True Freshmen That Might Be Ready To Contribute In 2018

[Hawkeyeinsoutherncalifornia]

I know we’re deep on the D-Line however I would love to see Waggoner get some reps a few games this year with the new rule.. he’s probably the most physically ready defensive line player in the class other than T Linderbaum and we could use the increase of sacks this year with pressure coming from the ends and from what I have heard this kid is the real deal and a freak in the weight room, I know that doesn’t translate into a great football player (aka.. Aaron Mends is a monster in the weight room) but it would be nice to see the future with Eppy on one side and Wags on the other sandwiching a RB or QB ..

As we all know A Nelson is a damn stud and is going to be a force to reckon with as he has been but to see some new blood and some experiments with Eppy and Waggoner would just be fun to watch.. let’s hope for some blow outs this year (ouch) they may be hard to come by but if we do we will most likely see some defensive and offensive freshmen stepping in .. CAN’T WAIT FOR KICKOFF TIME!

 

[Hawk_4shur]

The new rule is a real game changer for schools like Iowa. It's an opportunity for guys to get on the field and contribute, but not burn a year. A pure redshirt is fine for personal physical development, or learning the playbook, but there is tremendous value IMO for a player to get some time on the field - feel the game speed, play in front of 60,000 fans - feel like a real teammate instead of just a guy watching.

BTW, did they do the same thing for basketball?

 

[Wasnt-drunk-didnt-troll]

Dallas C and Jayden McD would in no way surprise me. I could totally see C. Lockett getting the 4 games in as well just to get him some tape. T.Tracybwill play in every game this year imo.

 

[ichawk24]

As Kirk says, the further away from the ball they are, the more likely they are to play as freshman. drunktroll has a good list.

 

[funnyfletcher]

The new rule is a real game changer for schools like Iowa. It's an opportunity for guys to get on the field and contribute, but not burn a year. A pure redshirt is fine for personal physical development, or learning the playbook, but there is tremendous value IMO for a player to get some time on the field - feel the game speed, play in front of 60,000 fans - feel like a real teammate instead of just a guy watching.

BTW, did they do the same thing for basketball?

If they had this rule in place a few years ago, Nate Stanley would only be a sophomore this year.

 

[DutchyFunStar]

It will be super interesting to see how teams approach this new rule. I could see a special teams rotation where one guy gets a couple games, another guy gets the next two. I almost want to call this the Ott rule, where if a guy hasn't redshirted and gets hurt at the beginning of a season, they don't have to lose that season.

 

[C/Seahawk]

It will be super interesting to see how teams approach this new rule. I could see a special teams rotation where one guy gets a couple games, another guy gets the next two. I almost want to call this the Ott rule, where if a guy hasn't redshirted and gets hurt at the beginning of a season, they don't have to lose that season.

This rule will also really benefit teams that put opponents away early. Comfortable leads in the 4th quarter will allow teams to clear the bench and get guys one of the four games they're allowed to participate in. Not exactly something Iowa is known to do with regularity, but wonder if this will impact how aggressive Iowa is with a lead entering the 2nd half? I have to imagine it will impact how coaches call games this year and beyond.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

McDonald, Brents, and Craddieth in the back 7.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

I know we’re deep on the D-Line however I would love to see Waggoner get some reps a few games this year with the new rule.. he’s probably the most physically ready defensive line player in the class other than T Linderbaum and we could use the increase of sacks this year with pressure coming from the ends and from what I have heard this kid is the real deal and a freak in the weight room, I know that doesn’t translate into a great football player (aka.. Aaron Mends is a monster in the weight room) but it would be nice to see the future with Eppy on one side and Wags on the other sandwiching a RB or QB ..

As we all know A Nelson is a damn stud and is going to be a force to reckon with as he has been but to see some new blood and some experiments with Eppy and Waggoner would just be fun to watch.. let’s hope for some blow outs this year (ouch) they may be hard to come by but if we do we will most likely see some defensive and offensive freshmen stepping in .. CAN’T WAIT FOR KICKOFF TIME!

I know that it has been reported that Waggoner has pretty impressive strength for a young player at DE ... however, I simply don't see that many DE reps available. As Ferentz has mentioned ... if by later in the season he demonstrates he's ready and the Hawks have created enough of a margin of victory to permit it ... then possibly I could see Waggoner being rewarded with reps.

However, otherwise, I'd see the following guys as top candidates for being contributors as true freshmen:

On O:
Tracy (WR)
Evans (special teams ... especially if he drifts back to WR)

On D:
Doyle (LB)
McDonald (LB)
Craddieth (S)
Moss/Merriweather (S)
Johnson (CB)
Brents/Roberts (CB)

 

[DutchyFunStar]

It can be a recruiting tool as well if you can tell a kid you return a lot of guys at his position but he will see the field in these 4 games and the other recruit at your position gets time in these 4 games.

Or when do you pump the brakes if a kid has hit his 4 games with only the bowl game left or a couple games left? Does post season count against the 4? I'm thinking of a guy like Max Cooper who saw action at the end of last season. Or will it be the same old, if you are good enough to help the team we are not going to put a pitch count on you.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

It can be a recruiting tool as well if you can tell a kid you return a lot of guys at his position but he will see the field in these 4 games and the other recruit at your position gets time in these 4 games.

Or when do you pump the brakes if a kid has hit his 4 games with only the bowl game left or a couple games left? Does post season count against the 4? I'm thinking of a guy like Max Cooper who saw action at the end of last season. Or will it be the same old, if you are good enough to help the team we are not going to put a pitch count on you.

There are only 4 games the guy can participate in ... and that includes the post-season. My impression is that Ferentz intends to be pragmatic about how to use the policy. The first thing is that the guy will have to prove that he can execute before he even can smell the field ... that will be first and foremost. Some guys might impress the coaches in camp ... but their best shot might only be in games that are blow-outs. Thus, in the earliest possible opportunity ... the coaches might try to give the guys some reps.

Alternatively, in a game where the coaches like the match-ups they have in a game - they might potentially give such young players reps earlier in the game ... long before the outcome of the game is known. Thus, the kid gets quality reps ... but they're also reps that aren't necessarily hindering our chances to pull out a W.

On the flip side - suppose some guys really show a lot of improvement as the season progresses - then that might put them in store to "earn" reps as a kind of reward. Again, the opportunity needs to be right AND the guy needs to demonstrate that he "deserves" the shot ... but he might get it!

Lastly, there are a laundry list of occasions ... like Drew Ott in 2012 or Ben Niemann in 2014 ... were our depth and/or competition at a particular position is sketchy at best. In such a case, a talented and hungry young player might prove capable of supplying us with quality reps and supplement our depth at the position. If the guys are contributing sufficiently late in the season ... I could imagine that the coaches "pump the brakes" concerning how they give the guys reps ... because the person still might prove to be a valuable contributor ... but still not lose a year of eligibility.

 

[HawkinK.C.1]

What are people hearing about Dillon Doyle? Is he really ready to contribute at this point? What's the word from people that have actually seen him in practice?