Looking way ahead but bare with me. 2020 is looking like the year where we could have one of the best dlines in the nation. AJ, lattimore, Harris, McKnight/Gohlston. Who knows where Fant ends up aswell. I really hope Harris focuses on conditioning and need him to trim up the frame a bit. Even if he loses 40 pounds he will still be able to clog up the middle. I think lattimore moves to tackle aswell. Put some more weight on that frame and he could be a Carl Davis prototype. And we all know AJ is going to be a beast. This dline could be very similar to 2009. Can't wait to see the product.
Future D-Line
- Thread starter HawkNAZTY20
- Start date
I like the fact that Harris is already talking about getting down to 340. He's an intriguing prospect if he adds explosion and loses weight. Talk about anchoring one side of the line...the line of scrimmage goes no where even with a double team.
There is definitely great potential. However, it is extremely difficult to predict future success of recruits. For Iowa, that cuts both ways. We have seen some low rated recruits turn into stars (e.g., Bob Sanders, Karl Klug, Desmond King) and we have also seen some big time recruits turn into busts (e.g., Ryan Bain, Dan Doering, Darian Cooper). For some (Ryan Bain) it comes down to work ethic. For others (Doering, Cooper) it comes down to health. Regardless, it is imprudent to take any success for granted, no matter how highly particular recruits are ranked.
Projecting a position group 5 seasons in the future is a fool's errand.
I'm willing to say Epenesa will be very, very good and start as a freshman. I think Lattimore plays next year and could be a Babineaux type starting out at end and moving inside. Besides that, tough to predict. That being said, there will be one or two lower ranked guys that end up being pretty good and they will get coached up well.
