Who's Your "Pleasant Surprise" Player of the Year

[Hawk1960]

Every year we have a handful of guys who step up and surprise us with a bust out year. Who does that this year? I'll start the ball rolling with ... Nick Easley at WR.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

You took mine you son-of-a .........!! Thought I was going to find the diamond in the rough.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

James Butler..............There!!

 

[GesterHawk]

Every year we have a handful of guys who step up and surprise us with a bust out year. Who does that this year? I'll start the ball rolling with ... Nick Easley at WR.

Good choice. I think Nick is going to have a good year and will help open things up for MVB.

I will go for the other side of the ball - Bazata. If he stays healthy I think he is going to have a very good year as the DLine disruptor.

 

[tksirius]

Jake Gervase & Noah Fant.

 

[FCAS]

Iowa really needs Lattimore or Reiff to be a pleasant surprise

 

[guffus]

Bo Bower

 

[Hawkfnntn]

TJ Hockenson.. Reminds me of Brandon Myers a little.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Jake Gervase & Noah Fant.

Gervase is a good diamond in the rough pick. He had a very good spring.

 

[NCHawker]

Every year we have a handful of guys who step up and surprise us with a bust out year. Who does that this year? I'll start the ball rolling with ... Nick Easley at WR.

I'll let you know after someone surprises me.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

If all the guys mentioned on this post work out, See ya in Pasadena.

 

[homes]

It's like being the most underrated. Once you achieve that status, you're no longer underrated. The same holds true for the pleasant surprise guys. So, I agree with Hawker - I'll let you know who surprises me when it happens.

 

[NCHawker]

people say 'under rated' and 'over rated' as if they know how someone is rated in the first place.

I think ice is over rated. I don't like a bunch of ice in my water. A/C is often over rated too. I don't mind a warm house sometimes. iPhones are over rated too.

There see what I did there.

 

[DDThompson]

#1B -- If AIRBAHG or whatever has decided to go after Iowa's WRs then I like Smith out of Mississippi. 6'3" 205 lbs. If Iowa can't recruit track stars to get open, looks like they're going big to put a body between the DB and the ball.

#1A --I like Rugamba.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Any WR...Please.

 

[IndianaHawk]

Stanley. Everyone talks about the sky is falling around the QB.

 

[tksirius]

Stanley. Everyone talks about the sky is falling around the QB.

Yes. I should add him to my other two I stated. Outside of one pretty bad pass, I thought he looked pretty good in the spring game. He had a few drops as well.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Brandon Smith

 

[SpecialKHawk]

This is difficult because pleasant surprise means off-the-radar or written off due to past poor performance and/or multiple injuries.

That would rule out players like Butler, Manny Rugumba, Lattimore, etc. because there's already expectations for them or they've flashed already.

I think Gervase could be one because of his situation starting due to Synder's injury and having not played any meaningful regular season snaps yet. Someone listed Bower and actually that would surprise me if he had an outstanding season. Easley was listed and I think that fits as a surprise. Maybe not a shocker given his JUCO background but a surprise if he's a strong contributor.

Players like Mansell, Boyle would fit as no one expects them to contribute this year. Possibly Weigers as we expect to see Stanley. Maybe the new punter who replaces Coluzzi was did a great job last year. Maybe one of the DTs farther down the depth chart than Lattimore or Reiff. How about Ross Reynolds at guard? To me it's players like this that are surprises if they contribute and play well.

 

[teachercoach]

Noah Clayberg (already #2 at SS on 2 deep) and played there 1 week of spring ball.... predict on special teams - maybe return game.

Ryan Boyle - goal line Wildcat QB - this would mean the new OC would be a 'pleasant surprise'.