The Hott Read 8/8/2013

The 2013 Iowa Hawkeyes

Coaching Staff

The past two years have brought about major turnover on the Hawkeye’s staff.  Last year Greg Davis replaced Ken O’Keefe as offensive coordinator, Brian Ferentz took over the offensive line, Phil Parker was elevated to defensive coordinator and Levar Woods took over the linebackers.  Brian Ferentz’s addition moved Reese Morgan over to coach the defensive line and Woods addition moved Derrell Wilson to the secondary.  This year Kirk Ferentz has made some more moves and I think they will pay dividends.  Former wide receiver’s coach Eric Campbell didn’t mesh well with Greg Davis’ vision and he has been replaced by Bobby Kennedy, a coach far more familiar to Davis from their time together at Texas.  I got to see Kennedy coaching first hand at the spring game back in April and even though I was sitting about 30 rows behind the team I could hear Kennedy just fine.  He brings some fire and attitude to the field and I think that’s a good thing considering the wide receivers left a lot to be desired last year.  Also on the offensive side of the ball Lester Erb has moved on and Chris White was brought in from the Minnesota Vikings staff to coach running backs and special teams.  The Hawkeye’s special teams haven’t exactly been dynamic the past few years so a new voice and a new perspective is a welcome addition.  As for the running back position I don’t think Erb was the problem and I don’t think he had anything to do with “the curse” at the position but I don’t think change will hurt here either.  White is also proving to be a very good recruiter right out of the gate.  The third full-time addition to the staff is Jim Reid who brings 30 years of coaching experience to the defensive side and while he isn’t replacing Phil Parker as defensive coordinator his addition is likely what is allowing Parker to also coach the secondary.  Parker proved for years that he is an exceptional defensive backs coach and his return to that particular part of the defense should make a noticeable difference.  DJ Hernandez came in as a graduate assistant from Miami and he will be coaching the tight end position.  If the name Hernandez and the words tight end make you think of a certain prisoner in New England you’re right, DJ Hernandez is the older brother of the most famous murder suspect in America today.  DJ is by all accounts nothing like his brother and is a well-respected young coach in the business.

After having little to no turnover in his first 13 years at Iowa Kirk Ferentz has turned over virtually the entire staff in the past two years.  Phil Parker and Eric Johnson are the only two coaches left from Ferentz’s first staff and their responsibilities have changed over the years.  Reese Morgan has been at Iowa 14 years and spent many of those coaching the offensive line before moving over to the defensive line last year.  Levar Woods joined the program after his NFL career ended six years ago but he was in an administrative role until last year.  Everyone else on staff is a new addition with in the last two seasons.  The man at the top is still calling the shots but hopefully the new blood will bring fresh ideas and help Coach Ferentz right the ship after a few disappointing seasons and last year’s disaster.

Offense

Quarterback

The Hawkeyes head into fall camp with a three way competition for the starting QB job.  Kirk Ferentz heads in hoping that someone will distinguish themselves enough that he doesn’t have to go in search of a three sided coin.  Spring practice led to a certain pecking order of Jake Rudock, Cody Sokol and CJ Beathard but it certainly didn’t settle anything and none of the three has ever taken a snap in an FBS game.

The Contenders:

Jake Rudock: The third year sophomore has the most practice time as a Hawkeye but that doesn’t exactly mean much considering he has exactly the same amount of time in Greg Davis’ offense as his competition.  The scouting report on Rudock would be something along the lines of accurate on short routes but doesn’t have a big arm.  Given that most of the criticism of Davis’ pass offense last year was that everything was a short route and the team rarely went deep it would seem to work fine for Rudock.  However, Davis seems to like QB’s with mobility and while Rudock isn’t a statue he doesn’t move as well as Sokol.

Cody Sokol:  The JUCO transfer who redshirted last season is the only QB on the roster to take snaps in any kind of college game but that was two years ago in junior college.  Sokol is the more mobile QB in this competition and that is certainly helpful in Davis’ offense but he is known for something else also.  Sokol is a little bit of a “gunslinger” type of QB who thinks he can make every throw and he gambles a bit, this will not endear him to Coach Ferentz.  Ferentz has proven through the years that he prefers QB’s that take care of the ball and he hates turnovers.  If Sokol can prove that he can make good decisions, take care of the ball and still be the playmaker then he may win over Ferentz.

CJ Beathard:  This redshirt freshman is definitely the pure pocket passer of the group and while that may mean he doesn’t fit Davis’ vision his talent may prove to be too much.  What I’ve seen of Beathard coupled with what I’ve heard about him tells me that he may be the best overall passer of the group and he has the arm and the talent to be very good.  If he shows that he knows the offense, can make all of the reads and can make all of the throws he could come out on top of this competition.  Given that Rudock and Sokol don’t have a playing time advantage over Beathard he may offer the most upside and I don’t think he’s going to just go away.  He may be running third at the moment but he isn’t that far behind the competition.

The Future:  Nic Shimonek

The true freshman has loads of talent and he is the first hand-picked Davis QB recruit so he obviously fits the mold.  The problem for Shimonek is that he is listed at 6-4 196 pounds which means he needs some time to grow before he takes on the Big Ten.  He did show some confidence over the summer when he said through social media that the QB’s on campus better watch out, I think it was meant as a little bit of a joke but if I were the three guys ahead of him I wouldn’t count him out.

How I see it playing out: 

I don’t think Iowa will play just one QB like they mistakenly did last year.  I do think Rudock will come out of camp as the starter but only because I think Ferentz trusts him the most.  This team is going to be built on the offensive line, the running game and the defense.  Even with all of the changes to the coaching staff this is still Kirk Ferentz’s team and that formula has worked for him before.  The difference between this year and last year will be can the passing game make enough plays to help this team and I think Rudock will.  I think Sokol will play and they will have a package of plays for him to run but this team will rely on a stable of running backs, a deep pool of tight ends and hopefully some big plays out of the wide receivers.

Worst case scenario:

The three guys competing are all terrible and Ferentz refuses to go to the true freshman so Iowa wastes a good offensive line and running game and goes 4-8 again (or worse).

The “I must be dreaming” scenario:

CJ Beathard wins the QB competition out of fall camp and becomes the second straight redshirt freshman to the win the Heisman.  He goes on to not be a complete moron like Johnny Football.  (The only downside to this is that Gary Barta would probably give Ferentz a contract extension until 2050 with a $100 million buyout)

Offensive Line

If there is one thing you can count on from a Kirk Ferentz coached team is that the offensive line will be good.  Iowa has become an offensive lineman producing machine.  Two spots are on lockdown barring injury; a healthy Brandon Scherff at left tackle and senior Brett Van Sloten at right tackle.  New center Austin Blythe would have to fall on his face in camp to lose the center job as they have been grooming him for the position since he came to campus but that doesn’t mean there isn’t competition.  The two guard spots are still up for grabs with a number of players vying for playing time.

Two-deeps by position

Left Tackle: 

Starter: Brandon Scherff

Next in a line of left tackles at Iowa that will be heading to the NFL.  He is only a junior eligibility wise so he could stay another year and that may be wise given the likely depth at the position in next year’s draft but whether it’s the 2014 or 2015 draft, as long as he stays healthy, Scherff will be playing on Sundays.

Back-up: Andrew Donnal

Donnal is also a junior and if Scherff leaves early for the NFL he will get his shot to be one of the starting tackles in 2014.  This year he is also competing to start at guard as the competition there is wide open and he got some experience there last year before getting hurt.  Ferentz has always said the best five will play and Iowa has a history of playing future tackles inside at guard to get them experience.

Left Guard:

Starter: Conor Boffeli

Boffeli is a senior that has been a back-up all over the interior of the line throughout his career.  So far he is fighting off the challenge of Donnal and Eric Simmons and while he doesn’t have a lot of game experience he has four years of practice under his belt.  It won’t be a surprise if Boffeli is the starter against Northern Illinois but it will not be a surprise if Donnal beats him out either.

Back-up: Eric Simmons

Simmons is a former JUCO transfer from Iowa Western Community College and he redshirted last year.  He has the versatility to play guard on either side or center if necessary so he’s a nice luxury to have around.  I doubt he gets to start this year given the competition in front of him but he should see playing time.

Center:

Starter:  Austin Blythe

Blythe is a third year sophomore and during his redshirt freshman year the coaches had him practice at center and guard.  Last year Blythe started at guard and got an up close education from veteran center James Ferentz.  This year the job is his to lose and I don’t expect him to lose it.  Blythe brings size (the one thing James Ferentz lacked) and hopefully technique that he learned from all of the Ferentzs (Brian is his position coach).

Back-up: Eric Simmons

Simmons is listed as the back-up at two spots which should tell you about his versatility and he certainly could step in if Blythe stumbles.  Boffeli has also practiced at center before and provides a nice security blanket if injuries take a toll.

Right Guard:

Starter: Jordan Walsh

Walsh is the other celebrated offensive line recruit from the 2011 class (Austin Blythe being the first).  So far Walsh has taken ahold of the right guard position but the truth is that the two best players between Walsh, Simmons, Boffeli and Donnal are going to start at the two guard spots.  There is no denying Walsh’s talent level he just needs to bring the consistency and he can be very good.

Back-up: Mitch Keppy

It is a testament to the young redshirt freshman that he is listed in the two deeps given that there are some very talented and experienced players ahead of him.  Keppy is unlikely to see much playing time given that there are four other guys that can play his spot but obviously the coaches see something in him and he has a bright future.

Right Tackle:

Starter: Brett Van Sloten

Van Sloten is a bit of the unsung beast of the offensive line.  The senior doesn’t get the notice that Scherff does but he was plenty good last year.  He will get the attention of NFL scouts for sure because he is big, powerful and well trained.  Van Sloten doesn’t wow you but he plays right tackle very well and the team will do just fine running behind him.

Back-up: Ryan Ward

The redshirt freshman will only be kept off of the field because there are two extremely talented tackles ahead of him.  Andrew Donnal is listed as the back-up at left tackle but if something happens to Scherff I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ward get a crack at left tackle.  Ward is being groomed and next year he will be the starting right tackle unless Scherff goes pro and then Ward will likely compete with Donnal, the winner becomes the left tackle and loser becomes the right tackle.  Ward may not like sitting on the bench but he just has to wait his turn.

Running Back

The position that has been cursed for far too long may finally have the depth it needs to overcome injuries and departures.  The Hawkeyes stumbled into likely starter Mark Weisman last year when injuries and illness took out all the running backs and they were forced to use their fullback in the running game.  Weisman enters camp as the likely starter but he will share carries with at least two other backs that bring different skill sets to the position.  There are five legitimate players that could play running back and that does not include three true freshmen.

Mark Weisman:  The former transfer walk-on from the Air Force Academy was an emergency fill-in last season and his bull in a china shop style was the best part of the offense once he took over.  There is no secret to what Weisman does, he is a straight ahead, hit the hole and go runner.  He goes north/south and runs over anything in his way. Weisman has enough speed to make teams pay if they don’t get to him early but his power is his best asset and defensive backs do not want to take him on if he gets into the secondary.  This season Iowa has the backs to be a thunder and lightning type of backfield and Weisman is the thunder.

Damon Bullock:  Last year’s opening day starter had a great game against Northern Illinois in Chicago and was playing pretty well until he got injured.  Weisman has played well enough to take over the starting job but Bullock’s versatility is also a factor.  It may sound strange but Bullock may be too good of an offensive weapon to simply use him as a running back.  During his freshman season Bullock played receiver and he could excel as a slot receiver in this offense.  Given the play of Iowa’s receiving corps using Bullock’s skills seems like a good idea.  Bullock is a playmaker and his skills can be used to create match-up problems for defenses.  He is Iowa’s multipurpose offensive playmaker so he is only listed as a running back because multipurpose offensive weapon is not an official position on the roster.

Jordan Canzeri:  Speaking of offensive weapons Canzeri is the lightning to Weisman’s thunder in the backfield.  Canzeri is coming off a redshirt season that he took to recover from an ACL tear.  By all accounts Canzeri made a miraculous recovery and could have played last season by about midyear.  The team was not doing well and the coaches decided that burning a year of eligibility on half of a season was not worth it so Canzeri continued to sit and was able to get bigger and stronger for this season.  He came to Iowa as a pretty small back and has added a lot of good weight over the past few years.  He started in the bowl game two years ago as a freshman when Marcus Coker was suspended and he played pretty well for a kid who was about 170 pounds soaking wet.  He’s up into the 190 pound range now and he looked very good in spring practice.  He’s the smaller shiftier back and should be a nice complement to Weisman’s power game.

Barkley Hill:  A year ago at the beginning of camp it was the true freshman Hill that was making people stand up and take notice not the now departed 4-star recruit Greg Garmon.  Then the curse struck and Hill was lost to an ACL tear during last year’s open fall practice.  Hill is recovered now and while the plan may not include him seeing many carries right now he better be ready because this wouldn’t be the first time Iowa needed to go four deep at running back.

Michael Malloy:  Last year Damon Bullock had a concussion, Jordan Canzeri was rehabbing a torn ACL and Greg Garmon got hurt during the UNI game.  Up to that point then walk-on Malloy was next on the depth chart but he wasn’t dressed for the UNI game due to illness.  With those four backs unavailable the Hawkeyes turned to Mark Weisman who proceeded to run over the Panthers.  Malloy is now on scholarship but it’s going to take a lot of injuries for him to see significant time in the backfield.

The Freshmen: LeShun Daniels, Jonathan Parker and Akrum Wadley

Since it isn’t unheard of for the Hawkeyes to need more than five tailbacks in a season, I’m not kidding and I wish I was, there are three true freshmen on the roster to add even more depth.  LeShun Daniels is the new power back and 6 feet 215 pounds he is the most physically ready of the three.  Jonathan Parker and Akrum Wadley are smaller quicker backs in the 170 pound range.  These two are not the pound it between the tackles type of running backs at this stage and hopefully if they play this year it will be on special teams.

Fullback

There are only two fullbacks listed on the roster, starter Adam Cox and back-up Macon Plewa.  Kirk Ferentz has talked about how he plans to play five different tight ends this year and I’m sure in some formations Mark Weisman will line up in the fullback spot with either Canzeri or Bullock behind him.  At this point Cox is a starter in name only and I don’t expect the Hawkeyes to employ a true fullback that much.  Plewa moved over to fullback during spring practice after being a linebacker.

Wide Receiver

Junior Kevonte Martin-Manley and sophomore Tevaun Smith are listed as the starters to begin camp, seniors Jordan Cotton and Don Shumpert are listed as the back-ups along with sophomore Jacob Hillyer.  Calling this group underwhelming would be an understatement which is why the Hawkeyes went out and got a JUCO WR named Damond Powell along with five new freshmen.

Starters: Kevonte Martin-Manley and Tevaun Smith

Martin-Manley is by far the most experienced WR on the team and while he can play on the outside he does his best work in the slot.  Tevaun Smith is a more traditional outside WR at 6-2 and he did get some experience last season as a true freshman so he just needs to build on that playing time.  Smith needs to work over the top of the defense and stretch the field so Martin-Manley and Damon Bullock can work underneath but he will need help.

Back-ups: Jordan Cotton, Don Shumpert and Jacob Hillyer

Jordan Cotton showed flashes last year of becoming a solid WR but he was never able to put it all together.  Hopefully in his senior season he can break out like others senior receivers have in the past (Ramon Ochoa anyone?).  I am less than enthusiastic about seeing Don Shumpert listed in the two-deeps at WR.  After spending four years hearing about and then watching Shumpert play he is still the really fast guy who can’t catch.  If new WR coach Bobby Kennedy can cure Shumpert’s bad hands he will have more than earned his salary but I’m not optimistic.  Jacob Hillyer brings a different look at receiver as he is a bigger body without the speed of the other players, that doesn’t seem to be the direction Davis and Kennedy are going with the position.  Hillyer is going to have to prove that his skill set is valuable enough to use on the outside if he expects to see playing time.

New Blood: Damond Powell, Derrick Willies, Derrick Mitchell, AJ Jones, Andre Harris and Matt VandeBerg

Last season the Hawkeyes brought in four new WR recruits and now only one of them is left on the WR depth chart.  Cameron Wilson has left the team, Reese Fleming moved over to CB last season and Greg Mabin made the move to DB in the spring.  The staff was obviously not enthused by what they have at WR so they spent a big part of the recruiting class restocking the position.  Kirk Ferentz has always been selective when it comes to JUCO transfers and he prefers when they can enroll in January and participate in spring practice.  He made an exception for Damond Powell and not only did Powell not come in at semester he didn’t get to campus until a few days before fall camp because he was finishing his summer classes.  This should tell you something about Powell’s abilities and the team’s need for him.  Powell is the type of playmaker the Hawkeyes don’t have at WR, he is the kind of player that is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.  Powell should bring the big play dimension that Jordan Cotton might have but hasn’t shown consistently and that Shumpert’s hands prevent him from bringing.  Of the five true freshmen Willies is probably the most physically ready to play.  I love Mitchell’s athleticism but he doesn’t have a lot experience at WR because he played QB in high school.  Jones, Harris and VandeBerg all need time to adjust and physically mature but the truth is that any one of these players could turn the coaches’ heads and this depth chart is written in pencil.

The “Legend”:  Riley McCarron

McCarron is a 5-9 182 pound redshirt freshman walk-on that was apparently so incredible in spring practice that he is the second coming of Wes Welker or so the internet would have you believe.  McCarron missed the open practice in the spring that I attended so I didn’t get to see him myself.  I would love for this story to play out this way but I am skeptical.  McCarron wouldn’t be the first “internet legend” to not pan out for the Hawkeyes and by all accounts McCarron does his best work in the slot.  The problem is that so does Kevonte Martin-Manley and Jordan Cotton can play there too.  Damon Bullock may see some time in the slot also so playing time there could be hard to find.  I’m not saying McCarron can’t earn playing time there considering there is very little proven talent at the WR position but the expectations need to be realistic for an undersized redshirt freshman.  Hopefully three or four years from now we are talking about Iowa’s own version of Wes Welker but let’s be patient.

Tight End

Kirk Ferentz has said in an interview on ESPN that he plans to play five tight ends this season.  I don’t believe he meant all at the same time but given the talent at WR versus the talent at TE it might not be the worst idea.  CJ Fiedorowicz should be the break out star of the Hawkeye offense if he can get some consistent QB play but that doesn’t mean he’s the only star.  Ray Hamilton, Jake Duzey, Henry Krieger-Coble and George Kittle should all get some playing time this season.

CJ Fiedorowicz:  An absolute athletic freak at 6-7 265 pounds and a match-up nightmare Fiedorowicz hasn’t dominated the way Hawkeye fans have expected.  Last year’s QB play played a big part in Fiedorowicz not living up to the hype and I expect that more consistent QB this year will help him achieve his enormous potential.  Fiedorowicz is far too big to be covered by your average safety and he is too athletic to be covered by a linebacker and the Hawkeyes have to figure out a way to exploit that advantage.

Ray Hamilton:  Hamilton is a pretty good athlete himself and he’s solid at both catching passes and blocking.  He seems to do more blocking than Fiedorowicz or Jake Duzey but that is because he’s good at it and the other two are more dynamic receivers.  He’s going to be a very good TE when he leaves this place.

Jake Duzey:  Duzey is the overgrown WR type of TE.  He’s not a great blocker but he has time to work on that skill.  He can be a very good receiver and if Ferentz wants to try that five TE package Duzey can split out wide and he’ll feel right at home.

Henry Krieger-Coble:  “The Blocking TE”.  We don’t really know if Krieger-Coble can be a good receiver simply because he’s never been asked to be one.  I have a sneaky suspicion that he’ll be fine catching the ball but as long as the first three guys are around he’ll earn his playing time being “the blocking TE” and there’s nothing wrong with that.

George Kittle:  A redshirt freshman that still needs to grow a bit but he can catch the ball and he still has time on his side.  Ferentz may want to use all five TE’s this season but realistically the fifth guy is going to find playing time hard to come by, right now Kittle should concentrate on getting bigger and stronger and finding a way to contribute on special teams.

The Freshmen:  Ike Boettger and Jon Wisnieski

I’m fairly certain a seven TE set wouldn’t be legal so these two are just going to have to wait their turn.  There has been some suggestion that Boettger could be moved to defensive end given the depth at TE but we will see on that.

Kicker: Mike Meyer

Meyer is a senior, he’s pretty good and his back-up is Marshall Koehn.  It’s the kickers what do you want from me.

Final Analysis:

Iowa’s offense and likely the team are going to go only as far as their QB takes them, whoever it is.  Whether it’s Rudock, Sokol, Beathard or Shimonek I expect the Hawkeye’s to be improved over last year’s debacle under center.  That really isn’t setting the bar very high considering Iowa had seven passing touchdowns all last season and just to give you some perspective Geno Smith threw eight touchdowns last year…against Baylor.  Better play out of the WR position will certainly help whoever is playing QB but it is also up to the coaching staff to better utilize the playmakers they know they have like Fiedorowicz and Bullock.  I’m almost always optimistic about the Hawkeyes at this time of year and this year my optimism is based on the assumption that the Hawkeyes passing offense just simply can’t be as bad this year as it was last year.  The offensive line and running game should be good and versatile so if the passing game can just be adequate the Hawkeyes will be much improved.  If I’m wrong we are all in for long 2013 season.