LB's for Next Year?
- Thread starter hawk_it
- Start date
We have good players waiting their turn. The fun of college football. Can’t wait to watch Jones play. Hockaday will be good.
Just guessing at this point and there will likely be some movement during bowl prep and spring practice.
Hockaday MLB
Welch WLB
Nick Niemann OLB
The Niemann family baton at OLB looks probable to me. Welch for Bower will be an upgrade IMO. Amani Jones will be in the mix for a spot for sure. Haven't heard much about how Kyle Taylor and Barrington Wade are developing. The Hawks are presently pursuing a JUCO LB also.
This unit will obviously have the most eyes on them next year. Next MLB will be compared to Jewell so whoever ends up there will be a good whipping boy candidate. Thankfully, DL looks to be a major strength next season, potentially one of the best under Ferentz. It may be bumpy early but I have faith that PP will get it figured out.
Hockaday MLB
Welch WLB
Nick Niemann OLB
The Niemann family baton at OLB looks probable to me. Welch for Bower will be an upgrade IMO. Amani Jones will be in the mix for a spot for sure. Haven't heard much about how Kyle Taylor and Barrington Wade are developing. The Hawks are presently pursuing a JUCO LB also.
This unit will obviously have the most eyes on them next year. Next MLB will be compared to Jewell so whoever ends up there will be a good whipping boy candidate. Thankfully, DL looks to be a major strength next season, potentially one of the best under Ferentz. It may be bumpy early but I have faith that PP will get it figured out.
Next year might be the 1st time you will see Iowa's D do a lot of situational football substitutions.
Juco LB Honas could be in the mix for playing time if he commits.
I think Mends will be a starter. He will be a SR and was in the game with Welch, yesterday. Not sure who the 3rd LB will be.
Which lb position do you think he will play? Looked like he might be a bit underweight, though Doyle can fix that. Is K State the main competition?
By class the options are:
SR:
Hockaday
JR:
A. Jones
A. Mends
K. Welch
SO:
N. Niemann
B. Wade
K. Taylor
RFR:
N. Wieland
Walk-ons:
Sobotka (SR)
J. Ludwig (RFR)
K. Glaus (RFR)
B. Campos (RFR)
I have no idea who the LBs will be, but you have to include walk-ons as considerations because of Iowa's history of using them. Bo Bower, for example.
SR:
Hockaday
JR:
A. Jones
A. Mends
K. Welch
SO:
N. Niemann
B. Wade
K. Taylor
RFR:
N. Wieland
Walk-ons:
Sobotka (SR)
J. Ludwig (RFR)
K. Glaus (RFR)
B. Campos (RFR)
I have no idea who the LBs will be, but you have to include walk-ons as considerations because of Iowa's history of using them. Bo Bower, for example.
Sounds like the kid from Kansas will be playing linebacker instead of safety, Djimon Colbert since he is 6' 1" 215 pounds as a redshirt.
as good as Hooker and Stone look, maybe a move to OLB for Snyder? All 3 of them need to play, imo.
It would be a good problem to have. With Stone playing a bunch today, that is 5 safeties who had to play this year. With Snyder coming off two ACL repairs, I don't think there is anyway you can count on him to be able to play every game next year. He will probably play, just don't know for how many games. I have no doubt he will have himself ready for the season, his work ethic is unquestioned. It's a physical position, I think it's highly unlikely that Iowa is able to start the same 2 safeties every game next year. Stone and Hooker have the movement and reaction you can't teach. Stone's closing speed and tackle on Morgan in man coverage against Nebraska on 4th down was great stuff. If all 3 are healthy, I could see some sort of rotation next year. If all are healthy, Iowa would have real depth.
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The good thing is we will not be starting underclassmen. These are going to be players that have been waiting in the wings watching, and learning for 3-4 years. The staff has said that Hockaday would be starting at any other university. I see Hockaday, Welch, and Mends to start the season. Players to keep an eye on will be Amani Jones (love his intensity on special teams), Nick Nieman, and Dijmon Colbert. There is plenty of athleticism and speed with this group. The question will be, can they be a fundamentally sound as our linebackers have been this year.
I'm thinking switching 5 or 6 guys out on 3rd down I maybe wrong but I don't remember norm switching anybody out.
Not sure where he would play, he's 6'2" 215, plays well against the run. He's from Kansas, so I could see KSU being one of his front runners, but playing time is his main concern. Not sure how KSU is in the LB department.
I hope you're right. But we will at safety. The two starters SHOULD be Amani Hooker and Geno Stone (maybe Brandon Snyder if he can be the player he was before these knee injuries, but I doubt it). But you know Gervase is going to start over one of those guys. It's just ... that's Iowa's history under Ferentz. Gervase is Bower at safety. When Stone got in there we saw what he could do. And we know Hooker can play. Unless one of the other RFR DBs progresses to be even better than Hooker and Stone, they should be the starters and the team would be much better off in both run support and pass defense. If Jackson stays, too, and Hankins can continue to start and play well next year, that's a pretty good secondary.
I know, I know, this is the LB thread. But when you mentioned Bower I instantly thought of Gervase.
Its going to be baptism by fire for whichever boys end up starting. Have any of the reserves ever played a meaningful down?
Hockaday has a reasonable amount of reps due to Jewell missing a couple games with injury, Josey being ejected for a BS targeting last year, and some other minor injuries. I would say Jack has about 3 games of snaps.
The rest of the LB are thin on defensive snaps, though plenty of special teams.
The rest of the LB are thin on defensive snaps, though plenty of special teams.
The problem here is Hockaday has miss so much practice from injuries in the last 2 years and playing MLB at Iowa is a war zone I don't even think Hock travel this week with the team again.
I think Colbert is going to be a name to watch at that cover LB Iowa likes to use. I am wondering who his going to be the sledge hammer run stopper we are going to need against wiscy act.
Side note:it's going to be awfully hard to keep stone odd the feild. Guy seems to be a ball hawk and solid tackler.
Side note:it's going to be awfully hard to keep stone odd the feild. Guy seems to be a ball hawk and solid tackler.
I don't see Mends becoming a starter. He has good speed but not a sound tackler. I wonder if he is injury prone.
Kristian Welch is most likely the MLB heir for Josey Jewell and Amani Jones is the name that crops up most as the WLB heir for Bo Bower's spot. The top challenge is for Ben Niemann's spot between his younger brother (Nick) who similar sized (6'3" 230+) and Barrington Wade( 6'1" 225). I kinda thought BW might be an excellent fullback as he was a RB in HS but he loves to hit people.
Taylor seems bound to be Welch's backup at MLB and Colbert is my favorite to backup Jones at WLB.
Welch be a small step back from Josey's foot prints but I feel Jones and Niemann can fill the voids left by the other senior LBs. A lot of spring ball reps.
Kristian Welch is most likely the MLB heir for Josey Jewell and Amani Jones is the name that crops up most as the WLB heir for Bo Bower's spot. The top challenge is for Ben Niemann's spot between his younger brother (Nick) who similar sized (6'3" 230+) and Barrington Wade( 6'1" 225). I kinda thought BW might be an excellent fullback as he was a RB in HS but he loves to hit people.
Taylor seems bound to be Welch's backup at MLB and Colbert is my favorite to backup Jones at WLB.
Welch be a small step back from Josey's foot prints but I feel Jones and Niemann can fill the voids left by the other senior LBs. A lot of spring ball reps.
Mends needs to be used correctly. I can see a new version of the Raider package where all of the down lineman are DEs who can rush the QB: Anthony Nelson, Hesse at DT, AJE at the other DT and whoever else can emerge as a true pass rusher like Gholston or Simon. (Maybe Reiff or Brincks take a step up?)
THEN we substitute our one of our normal LBs and bring In Mends to attack the QB on a delayed blitz or blindside blitz. Run a stunt of some sort with these 4 down DEs and bring Mends right where the OLine has a gap.
One of those 5 ought to be able to get to the QB.
THEN we substitute our one of our normal LBs and bring In Mends to attack the QB on a delayed blitz or blindside blitz. Run a stunt of some sort with these 4 down DEs and bring Mends right where the OLine has a gap.
One of those 5 ought to be able to get to the QB.
#52 is Amani Jones. Too good to keep off of the field, IMHO. Freight train when he hits people. Sounds like a MLB to me
If the opponents O will let them, substituting and not running the 'hurry up'.
Hockaday, Wesch and combo of Jones and Mends
We have pretty good depth actually so I doubt any current safeties will be moved to OLB.
We have pretty good depth actually so I doubt any current safeties will be moved to OLB.
I don’t recall seeing Mends substituting in to be a 5th pass-rusher. I have been wrong before...
You referred to a new Raider Package...all DEs rushing on a passing down. That is called a Nascar. Parker said before the season he would use it and they did all year long. It was A. Nelson, AJ, Hesse and Reif (technically a DL). First used by the Giants the year they beat NE.
