Lol - oddly enough, I kind of had the same thought…👍
Kendrick Raphael Commits!!!
- Thread starter HawkeyeInCentralIowa
- Start date
I cannot imagine who that possibly could have been (tongue in cheek, obviously)
I thought about that after I posted it, that I'll take some shit if he goes elsewhere, but what the Hell. We have good players decommitt, and we've had others we've scooped up as well, and I doubt I had anything to do with any of them, so...Should prolly wait til he's here. Now if he leaves it is all your fault
Getting him and Patterson our of FLA and the success that Belton had should help with trying to land both the FLA DBs visiting soon.
Looks good. One cut and go kind of guy. Has a stride in the open field like a track and field runner and blocks well. Honestly, his film reminds me of watching his new RB coach. Betts wasn't blazing fast and didn't have a ton of shimmy in the backfield, but he could make one cut and go with the best of them.
I'm also surprised to see high schools still run a traditional option offense instead of a spread option.
I'm also surprised to see high schools still run a traditional option offense instead of a spread option.
Wasn't coach Betts a pretty good back on some pretty bad Iowa teams? seems like that's how I remember it.
This RB commit has me super excited. Dude hits the hole hard and then its one cut and off to the races. Some of the best film i've seen out of an RB committed to Iowa.
First player to lead Iowa in rushing four seasons. 98, 99, and 00 were bad teams. 01 was a decent team.
Not a dancer. Like a chess player, seems to consider his moves well in advance and then turns on the burners.
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Naples High School is a good football school---live in Bonital Springs and anxious to see him this fall
Wow, I am shocked in a good way. Of the visitors, we had in this past weekend, I thought Kendrick was the one I thought would not commit this soon. So glad to be wrong! Welcome aboard Kendrick! You will be running behind a very strong OL at Iowa. I fully expect you to be an all B1G performer early in your career.
Ladell had a decent pro career and was a good kickoff returner for washington. Had a startling season in 2006 when Clinton Portis was hurt. He has the experience to help these kids prepare for the next level
Welcome Aboard Kendrick ! You will be a great addition to the Hawkeye Football Program and the University of Iowa !
Looks like someone shot him out of a cannon
By traditional option offense, don't you mean 2-back formation? More like a power I?
Not a triple option, but there were several option plays in the first half of highlights that I watched. They just gave the ball to him every time, which makes sense since they are his highlights and nobody wants to watch him not get the ball or deliver a big block in a recruiting video.
That's what kind of blew me away. He's playing in one of the larger classes in Florida, you know he's out there with other really talented, fast players and he's leaving them in his dust.
Not just 4.5 but 4.50. If accurate, there's a big difference between someone running a 4.59 and saying they run a 4.5 and someone running a legit 4.50. Either way, kids film doesn't lie.
Watching Kendrick on film, his running style reminds me of Wisky’s Braelon Allen….anybody know what his 40 time was?
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This X infinity…..We’d take a LaDell Betts every year, forever & eventually we’d complain he was pedestrian and didn’t have a Homerun gear, Doh!!!!
I’ve said it much lately, but man, lost yards in our philosophy is KILLER! We have to gain 1yard, 2 yards, and have a chance!
Not sure how accurate that comparison is considering Allen has up to 50 pounds on Kendrick.
Agreed ... I don't see the comparison to Allen either. Allen is one big dude. Allen's style looks smooth because arm-tacklers just fall off of him.
Raphael's smooth running is a different creature altogether.
Eno Benjamin did fairly well at Arizona or AZ state, didn't he, but wasn't really lights-out or All-American or anything, wasn't he? I remember being upset too, but he probably would not have lit the place up against those Big 10 defensive lines. I sort of recall one Big 10 team held him in check pretty well, IIRC.
He rushed for 1600 yards and 16 TD's as a sophomore and then 1,000 and 10 TD's as a junior. So yes, he would have helped Iowa. Played in 9 games for the Cardinals in 2021, rushing for 118 yards. Jury still out on him in the NFL obviously. I don't believe Iowa currently has any former RB's on NFL rosters (unless Mekhi Sargent is on a team). Goodson is UDFA with Packers but will be longshot to make the team.
Unless Ol' Doodle missed it, there wasn't an example of Power I Formation (standard I with a second offset upback) in that clip package. A lot of pro set, some single back and at least one example of T Formation.
Regardless, the two things that stand out to Doodle aren't his obvious breakaway speed or power...it is his balance and his willingness to block. A back who isn't afraid to stick his nose in there when he DOESN'T have the ball sure as hell isn't gonna be shy about contact when he does have it. That kind of back is usually pretty successful in the KF scheme.
It was more of an I-formation even though the backs were split slightly. A T formation is a 3-back set normally, unless you are talking about a Wing T. I suppose but when I think of an option offense I envision the QB as a ball carrier, optioning either to the half back or the wing back. In Kendrick's high school the setup was more like a traditional full back - half back formation with the front back primarily blocking for Kendrick. The QB didn't run much in the clips I saw so I assumed he was there handing off or passing more like a traditional I formation QB would.
I agree about Kendrick as a complete back - looks like he enjoys blocking as well as straight runs and catching passes. Looking forward to seeing him at Iowa in the future!
Yes Michigan St punched him in the mouth as did San Diego St a game latter. Less than 30 yards both games. All the same he would have helped !
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