By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com Publisher
The transition has begun. Camp is over and the Cyclones wrapped up practice number two of the 2010 football season on Wednesday. Here is everything that you need to know coming out of Wednesday’s post-practice interviews.
Blankenship transferring to Ohio
The following shouldn’t be earth-shattering news.
Now two former Cyclones will suit up for Frank Solich’s Ohio Bobcats during the 2011 college football season. Beau Blankenship is heading to Ohio as a walk on.
“He did decide to leave our program,” head coach Paul Rhoads said. “We wish him all the best. He was in open communication with me the whole time about what he wanted to do. Beau wants to be a running back. For right now, he was fitting in with us as a special teams player primarily. We wish him all the best.”
Former Cyclone Phillip Bates will likely be the starting quarterback at Ohio this fall.
Blankenship was in line to be a sophomore at Iowa State. On Iowa State’s latest depth chart that was released on July 29, Blankenship was listed as the team’s third-string running back, with James White as well.
Kuehl earns scholarship, no decision on starting punter
When I received an Iowa State press release that stated senior punter Daniel Kuehl had earned a scholarship, my mind immediately wondered if he’d be the Cyclones starting punter next Thursday night against Northern Illinois.
Paul Rhoads essentially told me to not read into that news.
“That doesn’t mean that he has earned the starting role yet,” Rhoads said. “Kirby (Van Der Kamp) hit a couple of boomers yesterday in practice. They both fared well today. I would say that Dan probably has an edge right now. Kirby is going to have to beat him out over the course of the next few practices to be the starter next Thursday and that could happen.”
Don’t expect Rhoads to name a starter until sometime next week.
It was also announced in the release that sophomore linebacker Matt Morton is now on scholarship as well.
Other tidbits
– No decisions have been made on redshirts for Iowa State. It is likely that we’ll find out all of that information during Monday’s first in-season press conference.
“We won’t do it probably until early next week,” Rhoads said. “There is just a small group that we have question marks on but I will wait to cover it all.”
– Wally Burnham’s starting defense worked for about 20 minutes on Northern Illinois preparation Wednesday. With next week’s season opener happening on a Thursday night, Iowa State’s practice week is a little out of whack. Sunday is now Tuesday according to Rhoads. That’s when the Cyclones will be “full speed” into their Northern Illinois preparation.
– Iowa State will hold a mock game tomorrow night at Jack Trice Stadium.
“That’s not scrimmage,” Rhoads said. “That is walk and talk from one goal line to another, every situation that we could be faced with next Thursday.”
– Senior running back Alexander Robinson was put on this year’s Doak Walker watch list on Wednesday.
