Why don't we hear more about Hunter Dekkers?

Interesting that Potter is now listed as a DB - was thinking maybe he'd get a chance at WR....
I had to go and check this out…


He played special teams last year. Maybe they liked the impact he made?

I’ve seen Darien in the videos this last week, he’s still pretty lean. My first thought was that his speed could make a real difference at FS.

Then I started wondering. Maybe they’re trying him at corner?

Spring ball can’t get here soon enough!
 
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Gramted but to some degree, the QB makes the OL's job easier if the box is lighter. If an offnesive linemen has to control 6 guys compared to 7-8, we're asking less of them and therefore its easier on them.

Again, chicken and egg, but the QB and outside threats have an impact on the OL just like the OL not giving Brock time to throw was at times an issue with our passing game as well. Tomato, tomatto.

But that is the hope i have for Dekkers is that he can at least be consistent enough of a threat vertically that our offensive line can a less stacked box.

I also think two years ago might be more the way we want to play - still run heavy, yes, but with a little more tempo and a little more diversity. I think last year losing Remsburg early, having Breece banged up early along with Kolar, not having a great number 2 option opposite X as Shaw was dinged up as well - I think that made us become a little more methodical in our approach to our game since our passing game for various reasons never really seemed to click. I think Sean's struggles + Remsburg's injuries plus not wanting to through a young tackle out there to the wolves too early on meant asking some more verteran OL to play out of a position which meant we didn't want to be in a situation where we were asking a lot of them in an uncomfortable role so we compressed the playbook, tried to play more bully ball and slowed it down.

I think two years ago all things being equal is a better case of who we should try to be offensive ly IMO

I think that they need to change up what they're doing in fall practice. It's just not working. There's no reason why it should take 3 games for the team to round into form every year. Especially last year with all the players returning, you knew what you had. Breece and Charlie should have been in freaking bubble wrap all camp. Instead they're all banged up and could hardly play. I don't mind if they go hard the first week or two, but then back way off and let guys heal up prior to the first game.
 
I had to go and check this out…


He played special teams last year. Maybe they liked the impact he made?

I’ve seen Darien in the videos this last week, he’s still pretty lean. My first thought was that his speed could make a real difference at FS.

Then I started wondering. Maybe they’re trying him at corner?

Spring ball can’t get here soon enough!
He was recruited based on athletic skill, not proven WR skill or productivity. The WR skills appear to have not developed as one would have hoped, but the athletic ability is still there. The switch to defense is probably the best option for him and the team.
 
I think that they need to change up what they're doing in fall practice. It's just not working. There's no reason why it should take 3 games for the team to round into form every year. Especially last year with all the players returning, you knew what you had. Breece and Charlie should have been in freaking bubble wrap all camp. Instead they're all banged up and could hardly play. I don't mind if they go hard the first week or two, but then back way off and let guys heal up prior to the first game.
In a weird way I'd say feeling like we knew what we had was in fact the problem. When you feel like you know what you have you can out-think yourself and try to get cute or put in new wrinkles or change things that don't need changing.

From all of a sudden going under center to tinkering with the OLs blocking assignments, etc... - it just felt like we were doing more than what we needed to and along with the injuries to Charlie and Breece, left us searching for rythm much of the first month or so.

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I don't disagree regarding Potter. Hopefully it does work out well for him and the team. I just figured he might be a guy we could get the ball to in space or on a jet sweep and just let him run.

Although I feel like if they are worried about him being lean that corner would make more sense than safety although technically anywhere on defense as the one delivering the blow being lean might not be super great but I trust the coaches and hopefully he's able to make an impact. He certainly has been a key part of special teams

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In a weird way I'd say feeling like we knew what we had was in fact the problem. When you feel like you know what you have you can out-think yourself and try to get cute or put in new wrinkles or change things that don't need changing.

From all of a sudden going under center to tinkering with the OLs blocking assignments, etc... - it just felt like we were doing more than what we needed to and along with the injuries to Charlie and Breece, left us searching for rythm much of the first month or so.

--------------------

I don't disagree regarding Potter. Hopefully it does work out well for him and the team. I just figured he might be a guy we could get the ball to in space or on a jet sweep and just let him run.

Although I feel like if they are worried about him being lean that corner would make more sense than safety although technically anywhere on defense as the one delivering the blow being lean might not be super great but I trust the coaches and hopefully he's able to make an impact. He certainly has been a key part of special teams

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Just wondering, is calling him Potter an autocorrect thing? Not to be a **** but I’ve seen it multiple times in this thread.
 
Just wondering, is calling him Potter an autocorrect thing? Not to be a **** but I’ve seen it multiple times in this thread.
It could be... either that or my fat freaking fingers kept hitting t instead of R and I never took the time to double check. Will certainly be more careful moving forward.
 
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I think that they need to change up what they're doing in fall practice. It's just not working. There's no reason why it should take 3 games for the team to round into form every year. Especially last year with all the players returning, you knew what you had. Breece and Charlie should have been in freaking bubble wrap all camp. Instead they're all banged up and could hardly play. I don't mind if they go hard the first week or two, but then back way off and let guys heal up prior to the first game.
They did change things up in fall camp last year. Including “putting players in bubble wrap”. Weren’t you paying attention?

And did it make a difference?
 
They did change things up in fall camp last year. Including “putting players in bubble wrap”. Weren’t you paying attention?

And did it make a difference?
They obviously didn’t do a very good job of it.
 
I was confused b/c they talked about changing things up during Covid & how they felt they came out much fresher to be there at the end of the season, but people were coming out of fall injured & our performances were really poor. & then they said they learned so much from 2020, but then they came out of fall 2021 the same way...
 
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I was confused b/c they talked about changing things up during Covid & how they felt they came out much fresher to be there at the end of the season, but people were coming out of fall injured & our performances were really poor. & then they said they learned so much from 2020, but then they came out of fall 2021 the same way...
Doesn’t matter if you minimize contact drill, players can still pull a hammy.
 
Either that or it wasn’t the sure solution you think it would be. One of the two.

Ok, sure. Look, I have no idea what they did or didn’t do in fall practice this year or any year prior. What I do know is that something they’re doing isn’t working. It doesn’t take every other team 3 games to start playing at a semi competent level. And it’s been that way every single season under Campbell. Something needs to change.
 

I think this speaks volumes, honestly, coming from Charlie. I like the fact he emphasizes that Hunter is an Iowa kid and a dawg. If you pay attention on the sidelines, Dekkers is the dude with no sleeves when it's negative 10 wind-chill at Jack Trice. He was a 4 star recruit. He's learned under the best QB in our history. He's got plenty of weapons coming back. We are going to LOVE Hunter Dekkers.
 
Heard from a few kids winter conditioning was brutal. Last year’s program was a walk in the park compared to this
Presuming this is true I actually take that as a good thing. Considering that based on perhaps slightly unrealistic pre-season expectations the season did not quite match up to what we were hoping for - it makes sense - also with a younger team for the most part, it also kinda makes some sense to put them thru the grinder while with a more veteran team last year I think we tried the more maintaining and maintenance approach. Not that you are never trying for injuries or anything like that of course.

Or it could also be a sign that the staff feels like they took the foot off the gas pedal in winter conditioning last year and that it was a mistake. Who knows?

I'm just excited about spring football... I've enjoyed watching basketball season but haven't talked much because while I don't know everything about football my knowledge base is far greater than it is for basketball.... as pleasing as the overall men's season has been... football has been and likely always will be where my heart truly lies so for myself, spring football is a holiday of sorts. My excitement starts to rise because its spring football than camp than season ( obviously plenty of breaks and months in between) but that's how my mind sees it lol.
 
I thought Porter was one of our best special teams guys. He was often the first guy down in coverage and was always aggressive. I hope he finds some playing time of defense, he looks like a player that is giving the effort you want.
 
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Ok, sure. Look, I have no idea what they did or didn’t do in fall practice this year or any year prior. What I do know is that something they’re doing isn’t working. It doesn’t take every other team 3 games to start playing at a semi competent level. And it’s been that way every single season under Campbell. Something needs to change.
I am reasonably sure that the whole problem with the slow starts is that we haven’t had a Spring Game.

That’s it. That needs to change.
 
the Slow starts IMO don't have anything to do with a spring game as there is an entire summer to go through.

If there was something flawed planning wise I'd say it was more in the lead up to the start of the season during the fall and summer where we were not peaking at the right time or even in the play calling and game planning of those games. Not having a spring game in April is not going to effect much in September, especially when a good percentage of people who may be playing are not going to be participating in said spring game (transfers, traditional summer enrolles in terms of recruits , jucos etc) or just who get dinged up during winter conditioning, hold over injuries from the end of the season or the guys who get dinged during spring practice itself.
 

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