yeah our 3.5 def is likely different. i’m not saying moulton and jaz are trash but their effectiveness (combo of yards and TDs) will be about 50% and 35% of KJ if they were the #1 back.
Do we need to pick up a RB in the portal?
- Thread starter desihawk
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Makes sense to me. Iowa is the premiere rushing team in the big ten. Reload! There isn't a back in the roster that will play in the NFL. Our only hope forward is to be what Wisconsin used to be. Now is the time to own it.
Past decade and a half. All comparable to Johnson. Johnathan Taylor, Braelon Allen, Melvin Gordon, James White, Monte Ball, Corey Clement.
Iowa knows what to do with an elite running back. They have no clue what to do with a quarter back.
Iowa is screwed on both lines going into next season. Outside of QB, they need to focus on line play
Let's take any QB that leaves Ohio St. Burrow, Ewers, McCord seemed to be program changers after being at OSU.
Mouton is pretty good. Improving the passing game would make our running game better.
Guess it comes down to what are your expectations or ceiling for the team ?
We had KJ this year and we got 8 wins against a pretty weak schedule. Without him this year and does Iowa win more than 3 or 4 games ? He took over second half’s how many times this year ?
Now if you’re saying we need a KJ to maintain this level of Kirkball, then yes finding a big time running back is priority.
Find us a QB who can take over a game, and Iowa is competing for playoffs. Tho maybe not 2025 with the schedule and losses on defense
We had KJ this year and we got 8 wins against a pretty weak schedule. Without him this year and does Iowa win more than 3 or 4 games ? He took over second half’s how many times this year ?
Now if you’re saying we need a KJ to maintain this level of Kirkball, then yes finding a big time running back is priority.
Find us a QB who can take over a game, and Iowa is competing for playoffs. Tho maybe not 2025 with the schedule and losses on defense
We lead the big ten in rushing and did this only 1 year after having the worst offense in the country. There is a premiere back out there that wants to come play for Iowa so let's go get him. We've shown we can run the ball and put guys in the Heisman discussion. The passing game will come but it ain't happening next year. We just need to buy more time for Lester to build up that part of the offense.
So your pitch to the best RBs in the portal is come here and run wild for us while we figure our shit out in the passing game ?
RB - “Do i get to play for a championship ?”
Iowa - “Well not this year ok? We ain’t got it at QB and our schedule is tough. But you can lead the league in rushing….if our backups on OL are good!!”
Yes, exactly. Come play for us. You'll go to the NFL. Everyone else in the league wants to play air raid football. Ever heard of Wisconsin? We're the premiere rushing team now.
The only one you mentioned on Johnson’s level was Gordon. The only other truly great back they had was Taylor…Maybe Allen?
They always had good to great backs, they did not “have a Kaleb Johnson every year.” Not even close. Even if Ball and White were on Johnson’s level, you are a looooooooong way from having a KB every year.
There is not a school in the United States of America that has Kaleb Johnson level RB every year. I fear you didn’t appreciate him?
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We are ? One season makes us premiere ?
I believe we currently have 5? Returning running backs - moulton, jaz, doll, Washington, Xavier; and then mcneil arriving in this recruiting class. Barring defections, injuries or someone just begging to come here, I see no reason to pursue a RB in the portal.
QB and DT are the top priorities, followed by WR and OL depending on NIL funds and roster spots.
👍 💯 You win in the trenches…that’s always been key to success, especially for Iowa.
With that said, QB needs to be a priority as well. Even a Stanley-level QB would be a significant step up. I think they can do better than that.
Finally, I highly doubt Wisconsin circa 2011 would be as successful in 2025. Good, sure. Playoff good, doubt it. Let’s not strive to be Wisconsin 2011.
Wisconsin 2011 would have made the playoffs this season.
I’d take a good QB with some solid O-lineman, with attitudes, that can run and pass block.
As long as Kirk is there.
Iowa has capable backs. Most teams have capable backs. There is a reason that few running backs are drafted in the first 2 rounds. It's because there are a lot of quality ones available and it is not typically an area of great need on most teams. Quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tackles dominate the offensive draft picks. Those are the areas where Iowa is weakest and where Iowa needs to spend their resources.
We have rb’s that have the speed to take it to the house. That is not an issue. The difference is yards after contact, which you can’t really replace losing KJ. Like others have said, I would rather look to fill elsewhere.
I'm tired of shitty offense. Agree on QB. The next 2 spots of need are WR and OT. Otherwise that QB won't be successful anyway. Let's see what Lester can do with a few capable players.
You’re basing that on their record, trust me, they would not have ended up with that many wins this year let alone next year.
I think Lester might get it done.
Unless you are five years old, you have seen Kirk field teams with respectable passing attacks.
Wrong ! If Jones comes back, we will be in good shape on the OL. The DL is already looking solid for next year, we just need one DT from the portal to make it outstanding.
I think both Jazz and Moulton have the speed to be home run threats and I expect them to be improved next season. Look at the improvement Kaleb Johnson made from his sophomore to junior season. Washington, Doll and Williams are also talented running backs.
Yeah, it’s not like they are decimated. It sounds like they will be returning over half their starters on the OL/DL.
A team returning potentially Jones/Dunker/Stephens and Graves/Hurkett
Throw in Pieper/Llewellan/Jones, I’d say their better off than most teams.
Doll may be the reincarnation of Nile Kinnick himself, time will tell.
Wisconsin 44 ppg (opponents 19 ppg)
Doak Walker award winner Montee Ball
Russell Wilson at QB
That team might have won the conference
Let's just compare Montee Ball for starters:
Junior Years comparatively:
Montee Ball
1923 yards 6.3 ypc 33 TDs
Kaleb Johnson
1537 yards 6.4 ypc 21 TDs
Montee Ball also had a similar season in 2012 for Wisconsin and won the Doak Walker Award in 2012.
I DO NOT like making Wisconsin look good. As an Iowa fan that's lived in Wisconsin for years, it pains me that some fans do not see the opportunity to do what Wisconsin did for a few decades while Bucky is off trying to recruit against and outspend Oregon, Ohio State, and other "pass heavy" teams.
But we aren’t talking about the statistics and wins versus teams in the Big Ten back in 2011, we’re talking about having that same level of success versus teams in 2024, 2025 and beyond.
I say they would not have had those types of statistics or wins. It’s a new era for the Big Ten conference in a new style of systems.
Isn't it all kinda relative? I understand the game has changed in the past 15 years but we didn't wake up one day and say nope, the badger style of play no longer works. I think good line play paired with an elite running back paired with Kirk's defense and special teams puts Iowa in the best position to be successful. No way will we ever have elite passing/QB play and NFL receivers like the Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, etc.
Wisconsin had steamroller lineman for about 10 years and made good use of them! Everyone one else had lineman about 30-40 lbs. lighter.
Going to be interesting. I kinda like the direction the WR room is headed but agree we continue to need reinforcements, tho I’m curious how much the current group would benefit from better qb play. Tackle I’d prefer a one year guy; i do like the guys already here, just not sure if they’re ready to start.
DL after QB is the biggest need for me.
Only wrong if the returning lineman get a clue on pass blocking. Improved their run blocking from last year and I love a mobile QB but being able set up and deliver on balance once in a while might promote some deep play offense that IOWA hasn’t seen for way too many years.
Then he had 700 yards in the NFL. Giving more credence to the point that Wisconsin had outstanding OLs.
Nobody is putting Wisconsin down by saying their line was great.
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