WDMHAWKEYE
Well-Known Member
Anyone else wish we would try to find a juco DT for next year?
DT for next year
- Thread starter WDMHAWKEYE
- Start date
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
I do, but ferentz really seems not to want juco's. It's a very rare occasion when we do take one. We lose both JJ and FE and we are going to be dangerously young, inexperienced and thin at DT. Only Nathan Bazzata will have any experience.
It may be the only way he sees the field. Between the Full Nelson and Epenesa, there's no way he SHOULD see the field as a DE.
Guessing it's Bazata and Lattimore though - although I think Wisconsin has showed we should be moving to a 3-4 scheme.
You need a beast like Vince Wilfork at NT to run a really good 3-4 against the run. The hawks were averaging about 5 yards a carry against Wisky two weeks ago, maybe it was their backup NT but that proves the point even more if you dont have a block of granite there with great feet and hands.
jaleel could have been a NT
LSU and Ohio State couldn't score against Wisconsin. 3-4 creates some confusion, and you can essentially put 4 or 5 guys on the line. As it is, we run a 4-3 and don't do anything but bull rush.
HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
You need depth and versatility at the LB position to run 3-4, along with excellent Nose and Tackle play. we don't have the horses at LB.
ClintonIAfan
Well-Known Member
Iowa has a very strong group returning in the front 7. All of the linebackers are returning. All the defensive ends return plus A.J. joins that group. 1st team Nathan Bazata and 2nd team Cedrick Lattimore return at tackle. They will be very deep at defensive end, so someone could move over and there a number of good options including; Parker Hesse, Sam Brinks, Michael Slater and Austin Schulte. I thought I also heard that Jake Newborg was switching to the DL. He would add a lot of strength inside if that is true. This will be a very good defensive line.
Last edited:
You're right, we don't right now. We recruit to a similar level of Wisconsin though so it's not as though we can't make that adjustment. Van Ginkel a 4* chose Wisconsin essentially because he wanted to play that scheme.
It's not something I'd expect to happen, it would involve change and to evolve. We don't do anything special in the front four as it is, so it would be nice for us to be able disguise things in a 3-4 like Wisconsin does.
Hesse is not going to move inside.
They could have gone after a juco but decided not too and it creats a huge hole next year in Johnson's spot. Lattimore is still going to be really inexperienced and probably isn't going to have the kind of strength he needs also. They are going to need guys like Slater, Newborg, Jansen, Hulett to step up big time. That is their weakest position on the field next year and it would be nice to find some good safeties.
hawkeyes87
Well-Known Member
Yeah, it's nice to remember the days when an Iowa d-lineman could whip his man and blow up a play. These days you can go a whole game without hearing the d-line's names.
ClintonIAfan
Well-Known Member
I would not say that he won't be ready. Iowa has had a number of sophomores step up and play well on the defensive line in the past after playing in reserve roles as freshman. The Iowa strength and conditioning program does a great job in developing these athletes, and a full of season can mean a lot.
I'd like to see Iowa go to a 3-4 as well. It's a rarity in college and could be a benfit to run something teams aren't used to. Plus it puts 1 more LB on the field & one less DL on the field which lends itself nicely to the spread attacks Iowa sees a lot. And I do believe with the amount of nfl teams using it, that could attract good recruits.
Of course this would be way too aggressive of a change for Iowa. And truth be told the transition would be brutal. Iowa doesn't have DLs or OLBs with 3-4 size. Few teams do. But damn it would be fun to Iowa with an aggressive 3-4 scheme
Knight78
Well-Known Member
You must be watching different games than I do. We have a lot of times that we twist the DT's on a pass rush. We also loop and end sometimes. Yes, we bull rush a lot but we don't exclusively do that.
hawkeyes87
Well-Known Member
Fun AND aggressive?? Too much! Out of the question!
I think we are watching different games. Podalak always brings this up, as have many writers covering Iowa football over the years. Blitz? No. Stunts? No. What we run is basic. Yes, I'm sure we twist or loop a few times during a game but VERY rarely. When Clayborn was a senior and we had one of the best DL's in the nation we couldn't even create pressure because we didn't create any mismatch or confusion for the OL on who to pick up.
We've definitely been watching different games, and different programs because this isn't new.
