The WR room is just another example of Lester having to come in and clean up this mess of an offense.
But as Chad says, he's got some pieces to work with.
But as Chad says, he's got some pieces to work with.
Kaden Wetjen (Preferred Walk On; Could play in 2025) is faster than Cooper DeJean. Chad Leistikow & Scott Dochterman Discuss the WR Room
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I really like Brown (obviously) and Wetjen seemed to be the fastest guy on the field (ex Coop), so we just have to pray neither one gets injured.... along with Cade! 🤞
Wetjen has to hold the ncaa record for punt fair catches inside the 10.
It takes a special kind of homer to be "ok with Iowa's WR room" and Leistikow is that homer.
Anyone else who even casually watched the Hawks over the past few years would note the group lost 3 of its top receivers to graduation/portal and now touts just 3 healthy scholarship WRs (a fraction of most schools depth), two of whom were extremely lightly recruited and have never caught a pass in college. The rest of the WR depth...small town Iowa walk-ons who had no college football scholarship offers for a reason.
In other words, the Iowa media (i.e. guys who are actually paid to watch Iowa sports) is propagandizing Iowa's weakest position group as a strength.
Sadly, what else can we expect from the Iowa media? Objectivity? Nah. Before last season, the same media also unanimously reported the "OL looks much improved." They also said last week that 1 one legged 65 yr old man Cade McNamara "should be 100% by fall practice."
Anyone else who even casually watched the Hawks over the past few years would note the group lost 3 of its top receivers to graduation/portal and now touts just 3 healthy scholarship WRs (a fraction of most schools depth), two of whom were extremely lightly recruited and have never caught a pass in college. The rest of the WR depth...small town Iowa walk-ons who had no college football scholarship offers for a reason.
In other words, the Iowa media (i.e. guys who are actually paid to watch Iowa sports) is propagandizing Iowa's weakest position group as a strength.
Sadly, what else can we expect from the Iowa media? Objectivity? Nah. Before last season, the same media also unanimously reported the "OL looks much improved." They also said last week that 1 one legged 65 yr old man Cade McNamara "should be 100% by fall practice."
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I think they feel an obligation to wear the Hawkeye blinders in the pre-season. It’s their job.
Had a visitor from Missouri State today I think. Used to run track and play ball at Huston I think. On the short side at 5'9 though. But they are looking anyway. I don't feel bad about the room either. I think first we need a couple Qb;s that can get them the ball while in stride.
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The optimist in me wants to think that Lester is good at utilizing WRs, given his coaching of Skyy Moore and Dee Eskridge at Western Michigan. Both were extremely productive at WMU (each averaged over 100 yards per game in their final seasons) propelling both to be 2nd round draft picks. However, both have been disappointments in the NFL. Perhaps it is a sign that Lester managed to get elite production out of two good, but not great, WRs?
Both Moore and Eskridge were small (5' 10" and 5' 9"), and Kaleb Brown seems to fit the mold for similar utilization at Iowa. Maybe Wetjen seems to have the athleticism too. Seth Anderson also showed some flashes last year of good burst / wiggle. Brown, Wetjen, and Anderson each had issues with drops.
Bottom line, none of Iowa's WRs have proven anything, and at best the position group is a question mark. We shall see.
Projected pecking order of Iowa WRs next year:
Both Moore and Eskridge were small (5' 10" and 5' 9"), and Kaleb Brown seems to fit the mold for similar utilization at Iowa. Maybe Wetjen seems to have the athleticism too. Seth Anderson also showed some flashes last year of good burst / wiggle. Brown, Wetjen, and Anderson each had issues with drops.
Bottom line, none of Iowa's WRs have proven anything, and at best the position group is a question mark. We shall see.
Projected pecking order of Iowa WRs next year:
- Kaleb Brown
- Seth Anderson
- Kaden Wetjen
- Dayton Howard
- Jarriet Buie
- Alex Mota
- Reece Vander Zee
- Alex Wick
- Reese Osgood
- Alex Eichmann
- CJ Leonard
- Ayden Price
- Judah Mallette
- Luke Pollack
Here is a microcosm/symptom of our offense last year, as shown by one of the WRs late in the bowl game. I saw this walking behind the play as I was leaving (early) for the exit:
3rd-&-long. Play is a jet sweep to Brown. If he cuts it upfield, first down. However...he appears to be running "too fast", and almost stumbles when deciding if he SHOULD try to make the upfield cut. He is, like Dewey "The Ox" Oxberger in the movie Stripes (while careening downhill on the boot camp obstacle course), completely and totally out of control. Thus, no first down, followed by an incomplete pass on 4th down.
That was our offense last year, a mix of "indecisive" and "out of control", with the occasional happy medium of a successful, well-executed play.
We had, if memory serves, one "awesome" pass play, in the first game, downfield to Seth Anderson off a nice play-action. Other than that, any other big pass play was to a TE. Any other "big" play was a run.
3rd-&-long. Play is a jet sweep to Brown. If he cuts it upfield, first down. However...he appears to be running "too fast", and almost stumbles when deciding if he SHOULD try to make the upfield cut. He is, like Dewey "The Ox" Oxberger in the movie Stripes (while careening downhill on the boot camp obstacle course), completely and totally out of control. Thus, no first down, followed by an incomplete pass on 4th down.
That was our offense last year, a mix of "indecisive" and "out of control", with the occasional happy medium of a successful, well-executed play.
We had, if memory serves, one "awesome" pass play, in the first game, downfield to Seth Anderson off a nice play-action. Other than that, any other big pass play was to a TE. Any other "big" play was a run.
Brown showed flashes late in the season. With someone with a pulse behind center he could have a breakout season. I would put Buie above Howard. Very good downfield threat.
I think you need to add Terrell Washington into that mix.
Yep. And I think they are doing that to be able to keep and utilize all four+ RBs.
What ever happened with the “other” OSU transfer walk on Austin Kuetcher?
That play was literally the first play of the season following the great KO return. It was literally and figuratively downhill after that.
We need an X receiver though. Buie is barely 6' tall. Dayton certainly has the body and he was able to get open during the spring practice....just needs to catch better. I'm hoping Reese flashes once he gets on campus.....could be our best bet at X since Brandon Smith.
The Anderson long TD was him doing a double move on the CB and the dude bit so hard on it.
Kirk mentioned Anderson on the show On Iowa Live. Said was hurt in spring ball so wasn't in last Saturday. Said a guy that showed flashes last year, but was hindered a bit coming from such a small school into Iowa. Has made further advances since last season end.
This list is undeniably pathetic for a Big 10 WR room. For example:
1. Kaleb Brown. Iowa's #1 WR, which is supposed to be the glamor position on any roster. Brown has just 200 receiving yrds in his entire career (along with quite a few really bad drops). While the guy has talent, Brian didn't think enough of Brown, even with his job on the line, to even play him in 6 games last year (not that Brian is a good judge of talent). Below avg WRs like Ragaini & Anderson started ahead of him.
2. Seth Anderson. Zero scholarship offers out of hs. A DIII WR (transferred from mighty Charleston Southern) who peaked in series 1 game 1 of his Hawkeye career when he caught a wide open touchdown pass when the defender tripped. Unfortunately, he regressed in his remaining 13 games, totaling just 9 catches. He would not be the #2 WR on any other Big 10 roster, but he's all Iowa has.
3. Kaden Wetjen. Zero scholarship offers out of hs. No scholarship offer this year, even from Iowa. Undersized walk-on who wouldn't play elsewhere in the Big 10.
4. Dayton Howard. Iowa was his only scholarship offer at any level. He's just a freshmen, so expecting a contribution out of a 0 star "project recruit" is a stretch.
5. Jarriet Buie. Didn't even make all-conference in high school, yet he's expected to come in and contribute as a 185 lb freshmen at Iowa?
6. Alex Mota. Was a small school hs QB. Had maybe 10 receptions in his entire high school career and none in college. Certainly not a Big 10 WR at this time.
7. The rest. Small town walkons.
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We need one or two of these guys to actually be good, enabling us to have some tape to show future WR recruits.
The above information is sad, but, it’s to be expected when such a dreadful offense takes the field year after year.
If we can get the ball to Brown on a consistent basis, he’ll give us something to get excited about.
I can tell you that Mota played WR his senior year and Anderson was like second team all conference at a small D1 as a freshman. So, if you can't get that right not sure how much else you got right.
I do agree our WR isn't good, but that's a product of a bad offense and lack of a quality QB. If this group can be average it will be a big improvement over past years. It will take 1-2 years of players seeing a better offense to attract good HS or portal interest. Until then, you make due with what you've got.
Better get your facts straight there, BigDeal.
Anderson played at I-AA Charleston Southern...against the likes of Monmouth and NC A&T. He did so because he received no scholarship offers from DI / FBS schools.
Weird that Mota threw for 900 yards and ran for 742 in high school...playing WR. He probably caught a few passes in there at some point, so I guess that makes him as qualified as anyone else in the awful WR room to get reps...but it doesn't make him a Big 10 WR (at least not for a few years until he develops).
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Charleston Southern is Division 1/FCS. They haven't used 1-AA in like 18 years. Last time I checked, Army is FBS.
Maybe it's you, Slaw, that needs to get their facts straight.
The interesting thing about you is this; I’ve seen many a poster, some that even take a negative slant similar to you, back you in a corner so deep, you’d need a spaceship to get out and you never respond back to them….
But something simple and easy to rebut, you’re all over it.
You are one of the least capable debaters in this forum and based on your diatribes (something I know something about 😂) you fancy yourself one…..
Your weak…. I certainly hope you’re not a real attorney.
So what you are saying is you agree with the coaches when they say we have some talent, but it is all young and unproven. Except you put a shitty outlook spin on it. Sound about right?
Well, to be fair, he only has a “shitty outlook” so in his defense, he has no real frame of reference lol
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Facts? You can call it 1-AA for all I care but you said he was a “DIII at best”. Big difference between DIII and 1AA. And Mota was a QB at Marion until he senior season where he played WR and defensive back. Big Deal.
Uhhh... Charleston is D1. And, Mota completed 2/4 passes as a senior... because he played WR.
Needs to catch the easy ones. Too many drops for him last year. He will need to take a big step forward in that department.
I understand why you rarely reply to your terrible hot takes. You "correct" others by screwing more things up. Let's sit the next few out there sport.
This WR and QB rooms on this team are embarrassing for a D1 program, let alone a Big Ten school. This staff can’t recruit its way out of a wet paper bag for those players right now. Sad.
Having a QB throw the ball slower than the speed of light from 8 inches away should help.
I’m excited to hear the offense is getting the HBs involved in the passing game out of the backfield. That will help the OL and WRs out.
Looks decent for a smallish receiver.
https://www.ozarksfirst.com/video/raylen-sharpe-earns-all-american-honors/9249302/
He’s probably a darn good athlete, but, he only had 230 receiving yards. That’s not much for a wide receiver.
I think that was probably his (Iowaslaw) point with Mota and the others…We could probably use some legit wide receivers in this program.
I’m hopeful Anderson and Brown will really ramp things up this season. Get healthy, #12!
