31 days until kickoff - #31 Aaron Mends

[Blair Sanderson]

Mends is listed as the backup WLB heading into camp.

Aaron Mends
Redshirt Freshman
6-0, 212
Kansas City, MO (Winnetonka HS)

2014 - - Redshirted.

High school honors - - first team all-conference and all-state as a senior . . . first team all-conference, second team all-metro and third team all-state as a junior . . . first team all-conference and first team all-district as a sophomore . . . Career - - career totals include 210 tackles on defense, with 1,790 rushing yards and 140 receiving yards and 29 total touchdowns . . . recorded 50 tackles as a senior, with 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, with one forced fumble and a pass break-up . . . rushed 69 times for 285 yards and five touchdowns, while collecting six receptions for 28 yards . . . collected 74 tackles as a junior, including 38 solo and 36 assists, with 7.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one pass break-up and one blocked kick . . . rushed 131 times for 758 yards and 14 touchdowns . . . as a sophomore collected 60 tackles, including 30 solo and 30 assists, with six tackles for loss and three sacks, with one forced fumble . . . rushed 125 times for 747 yards and nine touchdowns . . . collected 26 tackles as a freshman . . . team captain as a junior and senior.

Personal - - Born 10/13/95 . . . health science major . . . parents are Anne and Othello Mends . . . high school coach was Sterling Edwards.

 

[David1979]

Now this kid looks like a linebacker and hits like one too. Bower missed way too many tackles last year. If Mends were to overtake Bower I would be happy.

 

[Hawk68]

Now this kid looks like a linebacker and hits like one too. Bower missed way too many tackles last year. If Mends were to overtake Bower I would be happy.

Looks to me more like a SS; 212 (probably inflated) is very light for any of the LB's.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Looks to me more like a SS; 212 (probably inflated) is very light for any of the LB's.

Neither Hitchens, nor Kirksey were terribly big weight-wise when they first started seeing action. Yet they saw action early and developed into excellent talents.

 

[Ladell-hawk]

Looks to me more like a SS; 212 (probably inflated) is very light for any of the LB's.

Kirksey was even lighter his first two years in the program , and he turned out to be a great linebacker. I'm hoping Mends will do the same.

 

[nu2u]

Hitchens is the same height -6ft 0 and played his senior season at around 232. At the very least, Mends could stand to add about 10 pounds. I'd be surprised if he is not heavier by the start of the season. Mends looks really compact, especially with pads on. I/m wondering if the 6ft roster height isn't a little generous.

 

[Quintana]

Hitchens is the same height -6ft 0 and played his senior season at around 232. At the very least, Mends could stand to add about 10 pounds. I'd be surprised if he is not heavier by the start of the season. Mends looks really compact, especially with pads on. I/m wondering if the 6ft roster height isn't a little generous.

I don't know about all of that, but his old man has one sweet ass name.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Hitchens is the same height -6ft 0 and played his senior season at around 232. At the very least, Mends could stand to add about 10 pounds. I'd be surprised if he is not heavier by the start of the season. Mends looks really compact, especially with pads on. I/m wondering if the 6ft roster height isn't a little generous.

I believe that even Hitchens was maybe a little short of 6 foot (not by much, though). Abdul Hodge was also sub-6 foot too - but, without a doubt, he was exceptional for us. Mends seems to have a somewhat similar body-type.

 

[Blair Sanderson]

I believe that even Hitchens was maybe a little short of 6 foot (not by much, though). Abdul Hodge was also sub-6 foot too - but, without a doubt, he was exceptional for us. Mends seems to have a somewhat similar body-type.

Hitchens measured in at 6001 at Iowa's Pro Day, so 6-foot-0-1/8" inch FWIW.

 

[Forgery5]

I prefer to see our safety's at this size (see#33), but he squats over 600lbs so I'm hope he athletic as hell!!

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Hitchens measured in at 6001 at Iowa's Pro Day, so 6-foot-0-1/8" inch FWIW.

Thanks for the correction. I just remember a poster before who had seen Hitchens up close state that he would be surprised if Hitchens was north of 6 foot. However, apparently that poster was in err.

 

[Hawk68]

Neither Hitchens, nor Kirksey were terribly big weight-wise when they first started seeing action. Yet they saw action early and developed into excellent talents.

Let's use the developed ones first.