Most of the Defense is settled. The defense loses only Mitch King, Matt Kroul, and Bradley Fletcher. Of course in King and Kroul that is 97 career starts. Four seasons worth of starts. So the only real battles are at Dt and Rcb. Back up Mlb is up for grabs with the transfer of Jacody Coleman, but he was slated to red shirt anyway. I will go over the Dt and Rcb candidates and attempt another Phil Steele style 3-deep. I don't know how to run this site very well yet and my last attempt didn't work great so this one might not either.
Defense Tackles at Iowa are meant to control a specific gap. Kroul generally played Nose and King generally played the 3 technique. The idea is to occupy and disrupt the offensive line and make a play if you can otherwise let the Linebacker behind you come in and clean up. Kroul and King were amazingly effective playing together. Replacing that chemistry will be tough. It looks like it will be done by committee. Here are the guys looking to do the job.
Candidates- Karl Klug 6'4" 258 lbs Jr. Klug is the closest thing to King that Iowa has left. He won a Big Ten Player of the Week Award in the blow out win vs. Florida International by amassing tons of tackles for losses in garbage time. But he was the 3rd tackle in the rotation and played in goalline and short yardaged situations and made a key play in the win over Penn State. He basically is the size he is going to be. Putting weight on Klug has been a topic on message boards for as long as he has been at Iowa and it seems like he has topped out. He will do fine in that regard and is as close to a proven player that Iowa has at the position.
Mike Daniels 6'1" 267 So. Daniels is probably heavier than what I have him listed and is the leader so far to replace Kroul at nose. Has a reputation as a weight room warrior. If he can translate that strength into some of Kroul's technique good things will follow for Iowa. He just needs to occupy blockers and hold the point at the line of scrimmage. Saw the field some last season.
Travis Meade 6'0 285 Sr. Meade left a crowded interior line to get a shot at seeing the field more. Rumored to be seeing the field alot so far in fall camp. Could have a unique perspective on playing nose after having played center and guard the last two seasons. Will definately be in the mix early in the season.
Cody Hundertmark 6'4" 280 So. I see him listed as a Junior in a lot of magazines but it was my understanding that he took his red shirt last season. Played alot as a true freshman, and may have the best size of any of the candidates. Has struggled with injuries so far in the spring and this camp.
Steve Bigach 6'3" 270 R. Fr. He was reportedly "Doyelized" over his red shirt season. Getting alot of reps so far in fall camp and was complemented in the spring. More likely to play the 3 technique than the nose. Played De in high school.
Corner- Iowa runs basically three coverages: Cover 2, Cover 3 and Quarters. In Cover 2 the corner is in charge of 5 yards in front of the line of scrimmage and the flats( I know there are times when they are supposed to drop this isn't going to be that in depth). In cover 3 the field is divided into thirds and he can't let anyone get behind him. Quarters is the same principle as cover 3 only the field is divided into quarters instead of thirds. Much of the time Iowa runs a Cover 2. This is one of the reasons it is so tough to run against Iowa. Everyone is already looking in and keying on the run and letting the Safties worry about the pass. Corners at Iowa must tackle well. Corners must support against the run. It is better to give up the 5 yard pass completion than to try to make a play on the ball and give up a 50 yard Td.
Candidates- This just got a whole lot more interesting. I felt that this was Jordan Bernstine's job. He broke an ankle and is taking his red shirt. Five players will be competing for this spot now.
Shaun Prater 5'11" 175 So. I was suprised when he avoided a red shirt last season. Then he played a ton and outplayed Bernstine in many peoples' eyes. He might have beat out Bernstine this season but he was behind the eight ball because a bartender "kept putting alcohol in his coke". He is suspended for the first two games. He could win the job and start by the Arizona game and beyond. He is much better in coverage than run support. He needs to become more physical.
Willie Lowe 5'10" 170 Will try to capitalize on Prater's suspension and hold onto the starting spot after he returns. Very fast, another whose cover skills outstrip his tackling ability. He played some in nickel and dime packages last season but mostly on special teams. Made the two deeps after spring.
Greg Castillo 5'11" 180 Son of former Ferentz colleague Jaun(of the Eagles), he is a heady non- athlete that makes me think of Shada and not in a good way. He is in the running for the starting spot and will at least play special teams. Could be more athletic than I am giving credit for. Probalby won't make mental mistakes.
Micah Hyde 6'1" 170 True Fr. Great athlete and very good size for the position. Dazzled at Big 33 all star game. See quote about Keenan Davis in previous post. Cb has been a position where True Freshman have come in and contributed right away. Will probably play special teams and could be a return guy.
Chris Rowell 6'0" 195 Sr. Last go around, he could be like Razor Ramon and emerge out of relative obscurity. Played pretty well on special teams last season but I never saw him on the field defensively. Really grasping at straws here losing Bernstine really hurts.
Ok here is an attempt at a 3 deep I won't use the bullet thing this time
Returning Starters in Bold
Rcb Willie Lowe 5'10 170 So. Shaun Prater 5'11 175 So. Micah Hyde 6'1 170 Tr. Fr.
Will Jeremiha Hunter 6'2" 235 Jr. Jeff Tarpinian 6'3" 233 Jr.
Rde Adrian Clayborn 6'3" 282 Jr. LeBron Daniel 6'2 250 So. Joe Gaglione 6'5" 242 R.Fr.
Fs. Brett Greenwood 6'0" 200 Jr. Jack Swanson 5'11" 195 R.Fr. Nick Nielsen
Ng Mike Daniels 6'1" 267 So. Cody Hundertmark 6'4" 280 So./ Travis Meade 6'0" 285 Sr.
Mlb Pat Angerer 6'1 235 Sr. Troy Johnson 6'2" 235 Jr. Bruce Davis 6'0 232 So.
Dt Karl Klug 6'4" 258 Jr. Steve Bigach 6'3" 270 R.Fr.
Leo A.J. Edds 6'4" 245 Sr. Tyler Nielsen 6'4" 232
Lde Christian Ballard 6'5" 285 Jr. Broderick Binns 6'2" 255
SS Tyler Sash 6'1" 210 So. David Cato 5'11" 205
Lcb Amari Spievey 6'0" 190 Jr. Greg Castillo 5'11" 180 Chris Rowell 6'0" 195
* Chad Geary will back up both D- end positions and be in the mix for Dt time if he comes back from his ACL tear.
** I expect some fierce competition to back up Angerer. Johnson, Davis, Tarpinian, Reisen and even Tom Donatell could all play Mlb.
*** Karl Klug is the only sure thing at Dt. It would be nice to see more of a rotation this season. even perhaps defined roles. Iwould like to see Clayborn and Ballard slide inside on passing situations to get Binns on the field for a D-line of Clayborn, Klug, Ballard and Binns- sick, sick, sick.
**** Whoever loses the kicking job probably transfers after or even during the season. I think it makes the most sense to keep Mossbrucker but it looks like Murray is the leader in the clubhouse so far.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Skill Position Battles
There should be some spirited competition at the Fall camp for offensive skill positions. Several Red-shirt and True Freshman have a chance to make an impact this season. We will start with Back-up Qb and address every position.
Back-up Qb- The battle to be the most popular player on Iowa's roster would seem to be between R.S Frosh James Vandenberg and John Wienke. There are rumors that incoming freshman Josh Brown will be given his first shot at Qb and that even special packages are being designed to take advantage of his athleticism. Those rumors must forget that KOK is our Offensive Coordinator.
Candidates- James Vandenberg 6'3" 205 lbs The leader after spring, said to throw a very catchable ball and have very good command of the offense. Iowa's High School Career Passing Leader in almost every category will still have to perfom well in the fall to hold onto the job. According to Marc Morehouse's excellent blog following the open scrimmage it is clear that he is the #2 as the reps between Vandenberg and Wienke are not being given out evenly.
John Wienke 6'5" 225 lbs The more highly touted recriut of the class of '08, Wienke jilted RichRod and Michigan feeling their version of the spread offense was a bad fit for his skills. Another product of the "Texas Tech" style of spread offense (shotgun style, horizontal passing game) he too put up huge numbers in high school. Winke purportedly has the biggest arm on the team. Both he and Vandenberg are making huge leaps in competition so they both could use some seasoning.
Tailback- This could get interesting depending on the status of Jewel Hampton. The early reports of Hampton being seriously injured were supposedly overblown but he didn't dress for Saturday's scrimmage after supposedly tweaking the same knee. If he is hurt or reinjures the knee this could be the biggest story of camp. Iowa's tailback's have to do more than just run the ball. Hampton won the backup job in large part last season for his ability to block. They need to be an outlet in the passing game, too. Replacing Shonn Greene will be tough, lets hope it won't get tougher.
Candidates- Jewel Hampton 5'9" 210 So. (463 yds 5.1 ypc 7 tds) Hampton did a great job last season spelling Greene. He rolled up impressive numbers and did it in more than garbage time. People tend to forget the Greene tended to get banged up during games last season and Hampton played meaningful snaps in almost every Big XI game. It has been reported (John Miller broke the story) that Jewel injured his knee and had an MRI, in my experience they don't schedule those for precautionary measures even if you are the stud tailback at Iowa. Jewel has a red shirt to burn lets hope he doesn't have to burn it. If he is just a little hurt he will be the unquestioned starter.
Jeff Brinson 5'11" 215 R.Fr The more highly routed recruit of the class of '08 he took his red shirt after reportedly battling allergies or asthma and leg injuries. Ferentz has spoken glowingly of him after both the bowl practices and spring drills. Brinson is less shifty than Hampton, but more powerful. How patient will he be? The most underrated aspect of Greene's game was his vision- he found the correct hole and then he hit it hard. Brinson has some of Greene's tools, hopefully he has that one in his toolbox.
Paki O'Meara 5'11" 211 Jr. Paki will probably be elevated in the mix becasue he has proven he can catch and block. Physically, he isn't as gifted as the rest of the guys on this list. Mentally he might be a step ahead of everyone else. That counts for a lot with this coaching staff. He will also still be a standout on special teams. He was the starter on the Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Brandon Wegher 5'11' 206 True Fr. No player has come to Iowa with expectations like this since Tim Dwight. If Hampton is hurt, he has a chance to elevate into the back up role immediately. At the very least I expect him to have a shot to return kicks and punts. Weghers biggest challenges will be learning protections and adjusting to the speed of the college game. Given his athleticism I don't think his adjustment to the speed will be that tough.
Adam Robinson 5'9"205 R.Fr. The Des Moines Lincoln product is another player who was singled out for praise after spring drills. Thought to be a candidate to change positions I would guess now he will stay at Tb. Could have the most straight line speed at the position and also thought to have the most natural hands. It will be interesting to see if Bernstine's injury re-ignites position switch talk for him.
Brad Rogers 5'10" 225 True Fr. The Ohio native is almost a Fb/Tb hybrid perfect for smashing into the line in Iowa's two Td sets. Last season's first commit, he could be Iowa's short yardage and goalline back. Observations from the scrimmage say he could be larger than his listed size and that he blew up Travis Meade on one play.
Iowa is well stacked at fullback with Brett Morse (6'3 240 Jr.) who is a great blocker and Wade Leppart (6'0 245 So.) who did an okay job filling in for Morse while he was injured( I am not convinced the MSU play was Leppart's fault, I always blame KOK). '09 recruit Shane Di Bona (6'2" 220) may land at the position as well.
Wide Reciever- this is potentially Iowa's weakest position. Iowa hasn't had a dominating player at this position since I can remeber. Even Tim Dwight is remembered more for his special teams greatness than his recieving numbers. The one thing you can say about this group is there are a lot of them. Hopefully a year and a half of Coach Campbell will show up this season.
Candidates- Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 6'1" 200 lbs Jr DJK is no doubt Iowa's most gifted reciever. He is on pace to break both career receptions and yardage marks. But something still seems to be missing. He is now entering his fourth year of playing the position full time, he really needs to be the "guy". DJK has all the tools to be a dominant college player. He just can't seem to stay out of the coaches' doghouse. Coming out of the spring he was on the second string. I like Marvin McNutt's upside as much as anyone else but come on the coaches were obviously sending a message with that one. It has been rumored he has been consistently late to meetings which isn't going to sit well with either the coaches or the players. Hopefully he can get it together because listening him talk to the media he seems to have some leadership potential.
Trey Stross 6'4" 200 lbs Sr. Stross enters his Senior campaign possibly the best example of the recruiting class of 2005- one last shot to show unfullfilled potential. Stross has shown flashes of brilliance between injururies. At the very least he is a proven Red Zone target. A full season of health could see him considered for post season honors and a shot at a NFL training camp.
Colin Sandeman 6'1" 200 lbs Jr. He seemed to take a step back as a pass catcher last season but does all the little things well. Could have been a victim of sub par Qb play early. Is an extremely good blocker. Another player to earn praise from coaches after spring drills. Possibly the leading candidate to return punts. Very sure handed and a better athlete than people think.
Marvin McNutt 6'4" 215 So. Making the permanent switch from Qb to Wide Out. Listed as first string after spring drills, but that might have more to do with DJK than exceptional play by McNutt. Could be a devastating Red Zone target with his basketball backround and overall athleticism. Was a running Qb in high school and can do something with the ball in his hands.
Paul Chaney Jr. 5'9" 167 Jr. Another player who had been in the coaches' doghouse, he was one of the revelations of spring. Chaney is probably the fastest player on the team. He is a decent track runner and his track speed actually translates to the football field. if he could have held onto the ball at the end of the Wisconsin game in 2007 alot of things might be different. Chaney had trouble making the travel squad last season so counting on him to be in the mix all season might be a stretch, but he might have turned the corner. He could be the guy who stretches the field for the Hawk's this season.
Keenan Davis 6'3" 200 lbs True Fr. Ferentz always says the further away from the ball you play the easier it is to come in and make an impact. Iowa may need Davis to lead the receiving corps from day one. Another tall athletic target with a basketball backround, Davis can do something with the ball once he gathers it in. Davis is the kind of Wr recruit Iowa has struggled to bring in in recent recruiting classes. He could be a starter before the Big XI season.
Players to Watch
Jordan Cotton 6'1" 170 True Fr. recruited as an athlete could end up at another position
Ben Evans 6'0" 178 Jr. walk on played early last season.
James Hurt 6'1" 180 R.Fr. Vandenberg's high school teammate transfered in to walk on
Don Nordmann 6'6" 211 Jr. He is 6'6" throw him a fade see what happens
Seven Staggs 6'3" 195 R.Fr. Walk on was on track to earn a scholly before injury in H.S. very fast.
Tight Ends- Another position where Iowa has plenty of bodies to throw at you. I don't think we will see the 3 tight end set as often as we did last year since the Battering Ram is gone, but even with Anthony Schiavone quitting we have 9 on the roster. If Moeaki is healthy he is the man and if he isn't I still feel pretty good about Reisner. It looks like Herman is going to stick too so here is a look at the top four and the rest of the list.
Candidates- Tony Moeaki 6'4 250 Sr. This is Tony's last chance to show the injuries he has suffered were just fluky. When he is on the field he is a difference maker. Tony can be a traditional in line tight end, he can flex- out, and he can line up in the back field. He is a great blocker, has soft hands, can catch on the run, and run with the ball. He just has to stay healthy. If he does that, there is enough film to bault him into the top 5 at his position for next season's NFL draft.
Allen Reisner 6'3" 235 Jr. Reisner reminds me alot of Brandon Myers. He was the last scholarship offer of his class. He was pressed into duty after injuries, and never got the benefit of a red shirt season. He is consistently underestimated athletically. He just gets open and makes the best of his opportunities. He blocks the guy in front of him and then looks for someone else to hit. Last season he averaged 18.3 yards per catch. I could see him doing that again while doubling his catch total this season.
Brad Herman 6'5" 242 So. I was suprised to see Herman play tight end last season. I saw him as a natural fit at either Olb position and the heir to Nielson at the Leo position. He looked great as a receiver though early in the season. I haven't seen enough of him to know how good of a blocker he is, but I can't imagine he would have ascended the depth chart so quickly on the strength of his pass catching alone. He saw action in 6 games for Iowa last season and could see more time on special teams this season, too.
J.D. Griggs 6'5" 255 R.Fr. Griggs has the size you dream of when you create a tight end on a video game. We will see this season if his size and athleticism translate to playing time and production. I expect to see him vs. UNI and if he does well throughout the rest of the season. He reportedly had a very good Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Players to Watch
Zach Furlong 6'5" 235 So. Didn't get invited to Fall camp last season. Has something to prove I imagine.
Jonathon Gimm 6'3" 235 R.Fr. Suposedly has the frame to grow into a lineman. I wouldn't be suprised to hear about a position change for him. Nothing so far though.
Dakota Getz 6'4" 210 True Fr. Needs to red shirt to gain some weight and strength to play Big XI football. Good speed for this position.
Ross Peterson 6'3" 236 Jr. saw time last season in the 3 TE sets as a blocker. I don't recall him catching a pass.
Kyle Spading 6'5" 250 Sr. See Ross Peterson. Could switch to Dt to see the field more.
Back-up Qb- The battle to be the most popular player on Iowa's roster would seem to be between R.S Frosh James Vandenberg and John Wienke. There are rumors that incoming freshman Josh Brown will be given his first shot at Qb and that even special packages are being designed to take advantage of his athleticism. Those rumors must forget that KOK is our Offensive Coordinator.
Candidates- James Vandenberg 6'3" 205 lbs The leader after spring, said to throw a very catchable ball and have very good command of the offense. Iowa's High School Career Passing Leader in almost every category will still have to perfom well in the fall to hold onto the job. According to Marc Morehouse's excellent blog following the open scrimmage it is clear that he is the #2 as the reps between Vandenberg and Wienke are not being given out evenly.
John Wienke 6'5" 225 lbs The more highly touted recriut of the class of '08, Wienke jilted RichRod and Michigan feeling their version of the spread offense was a bad fit for his skills. Another product of the "Texas Tech" style of spread offense (shotgun style, horizontal passing game) he too put up huge numbers in high school. Winke purportedly has the biggest arm on the team. Both he and Vandenberg are making huge leaps in competition so they both could use some seasoning.
Tailback- This could get interesting depending on the status of Jewel Hampton. The early reports of Hampton being seriously injured were supposedly overblown but he didn't dress for Saturday's scrimmage after supposedly tweaking the same knee. If he is hurt or reinjures the knee this could be the biggest story of camp. Iowa's tailback's have to do more than just run the ball. Hampton won the backup job in large part last season for his ability to block. They need to be an outlet in the passing game, too. Replacing Shonn Greene will be tough, lets hope it won't get tougher.
Candidates- Jewel Hampton 5'9" 210 So. (463 yds 5.1 ypc 7 tds) Hampton did a great job last season spelling Greene. He rolled up impressive numbers and did it in more than garbage time. People tend to forget the Greene tended to get banged up during games last season and Hampton played meaningful snaps in almost every Big XI game. It has been reported (John Miller broke the story) that Jewel injured his knee and had an MRI, in my experience they don't schedule those for precautionary measures even if you are the stud tailback at Iowa. Jewel has a red shirt to burn lets hope he doesn't have to burn it. If he is just a little hurt he will be the unquestioned starter.
Jeff Brinson 5'11" 215 R.Fr The more highly routed recruit of the class of '08 he took his red shirt after reportedly battling allergies or asthma and leg injuries. Ferentz has spoken glowingly of him after both the bowl practices and spring drills. Brinson is less shifty than Hampton, but more powerful. How patient will he be? The most underrated aspect of Greene's game was his vision- he found the correct hole and then he hit it hard. Brinson has some of Greene's tools, hopefully he has that one in his toolbox.
Paki O'Meara 5'11" 211 Jr. Paki will probably be elevated in the mix becasue he has proven he can catch and block. Physically, he isn't as gifted as the rest of the guys on this list. Mentally he might be a step ahead of everyone else. That counts for a lot with this coaching staff. He will also still be a standout on special teams. He was the starter on the Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Brandon Wegher 5'11' 206 True Fr. No player has come to Iowa with expectations like this since Tim Dwight. If Hampton is hurt, he has a chance to elevate into the back up role immediately. At the very least I expect him to have a shot to return kicks and punts. Weghers biggest challenges will be learning protections and adjusting to the speed of the college game. Given his athleticism I don't think his adjustment to the speed will be that tough.
Adam Robinson 5'9"205 R.Fr. The Des Moines Lincoln product is another player who was singled out for praise after spring drills. Thought to be a candidate to change positions I would guess now he will stay at Tb. Could have the most straight line speed at the position and also thought to have the most natural hands. It will be interesting to see if Bernstine's injury re-ignites position switch talk for him.
Brad Rogers 5'10" 225 True Fr. The Ohio native is almost a Fb/Tb hybrid perfect for smashing into the line in Iowa's two Td sets. Last season's first commit, he could be Iowa's short yardage and goalline back. Observations from the scrimmage say he could be larger than his listed size and that he blew up Travis Meade on one play.
Iowa is well stacked at fullback with Brett Morse (6'3 240 Jr.) who is a great blocker and Wade Leppart (6'0 245 So.) who did an okay job filling in for Morse while he was injured( I am not convinced the MSU play was Leppart's fault, I always blame KOK). '09 recruit Shane Di Bona (6'2" 220) may land at the position as well.
Wide Reciever- this is potentially Iowa's weakest position. Iowa hasn't had a dominating player at this position since I can remeber. Even Tim Dwight is remembered more for his special teams greatness than his recieving numbers. The one thing you can say about this group is there are a lot of them. Hopefully a year and a half of Coach Campbell will show up this season.
Candidates- Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 6'1" 200 lbs Jr DJK is no doubt Iowa's most gifted reciever. He is on pace to break both career receptions and yardage marks. But something still seems to be missing. He is now entering his fourth year of playing the position full time, he really needs to be the "guy". DJK has all the tools to be a dominant college player. He just can't seem to stay out of the coaches' doghouse. Coming out of the spring he was on the second string. I like Marvin McNutt's upside as much as anyone else but come on the coaches were obviously sending a message with that one. It has been rumored he has been consistently late to meetings which isn't going to sit well with either the coaches or the players. Hopefully he can get it together because listening him talk to the media he seems to have some leadership potential.
Trey Stross 6'4" 200 lbs Sr. Stross enters his Senior campaign possibly the best example of the recruiting class of 2005- one last shot to show unfullfilled potential. Stross has shown flashes of brilliance between injururies. At the very least he is a proven Red Zone target. A full season of health could see him considered for post season honors and a shot at a NFL training camp.
Colin Sandeman 6'1" 200 lbs Jr. He seemed to take a step back as a pass catcher last season but does all the little things well. Could have been a victim of sub par Qb play early. Is an extremely good blocker. Another player to earn praise from coaches after spring drills. Possibly the leading candidate to return punts. Very sure handed and a better athlete than people think.
Marvin McNutt 6'4" 215 So. Making the permanent switch from Qb to Wide Out. Listed as first string after spring drills, but that might have more to do with DJK than exceptional play by McNutt. Could be a devastating Red Zone target with his basketball backround and overall athleticism. Was a running Qb in high school and can do something with the ball in his hands.
Paul Chaney Jr. 5'9" 167 Jr. Another player who had been in the coaches' doghouse, he was one of the revelations of spring. Chaney is probably the fastest player on the team. He is a decent track runner and his track speed actually translates to the football field. if he could have held onto the ball at the end of the Wisconsin game in 2007 alot of things might be different. Chaney had trouble making the travel squad last season so counting on him to be in the mix all season might be a stretch, but he might have turned the corner. He could be the guy who stretches the field for the Hawk's this season.
Keenan Davis 6'3" 200 lbs True Fr. Ferentz always says the further away from the ball you play the easier it is to come in and make an impact. Iowa may need Davis to lead the receiving corps from day one. Another tall athletic target with a basketball backround, Davis can do something with the ball once he gathers it in. Davis is the kind of Wr recruit Iowa has struggled to bring in in recent recruiting classes. He could be a starter before the Big XI season.
Players to Watch
Jordan Cotton 6'1" 170 True Fr. recruited as an athlete could end up at another position
Ben Evans 6'0" 178 Jr. walk on played early last season.
James Hurt 6'1" 180 R.Fr. Vandenberg's high school teammate transfered in to walk on
Don Nordmann 6'6" 211 Jr. He is 6'6" throw him a fade see what happens
Seven Staggs 6'3" 195 R.Fr. Walk on was on track to earn a scholly before injury in H.S. very fast.
Tight Ends- Another position where Iowa has plenty of bodies to throw at you. I don't think we will see the 3 tight end set as often as we did last year since the Battering Ram is gone, but even with Anthony Schiavone quitting we have 9 on the roster. If Moeaki is healthy he is the man and if he isn't I still feel pretty good about Reisner. It looks like Herman is going to stick too so here is a look at the top four and the rest of the list.
Candidates- Tony Moeaki 6'4 250 Sr. This is Tony's last chance to show the injuries he has suffered were just fluky. When he is on the field he is a difference maker. Tony can be a traditional in line tight end, he can flex- out, and he can line up in the back field. He is a great blocker, has soft hands, can catch on the run, and run with the ball. He just has to stay healthy. If he does that, there is enough film to bault him into the top 5 at his position for next season's NFL draft.
Allen Reisner 6'3" 235 Jr. Reisner reminds me alot of Brandon Myers. He was the last scholarship offer of his class. He was pressed into duty after injuries, and never got the benefit of a red shirt season. He is consistently underestimated athletically. He just gets open and makes the best of his opportunities. He blocks the guy in front of him and then looks for someone else to hit. Last season he averaged 18.3 yards per catch. I could see him doing that again while doubling his catch total this season.
Brad Herman 6'5" 242 So. I was suprised to see Herman play tight end last season. I saw him as a natural fit at either Olb position and the heir to Nielson at the Leo position. He looked great as a receiver though early in the season. I haven't seen enough of him to know how good of a blocker he is, but I can't imagine he would have ascended the depth chart so quickly on the strength of his pass catching alone. He saw action in 6 games for Iowa last season and could see more time on special teams this season, too.
J.D. Griggs 6'5" 255 R.Fr. Griggs has the size you dream of when you create a tight end on a video game. We will see this season if his size and athleticism translate to playing time and production. I expect to see him vs. UNI and if he does well throughout the rest of the season. He reportedly had a very good Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Players to Watch
Zach Furlong 6'5" 235 So. Didn't get invited to Fall camp last season. Has something to prove I imagine.
Jonathon Gimm 6'3" 235 R.Fr. Suposedly has the frame to grow into a lineman. I wouldn't be suprised to hear about a position change for him. Nothing so far though.
Dakota Getz 6'4" 210 True Fr. Needs to red shirt to gain some weight and strength to play Big XI football. Good speed for this position.
Ross Peterson 6'3" 236 Jr. saw time last season in the 3 TE sets as a blocker. I don't recall him catching a pass.
Kyle Spading 6'5" 250 Sr. See Ross Peterson. Could switch to Dt to see the field more.
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