE, LG to LT, etc.).

2) Again, star rankings mean very little in the long run. Look at some of our better players right now.
Ricky Stanzi: 2 star
Amari Spievey: 2 star
DJK: 3 star
Karl Klug: 2 star
Jewel Hampton: 2 star
Obvious holes in my argument are Clayborn, Edds, and Hunter at 4 stars each (yet Hunter has to step up a bit in my book to be considered a better player in my book)

Anyway, I like to go back and review where they came from because a LOT changes from commit to snap of the football.

Side note: I'm really interested to see who emerges from the 2010 class. I'm hoping it's Donnal at the OL. Would be nice to get some stability started early there.

Hunter is an outstanding linebacker, and many people will just discover that this year. He has been great, its just that he has been playing in the shadow of Edds and Angerer. He has been consistent and he could really have a breakout year this year.

 

[HawkfaninWA]

Hunter is an outstanding linebacker, and many people will just discover that this year. He has been great, its just that he has been playing in the shadow of Edds and Angerer. He has been consistent and he could really have a breakout year this year.

I hope you're right, but my point is that he hasn't done that yet. That's why he's in the category I placed him.