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The Cavalry is Not On Its Way: ZERO WR Recruits Coming In Next Year?

IowasLaw

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Nov 19, 2019
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IIowa lacks both skill and depth at the WR position. Period. Hell, Iowa is the only power 5 team that has freshmen walk-ons routinely taking snaps at WR (and tripping over their own feet when targeted). In many weeks, Iowa travels with just 2 or 3 scholarship WRs. So at the very least, you would think the staff would aggressively look to correct the situation. To start, they would be loading up the recruiting class with WRs who can come in next year and immediately have an impact (esp with Ragaini graduating after this year), right? WRONG.

Although the Hawks already have a big class of 16 commits for next year, ZERO scholarships have been allocated to WRs who can help plug a major hole. It's like Ferentz is living in the twilight zone. There is one small town Iowa recruit listed as an "athlete" that could transition to WR, Alex Mota. Of course, he's never played WR and is an undersized (170 lb) running back/LB for a team that just got destroyed by powerhouse Waverly Shell Rock 42-7. Not exactly the type of star recruit who is going to come in and immediately improve the WR position at a Big 10 school.

So what exactly is the staff doing to improve the situation? No doubt, top WR prospects aren't jumping at the chance to play for offensive guru Brian Ferentz and see 2 targets per game. But surely the Hawks can sell instant playing time and zero competition at the position to Chicago/Kansas City/Florida area kids.

A quick look at what some of Iowa's peers are doing in recruiting shows that the staff has been caught flat footed. Minnesota, for example, has 4 WRs and an athlete committed to next year's class...they hail from South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Chicago, and Michigan. You know, the places skill position players generally come from. Not small town Iowa. Wisconsin has WRs coming in from Las Vegas and Cleveland. We won't even bring up with the schools in the Big 10 east have coming in, as it's depressing.

So what exactly is Kelton Copeland being paid for this year? To coach up Alex Wick, who came to Iowa on his own dime? To teach WRs how to block? He's certainly not tearing things up on the recruiting trail.
 
I think Vowell is Iowa's to lose, but I get the impression something is delaying the commitment.

Academics?
 
If you make a list of the top WRs in the Ferentz era, I would guess more than half were high school QBs. Might be waiting on senior season tape on some athletic QBs who don't project to college QBs.

Hinkle
Solomon
DJK
McNutt
 
Year after year after year after year we have the most unatheletic and pedestrian WR's in the ENTIRE country...all divisions included. It is a joke...even if we had a great QB, we still wouldn't be the least bit dangerous. Tall, black, muscular, fast and flashy WR's scare Ferments...Dominique Douglas and DJK scarred him for life...its fact.
 
Year after year after year after year we have the most unatheletic and pedestrian WR's in the ENTIRE country...all divisions included. It is a joke...even if we had a great QB, we still wouldn't be the least bit dangerous. Tall, black, muscular, fast and flashy WR's scare Ferments...Dominique Douglas and DJK scarred him for life...its fact.
Welp.

This Thread,

Good night sweet prince.
 
Mota is clearly mentioned in the OP.
Not in his thread title which is purposely misleading by saying Iowa has ZERO WR recruits. I like many others fan concerned with lack of play makers in next years class. However we do have 1 recruit in Mota who has clearly stated he is playing WR not DB next year after he committed. It's not an if, he is and it's been well known among Iowa fans. OP tries to diminish him as "small town" Iowa guy but again ignores he's a high 3* according to rivals at 5.7. Which if anything Iowa fans should be happy that with the 1 WR recruit we have is actually a pretty quality get no matter where he's from.
 
Kirk wants to run the 4 TE Turtle O. Innovation?
I seriously would be OK with this. Maybe not 4, but an extra OL, 3 TE sets. We just don’t do WR’s well. It’s not in our DNA. There are more mismatches to be created with multiple TE’s than when we try 3-4 receiver sets.

I’m not real high on our TE development lately, but it’s still better than WR. There are more Hockenson/Reisner/Myers type athletes in the Midwest that we can successfully recruit than there are WR’s. Of course, multiple TE sets and utilizing them requires some creativity that I don’t think is possessed by this staff. You know what, never mind. I want a new system.
 
I know we just offered a kid a week ago.

White dude with MAC offers.

LFG!
Overlooked white guys might be the only guys we can commit at this point. I'd be ok with some Cooper Kupp and Charlie Jones clones. The problem is, even if we find them we're Purdue's farm system now. So if they show potential here they'll just portal out.
 
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Does Vines travel or maybe get some snaps this week? I know he returned to practice this week, should be well in shape given the wrist injury.
Allegedly looking at a post bye week return.

I know he isn’t a proven commodity like Johnson, but it sounds like they were pretty excited about him before the injury.
 
This is correct. He may end up being very good, but it's worth noting however that he was an athlete and not a wide receiver. He played QB and safety in high school. He will be a project at wide receiver.
He has 131 yards receiving on the season so he ha at least done some WR work.
 
It’s kinda like the elephant in the room type of thing although NOT SO FAST! Copeland has recruited Smith, IMS, Bruce, and Johnson all much better WR recruits. I do feel though that Copeland could lose his job to save Brian’s which is a sad and depressing thought.
 
That plays QB in HS or am I wrong?
He was. But this year he is not anymore. I know from a friend who does 7 on 7 coaching saying he's pretty talented kid at WR. I know 7 on 7 different from pads but point is he's not coming into Iowa with no experience at WR. Said would be just as good if not better DB but has his heart on playing WR and selling point with Iowa is they are good with him as WR.
 
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I know we just offered a kid a week ago.

White dude with MAC offers.

LFG!
Funny thing is Dochterman had a great piece on athletic month ago talking about WR issues. Be it on the field, recruiting, retention etc. One thing he mentioned is maybe Iowa needs to take more fliers on guys with MAC offers late in adding an extra WR or 2 to a class. It's worked out with some of our other positions well over the years like DBs and TEs. Better then relying on walk-ons something Dochterman noted in his piece that Iowa has been over reliant on at the WR position.
 
The success Charlie Jones is having will make it very difficult for any WR recruit who has a great resume, to be interested in Iowa. If you were a high school WR that is a high 3 star or 4 star would you come here? I'm afraid there will be more attrition before the problem is addressed. Time to go hard in the portal because otherwise the passing game will never stop being a national laughingstock which I am tired of hearing about on a weekly basis.
 
Year after year after year after year we have the most unatheletic and pedestrian WR's in the ENTIRE country...all divisions included. It is a joke...even if we had a great QB, we still wouldn't be the least bit dangerous. Tall, black, muscular, fast and flashy WR's scare Ferments...Dominique Douglas and DJK scarred him for life...its fact.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith say "hello".
 
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