But aren't we watching Hesse against B1G OT's and we watched Van Ginkel against basically HS OT's. Not quite a fair comparison.
So Who's Left and How Many Schollies?
- Thread starter GunnerHawk
- Start date
But aren't we watching Hesse against B1G OT's and we watched Van Ginkel against basically HS OT's. Not quite a fair comparison.
Jared Ebert says Hi.. and he is bringing his 5 tackles in 2 years at Oregon with him.
Neither is the comparison of the Missouri Valley to high school level. They also played K State. Look everyone knows the competition wasn't as good, I'm not sure why this keeps being brought up. It's obvious. Do you say this about high school recruits that dominate the competition? "Well he's only doing it against high schoolers so I'm not sure he can make it in the big ten." No we don't say that. This guy was an undersized freshman defensive end and he dominated the competition at a position he was playing for the first time. I say we take a chance on him.
Aren't you twisting words around here some? Most folks simply are stating that AVG is not likely to end up at Iowa because it will be harder for him to start (or play a ton). People aren't saying that Iowa should turn him down or turn him away.
It would be fair to say that some folks might be saying that Iowa's scholarship might be better spent elsewhere ... however, that is still not to say that it wouldn't be well spent on AVG.
In a class that is nearly full and really has no immediate needs that aren't already addressed, why not take a shot at AVG?
I was referring to the it's not a position of need, he's only 230 pounds crowd. Like I said all of the immediate needs have been addressed in this class. If KF thinks AVG can come in and contribute or push for time, why not? He may very well go somewhere where the depth chart is more wide open, but KF shouldn't back off of him.
I'd urge you to consider the context of the defensive end situation entering the 2017 season.
- Parker Hesse: Effectively will be starting his 3rd year as a starter. The only guy on the DL who will execute more consistently on the DL will likely be Bazata ... but he'll be a senior DT. He will be a redshirt Junior who has executed within our defensive system for 3 full years - and will be entering his 4th year.
- Matt Nelson: Played a lot of reps throughout '15 season, but really came on toward the end of the '15 season. Will likely be tapped as the starting DE opposite Hesse in '16. The implication being that he will have seen a substantial number of starts and a lot of quality playing time between now and the '17 season. He will be a redshirt Junior who has executed within our defensive system for 3 full years - and will be entering his 4th year.
- Anthony Nelson: Currently a RS FR entering the '16 season. Is currently the top backup DE to BOTH Hesse and M. Nelson. The implication being that he should see A LOT or reps in 2016. He's been touted by many within the program as being a bit of a pass-rush specialist ... and he's supposedly pretty decent too. We'll see if the aforementioned claims are legit or just hyperbole as the season descends upon us. He will be a redshirt Sophomore in '17 who has executed within our defensive system for 2 full years - and will be entering his 3rd year.
- Michael Slater: Currently a RS FR entering the '16 season. He's a guy who likely has more of a build for a defensive tackle ... but who could potentially contribute at DE if called upon. Several folks within the program have spoken very highly of him. I don't know what to expect from him in '16, but he could potentially contribute. If he gains reps at DE in '16, he could lend depth at DE in '17. More likely, I see him competing for a starting DT spot in '17. He will be a redshirt Sophomore in '17 who has executed within our defensive system for 2 full years - and will be entering his 3rd year.
- Cedric Lattimore: Currently a TR FR entering the '16 season. Everything I stated about Slater effectively also applies to Lattimore. In high school, he participated in elite camps and dominated ... even against guys who were more highly sought-after recruits. Many folks feel like this young man will develop into a very special talent for the Hawks. While I see him competing for the starting DT spot in '17, he's the sort of explosive talent who could line up on the inside or outside and still be effective. He will be a true Sophomore in '17, who has executed within our defensive system for a full year and will be entering his 2nd year.
- AJ Epenesa: Will be a TR FR in '17. Is one of those rare athletes who likely will be able to step on campus and be a legit contributor from day one. Once he enters the program, he'll likely already be at least 265 lbs and not have any bad weight on him ... all the while sporting elite athleticism.
.... and, the aforementioned list isn't even accounting for the possibility of other guys developing and/or emerging at DE between now and then.
Given the combination of experience and high-level talent that the Hawks will have at DE entering '17, I don't think that others are being outlandish with their suppositions.
As I've stated before, if a starting Iowa DE develops to the point where he gets shifted to the interior ... which could perhaps happen with either current projected starter. Then that WILL open up opportunity at DE. Furthermore, if the starter shifts to the interior ... that leaves a little bit of an experience vacuum at DE. Colin Cole shifted from DE to DT in his career at Iowa. Jonathan Babineaux made the same move in his career. Christian Ballard moved back and forth between DE and DT through his career. If a DE demonstrates that sort of versatility - I wouldn't be shocked to see it happen in 2017 ... especially given that the Hawks will be losing both Jaleel Johnson and Faith Ekakitie after the '16 season to graduation.
I absolutely say that about High school videos. HL videos are just that, highlights.
I don't care if Iowa takes him and I believe they offered him so it's up to him to decide. I'm just saying I wouldn't expect a 230lb DE to come in and dominate the Iowa practice field. Eric Simmons had one of the best HL videos I have ever seen. I thought for sure Iowa had their next center. Guy barely saw the field despite dominating at a smaller college.
Randy Gregory was another one of those slight DEs. He was an elite edge rusher ... but he could get manhandled against the run. Given how Iowa executes its D, a DE has to be able to BOTH set the edge AND shrink the pocket.
All I am talking about is his potential as a specialist in 3rd and greater than 5 situations where the chances of a run are slim. If you have a guy that can get to the quarterback consistently and force quick throws, that helps out the defense tremendously. Once again, I am not advocating for him to start over Hesse or anyone unless he really is better overall. The team could definitely use a better pass rush on third downs, and if you can get that pass rush with one or two guys in a 3 or 4 man front the rest of the defense benefits. I'm talking about a "pass rusher" vs a "defensive end". You could even say they are different positions. People are getting too hung up on how many defensive ends we have on the roster vs thinking about how many of them are actually great pass rushers.
The future looks bright on paper at DE for Iowa but how many 4 star JUCO guys transferred from D1 to JUCO in the hopes of getting an Iowa offer? That was the rumor when he first made the move. Will AJ come in and dominate from day 1 or will he need a year to adjust? Will any of the five 2015 DE's pan out? I think Slater moves inside. AVG could choose Iowa and not play a down. He could choose Iowa and beat out Hesse or Nelson for a starting spot. No one knows at this point. There are no glaring needs left in the 2017 class. It wouldn't be a waste of a scholly to bring him aboard.
I dont disagree, the coaches offered him right? It seems like they are willing to take a shot at him.
I was interested to find out what positions the coaches think we need filled, so I checked out what scholarship offers they have out there currently. Not surprising really, just interesting.
QB (7) 1 commit, "Aquaman" ..... 6/7 have already verballed
Athlete (6) 1 commit , J. Coons ..... 5/6 have already verballed
Safety (11) 1 commit , Harrell ..... 6/11 have already verballed
Corner (15) 3 commits , Calloway, Hankins, Colbert ..... 8/15 have already verballed
Outside LB (8) 0 commits ..... 4/8 have already verballed
Inside LB (3) 0 commits ..... 2/3 have already verballed
D tackle (5) 0 commits ..... 1/5 have already verballed
D end (13) 3 commits , Epenesa, Kirkpatrick, Duwa ..... 6/13 have already verballed
O tackle (5) 2 commits, Wirfs, Kallenberger ..... 5/5 have already verballed
TE (3) 0 commits .... 3/3 have already verballed
WR (17) 2 commits, Smith, Holmes 7/17 have already verballed
RB (10) 2 commits, "Goat", Kelly-Martin ..... 4/10 have already verballed
I suppose you could deduce a few things from this.
17 WR, 26 DB, 18 D-line, shows they thought those were priority positions to fill.
Only 5 O-line offers for 2017 is very interesting.
If they think they need another TE, then they'll have to make a few more offers, 5/6 athletes and 3/3 TE's have already verballed somewhere.
Still almost half the defensive backs that they've offered are uncommitted.
Almost 3/4 of the WR they've offered are uncommitted
In my opinion, the only "must have" recruit left on the board in D.Daniels. I think next would be a LBer or 2, next would be Yeast (because he could excel offense or defense), next a yet unnamed/unknown TE/ATH, then the cherry on top would be Buckley (not happening), and or Martin.
QB (7) 1 commit, "Aquaman" ..... 6/7 have already verballed
Athlete (6) 1 commit , J. Coons ..... 5/6 have already verballed
Safety (11) 1 commit , Harrell ..... 6/11 have already verballed
Corner (15) 3 commits , Calloway, Hankins, Colbert ..... 8/15 have already verballed
Outside LB (8) 0 commits ..... 4/8 have already verballed
Inside LB (3) 0 commits ..... 2/3 have already verballed
D tackle (5) 0 commits ..... 1/5 have already verballed
D end (13) 3 commits , Epenesa, Kirkpatrick, Duwa ..... 6/13 have already verballed
O tackle (5) 2 commits, Wirfs, Kallenberger ..... 5/5 have already verballed
TE (3) 0 commits .... 3/3 have already verballed
WR (17) 2 commits, Smith, Holmes 7/17 have already verballed
RB (10) 2 commits, "Goat", Kelly-Martin ..... 4/10 have already verballed
I suppose you could deduce a few things from this.
17 WR, 26 DB, 18 D-line, shows they thought those were priority positions to fill.
Only 5 O-line offers for 2017 is very interesting.
If they think they need another TE, then they'll have to make a few more offers, 5/6 athletes and 3/3 TE's have already verballed somewhere.
Still almost half the defensive backs that they've offered are uncommitted.
Almost 3/4 of the WR they've offered are uncommitted
In my opinion, the only "must have" recruit left on the board in D.Daniels. I think next would be a LBer or 2, next would be Yeast (because he could excel offense or defense), next a yet unnamed/unknown TE/ATH, then the cherry on top would be Buckley (not happening), and or Martin.
- I wouldn't rule out Buckley yet. He is planning on taking his 5 officials. Get him on campus and anything can happen. They take 1 more WR for sure.
- Daniels has got to be priority #1 right now.
- I think they take 1 more DB and I think Boyce flips from Texas.
- They seem to be going all or nothing on the LBs. They have offers out to some very sought after recruits. I don't know how realistic landing Browning, Anthony, Hines, or Johnston are.
- The low amount of OL offers does surprise me a little. It seems they may be waiting on some senior film.
- Coons is projected at TE.
I had lunch with my USD alum friend the other day (former All-Conf. DB, regular donor, pretty well connected) and I asked for his thoughts about Van Ginkel. Highly motivated, very athletic, smart player. Needs to get bigger. Has the raw skills to develop into an NFL prospect. Very quick -that's what sets him apart.
I asked about the next college level. Said again that strength needs to improve. Also said that he would need time at his next school to improve techniques but will adapt quickly; again highly motivated. My friend thinks that AVG will probably take multiple visits and make a choice based on how he relates to the new coaches - that's the main thing. I told him I would like to see him play for the Hawkeyes. One thing seemed pretty clear: Van Ginkel would not at all intimidated by roster competition at any of the schools recruiting him; very self-confident, he believes he will play. He will choose a school based mainly on his relationship with the coaches.
That's always a positive thing to hear. Tells you a lot about the type of person he is as well: driven and willing to earn playing time as opposed to having it given to him.
anyone know potential linebackers this staff is in on? I thought that Lb would be a position of need this year but haven't heard much. I suppose they have had alot of success transforming TE, RBs, and DEs into LBs so maybe they think they have the position somewhat filled already
It isn't really a position of need because the three starters are 2 juniors and a sophomore and they have really young guys behind them and they signed several LBs last year.
If they could get a Johnston from Alabama they would take him, but they won't even get a visit.
I really like several incoming freshmen - Taylor has a nose for the ball and really packs a wallop. Niemann has LEO written all over him, Wade is another fast, hard hitting backer. Jones is a little short in stature but has a nose for the ball. That's 4 backers in last years class and Welch could also play backer.
I agree, not a huge need this year.
Part of it will also depend on how much the coaches need to move around the new LBs. Most of the new LBs are the sort of guys who could project at multiple positions. Both Welch and Niemann are the sort of guys who could project at LB, DE, or even TE. Wade is a guy who could probably play at either LB or RB. With that sort of position flexibility, the coaches can fill gaps on the roster as they see them appear.
Jones is a really explosive player - I liken him to being like a number of our past explosive but shorter LBs ... guys like Angerer and Hodge. I guess that is a similar mold to Mends too.
Taylor has a pretty thick frame - definitely looks more like a MLB to me. I'll be curious to see where he ends up landing. I wonder if he'll pass Garbutt and Hockaday at MLB. From his high-school tape, he seems really good at working his way through traffic ... he's a guy who I could really see developing into a Mike Daniels 2.0 ... if he doesn't stick at LB.
Wade obviously looks more the part of an ILB ... more like a Hockaday or a Hitchens. Of course, given what has been reported about his work ethic ... that speaks of great potential as a leader too. Thus, the leadership could direct him towards the MIKE spot ... otherwise I see him more at the WILL spot.
Both Nick Niemann and Welch are guys who I see more as LEO types. Niemann is bigger than his brother ... so I wonder if he'll end up growing more into a DE. As for Welch, he has pretty high end speed for a guy his size ... I'm wonder if he just has good straight-line speed ... or if he has really good lateral quickness too. Given all the coverage responsibilities of the LEO ... Welch's speed could be a nice asset. Welch reminds me of a Tyler Nielsen or Greenway type ... I'll be curious to see how his skill set translates to the field. Alternatively, we might potentially need him more at TE.
In addition to the FIVE true freshmen mentioned above, we still have Garbutt and Wilson as redshirt FR in '16. I've heard pretty nice things about Wilson coming from folks within the program - and Garbutt was a pretty highly recruited guy out of high school, so he definitely brings a valuable skill-set to the table too.
We have TWO sophomores who are in a close competition for the starting WILL spot ... in both Mends and Hockaday. I think both guys have a lot of great attributes ... and both will help make the Hawks a better team.
Lastly, we have THREE veteran juniors who have all seen a lot of quality game-time. Jewell is an obvious leader of the D ... and Ben Niemann is a guy who played one of the tougher positions on our D ... and he did it really well. Lastly, Bower is the sort of guy who is like the extra heartbeat of the unit ... both his skill and his unselfishness help push the D to get even better.
The above suggests that come fall-camp ... the Hawks should have 12 guys competing at LB if they need them ... and that number doesn't count the walk-ons who still have an even-chance to contribute. Thus, it probably is fair to say that, at least in the short term, LB will not necessarily be a huge need in the '17 class.
Oh wow I thought Josey Jewell was a sr this year.. that is a very welcome surprise that he will only be a jr
I agree. 6ft3 and 230 with 4.5/4.6 forty certainly fits the mold. I will be very interested to see how he develops. Welch certainly flew under the major college recruiting radar. If he competes for a starting position by the next year or two, the Greenway comparison will be in full bloom.
