Morehouse on Offense Struggles:"This just isn’t the O-line Iowa thought it would have in July&Aug"

[millhawk]

Either Daniels is not healthy or he's having a bad year.

Lousy luck with Waechter.

Levi Paulsen has a chance to be a two year starter. This spring is huge for him. Not ready to call him a bust. Landan, well it don't look good for him.

Ross Reynolds is not a bust. Can't figure Lucas Legrand out.

Way too early to think any of the '16 guys are a bust. AJ is gonna be a good one. The coaches love Banwart. Williams, I know nothing about.

The '17 guys are impressive. Wirfs and Kallenberger are gonna be very good. We also have Coy Kirkpatrick in that class. Big kid, I have no idea how he's looking.

 

[hawkfeever]

Again, with everybody's help, what follows are the O-Line recruits (17 total players), over the last 5 recruiting classes.

Your 5 starters for the game Saturday vs Minnesota are highlighted in red.

2013 (4 players)
RG Sean Welsh
Ike Boettger (RT; out for season w/ achilles injury)
Boone Myers (LT has been hobbled w/ injury; backup to LT Jackson)
Colin Goebel

2014 (4 players)
Ross Reynolds (backup to LG Render)
LG Keegan Render
Lucas LeGrand (has shifted to OT but not on depth chart)
Dalton Ferguson (OT; out for 2017 season w/ torn ACL)

2015 (4 players)
C James Daniels (Tom Kakert said in his Oct 24 podcast that James does not look 100%)

Brett Waechter (quit football because of how often he would throw up during practice and workouts, an issue he says worsened as his career continued from high school to Iowa)

Landan Paulsen
Levi Paulsen (backup to RG Welsh & RT Wirfs)

2016 (3 players)
LT Alaric Jackson
Cole Banwart (backup to Center James Daniels)
Spencer Williams (was supposed to be backup Center; now not on depth chart)

2017 (2 players)
Mark Kallenberger
RT Tristan Wirfs

Some thoughts:

* Looks like 4 or 5 overall recruiting misses from 2013 thru 2016.

* When you have so many OL injuries, what do you do? I guess you plug in players where you think you have the best chance to succeed. And KF is an expert on the OL.

* Our defense has looked good all season, because bottom line we are holding opponents at 19 points or less.

* Special teams are looking better. Our punting is looking better. Kickoffs are good. FG kicking is good.

* Our passing game looks light years better this year. But those dropped balls......ughhhhh

* Who da thunk our biggest issue would be our OL?? IF our OL had been as good as advertised AND HEALTHY, I think our run game would be much better. I am just glad Nate Stanley has not gotten beaten up like CJ was over his last 2 years!!!

Yeah if only one could control injuries. Maybe Bama is plug and play but we aren't stacking 4 and 5 stars on top of one another. Boys just need the game experience and we will be fine ................ barring injuries. I am sure some other wizard coach out there can control injuries.