Who are your breakout candidates?

#1DieHardHawk

#1DieHardHawk

Well-Known Member
Any thoughts on under-the-radar guys?

Tony Diaz, Kade Pieper and Cam Buffington already have been receiving a lot of hype, so not really under the radar.

I'll throw out a couple.

Offense:

RB L.J. Phillips. I saw some highlights of him while at S. Dakota. His line at times wasn't great, but he still managed play after play. He reads holes really well and has a burst. He should fit in well with our running scheme.

Defense:

DE Kahmari Brown. I'm surprised there wasn't a more competitive market for him. If he picks up the nuances of DE in Phil's system, watch out. Iowa hasn't had a twitchy edge guy like him since (for those of us old enough to remember) Andre Tippett. Reminds me of a poor man's Khalil Mack.

LB Derek Weisskopf. I'm not sure where exactly he'll fit in, but he's just too talented to keep off the field. I think he'll find a way to make plays.
 
Kaden Wetgen 2 receptions 79 yards. 1 touchdown.

Is this question for the Hawks or Steelers??
 
I think Evan James seemed to have a great Kid's Day and seems to have come out. Will see if he still produces when and during the season.
 
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Brevin Doll

Total guess on my part, just throwing shit out there. Very fast, but can’t stay healthy. He may already be hurt during camp…don’t know. Potential gadget guy, special teams star written all over him.
 
#1DieHardHawk said:
Any thoughts on under-the-radar guys?

Tony Diaz, Kade Pieper and Cam Buffington already have been receiving a lot of hype, so not really under the radar.

I'll throw out a couple.

Offense:

RB L.J. Phillips. I saw some highlights of him while at S. Dakota. His line at times wasn't great, but he still managed play after play. He reads holes really well and has a burst. He should fit in well with our running scheme.

Defense:

DE Kahmari Brown. I'm surprised there wasn't a more competitive market for him. If he picks up the nuances of DE in Phil's system, watch out. Iowa hasn't had a twitchy edge guy like him since (for those of us old enough to remember) Andre Tippett. Reminds me of a poor man's Khalil Mack.

LB Derek Weisskopf. I'm not sure where exactly he'll fit in, but he's just too talented to keep off the field. I think he'll find a way to make plays.
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Leroy Smith comes to mind. He was really quick off the edge. All-American in 1991 with a record 18 sacks.
 
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hawkdrummer1 said:
Leroy Smith comes to mind. He was really quick off the edge. All-American in 1991 with a record 18 sacks.
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Hot Take


Were you slightly, a tiny, tiny bit disappointed in Hurkett/Llewlyenn last year? I was. I was expecting final year, Joe Evans type splash plays, and it never quite got there for me. Am I wrong, and everyone puts me on blast for being an idiot?;)
 
trj said:
Hot Take


Were you slightly, a tiny, tiny bit disappointed in Hurkett/Llewlyenn last year? I was. I was expecting final year, Joe Evans type splash plays, and it never quite got there for me. Am I wrong, and everyone puts me on blast for being an idiot?;)
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I don't think your take is wrong at all. The overall numbers were underwhelming. Maybe they didn't have as much support in the middle as in past years? I don't know, maybe. But sacks were down. On the other hand, Llewlyenn was drafted so he must have had something going for him.
 
I agree with Phillips.

Hopefully his HS ACL injury can take a B1G-type pounding.

The RB room is crowded, but he has two years of eligibility remaining.

He reminds me of a much bigger Fred Russell (same height, 30 pounds heavier)
 
trj said:
Brevin Doll

Total guess on my part, just throwing shit out there. Very fast, but can’t stay healthy. He may already be hurt during camp…don’t know. Potential gadget guy, special teams star written all over him.
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It's a really deep RB room, I was hoping they'd try him out as a returner.
 
There are a couple 5th year DTs that could be sneaky good but could not get on the field much because of depth in front of them. I will go with Luke Gaffney. 5th year in the program. Size is there. Need is there. Could be a nice story for a blue collar guy sticking with a program and having a great senior year. This may be more of a hope than a belief for me. :)
 
#1DieHardHawk said:
Agree. I was thinking the same thing.

Doll kind of has that look and build, and has the breakaway speed. That's assuming he has the requisite ball-catching skills.
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Man, if he cannot catch a kickoff he has bigger issues. I like him back there as well. We have RBs to spare.
 
trj said:
Hot Take


Were you slightly, a tiny, tiny bit disappointed in Hurkett/Llewlyenn last year? I was. I was expecting final year, Joe Evans type splash plays, and it never quite got there for me. Am I wrong, and everyone puts me on blast for being an idiot?;)
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Llewellyn was my break-out prediction last season. He had a decent season, but both he and Hurkett didn't appear to make strides over the previous year. I think a lot of us were expecting an uptick in pressure from the edges.

I think Anderson and Brown could be a formidable combo if they get the nuances of the scheme down where they are not thinking too much. I'm not sure what the plan is for Iose and wonder if they are grooming him to move inside at some point, but perhaps not.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
Man, if he cannot catch a kickoff he has bigger issues. I like him back there as well. We have RBs to spare.
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I would think he would be fine, but some players struggle with catch focus for whatever reason. Kirk is not going to let anyone field kicks unless he is confident in their ball security.
 
trj said:
Hot Take


Were you slightly, a tiny, tiny bit disappointed in Hurkett/Llewlyenn last year? I was. I was expecting final year, Joe Evans type splash plays, and it never quite got there for me. Am I wrong, and everyone puts me on blast for being an idiot?;)
Click to expand...
I agree but you may still be an idiot.
 
Best offensive player: DJ Vonnahme
Best defensive player: Zach Lutmer
Breakout player, offense: L.J. Phillips Jr. & Evan James
Breakout player, defense: Cam Buffington
Breakout player, special teams: Zach Lutmer
Most improved player, offense: Cael Winter & Reece Vander Zee
Most improved player, defense: Bryce Hawthorne
Under-the-radar guys: Anthony Hawkins (SS) & Devan Kennedy (DT)
 
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