Thoughts on next year?
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Yes. Maybe I'll do a ted talk or something but yes, that's huge shift. On the surface it doesn't seem like it, but there a lot of moving pieces to that. There's a reason even when firing a DC mid-season, most NFL teams and colleges still essentially run the same front and base defense and generally will just either play more man, more zone or blitz more. Because shifting fronts and gaps... if you want to be good, that takes time, years, or a massive pot of gold in the transfer portal if you want to do it quick and then recruit like hell at the same time
I'm very optimistic about the offense. Townsend is too dynamic to keep off the field. The other transfer WR was highly sought after.
We need a tackle to step up, but we now have a lot of bodies ready to step in on OL. Clanton will find the best combo.
Klotz is the only position I'm not sure who we roll with. Gotta find the guy who can be that bulldozer.
RB and WR are deep and dynamic. Qb room is in a great position. TE has 2 starters and good depth. OL is as deep as I can remember, let the best 5 win.
We need a tackle to step up, but we now have a lot of bodies ready to step in on OL. Clanton will find the best combo.
Klotz is the only position I'm not sure who we roll with. Gotta find the guy who can be that bulldozer.
RB and WR are deep and dynamic. Qb room is in a great position. TE has 2 starters and good depth. OL is as deep as I can remember, let the best 5 win.
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Things get interesting also when you consider rosters go down to 105. We showed 125 last I saw. Lost 10 to the portal and gained 5 in the last report. Not sure the exact numbers of Covid guys coming back. We had what 15 or so recruits and lost close to 20 for graduation? Roughly means we need to trim 10-15 and then whatever takes Covid or we pick up in the portal from here on out.
Replacing Klotz, Nebraska was always able to bring in traditional fullbacks as walk ons. I’m not suggesting we do the same but there seems to be a lot of guys in hs that really don’t warrant a scholarship at a D1 program that fit this spot in our offense well.
Well, going into the season I expected defensive production to keep opponents to under twenty, and our offense in the mid to upper twenties. But not to be; we saw offensive production way up, and defensive production only able to keep us most of the time close.
So tough to project next year, all we have to look at is MBB this year. Certainly did enjoy the season though, but Texas Tech loss had me down! Hopefully next year, we are able to even top this year's performance' both offensively and defensively.
So tough to project next year, all we have to look at is MBB this year. Certainly did enjoy the season though, but Texas Tech loss had me down! Hopefully next year, we are able to even top this year's performance' both offensively and defensively.
Yeah you completely missed the point. Which is you can find a lot of guys due to size aren’t traditional D1 athletes that fill that spot.
I think you are the one missing the point. That is not a guy you just find. I think the battering ram, kind of like the term "game manager" is just looked at all wrong. A elite blocker who can also catch when called on just don't fall from the sky.
Along with replacing the guys that left we really need to improve at LB. Need guys to be healthy but also really need a couple to make a big step forward.
It seems like we can usually build one who starts out as a TE or LB. We recruit and develop this role really well under Campbell.
They're from the same place as the 6'10 guard/forward combo that shoots 45% from 3 that was requested for bball a few years ago.
I haven't heard Campbell discuss roster building with the new 105 player roster limit.
Sure that is less than the current 120 roster limit. But it is more than the current 85 player scholarship limit. So while we might not have walk-ons, will there be partial scholarship to fill a portion of the roster- aka the last 10 - 20 roster spots? If that's the case, I could see the staff scour IA HS athletes because partial scholarship money might be attractive for in-state tuition kids.
It'll be really interesting to see how it works out. With decreased roster sizes, some who would have walked on to Alabama will now have to find another home. On the flip side some kids who are deciding between a PWO at Iowa State and a scholarship at UNI now would choose between full/partial scholarships
Oh we do, but the idea you can just have a walk on do it to me kinda insults everything Stevo meant to the team. Moore, in theory, could potentially step into a similar role but that's a hard job. You're an Offensive linemen but 60-70 pounds lighter basically.
You wanna give up 50 pounds to a Power 4 conference defensive end 30-40 times a game? Ain't a lot of dudes lining up for that job who are going to do it as selfishly as he has done it
Don't feel the staff must replace the Klotz role. We'll just see 2 TE formations and we have 2 really talented TE's returning in Brahmer and Burkle. And Moore has shown some ability when healthy. Plus the staff has recruited a pretty deep TE room.
I feel like Stevo's created his playing time vs. the staff really being focused on wanting a FB to get X snaps a game. We'll see, there are some big RB's on the roster who could develop into the next Stevo: Easton Miller, Charley Whelpley and AJ Peterson.
No, but I think his point is that Campbell and staff have always been able to fill that role admirably. Early in Campbell's tenure, it was moving Sam Seonbuchner from LB to the offensive side. Then, it was using the TE depth with Allen and Soehner behind Kolar. Next, Jared Rus became an All-Big 12 performer at the position as a walk-on. Finally, Stevo Klotz did the same thing as Rus.
It's not a flashy role, but in Campbell's tenure at Iowa State, they've always been able to find someone to step into it and shine. No reason to think they won't do it again.
Watching A LOT of NFL today and something stood out to me... Most teams are running a lot of 2 down lineman fronts with two edge LB/DE players standing up well outside the tackles.. Most of the time they are rushing the QB, but the better defenders also spy the play and peel off to coverage if they see something. You are also making it as hard as possible to run the ball off tackle to the edge given the LB/DE's are lined up WAY outside, forcing everything the the middle.. How many big runs did we see where a RB bounces the ball wide and goes for a HUGE gain???
Can someone who knows more football than me talk me out of why a 2-4-5 lineup would be bad??
Can someone who knows more football than me talk me out of why a 2-4-5 lineup would be bad??
- Depth at DL looks really concerning after Orange, Ike, and Hawk
- Formation gets more guys like Mendezoon and Same on the edge where they can play in space versus against lineman 50-75 lbs bigger than them.. Their body types look closer to our LB room than their peers in the DL room.
- Most of our LB room is over 6'2" and over 240#.
- I like this for flexibility on adding rushers, were one play the right side rushes, the next it's the two inside backers, or you look like its a rush all 6 guys in the box and drop whomever you want...
- We have good sized safeties who can add some weight and play in the box for run fitting versus our corners
- It's incredibly hard to recruit NFL talent on the DL talent on ISU's budget
- We seem to have a surplus of good size (but slower) LB's, so why not beef them up 10-20 and make them stand-up edge defenders with the threat to rush or drop into limited coverage
I'm fairly certain Heacock and CMC are well aware of all the points you just made and know more about their roster than any of us schmucks.
I’m really excited for next year. Having Rocco back is huge. He has room for improvement, but man is he a gamer and a leader. We have at least 6 OL returning with starting experience and some hungry young guys. We lose two good ones, but I think we can take another step. Lots of talent at RB. Hansen is really good and I think Sama really improved at hitting the hole as the season progressed. They could be really really good next year. As for TE, no one improved more on the team than Burkle. Blocking and receiving he had a huge impact. Without him we likely lose one or two more. A healthy Brahmer will give us many 2 or 3 TE options. At WR, I look for Townsend to replace Noel’s production. We need someone to be a deep threat like Higgins and hopefully Sowell can do that. I think he can and then we have lots of others that can benefit from opportunities. I like our talent even though it is unproven.
On defense, having Dom back is huge. Hawk is solid too. Losing Petersen and Singleton hurts. We need other guys to step up. We have a great DL Coach so I know he will have guys ready. I actually think LB will be a strength next year. If healthy, we will have a lot of depth and there will be competition. Guys will be bigger and faster just due to experience and maturing another year. Getting Bacon back will change our defense significantly. CB and S both scare me due to our lack of experience, but Williams and Cooper will step into leadership roles and we have really good coaches that will not doubt have guys ready. It may be an adventure early.
Losing Bacon probably changed our defense significantly. I think the staff planned to use him as a stand up linebacker on run downs and as a rush end on pass downs. I think this was the four down lineman talk in the preseason. When he got hurt and other linebackers were also hurt, we became very limited in our options. I think we stick with the 3 man front next fall, but the next generation of the defense is to use Bacon and others off the edge in passing situations. Time will tell.
On defense, having Dom back is huge. Hawk is solid too. Losing Petersen and Singleton hurts. We need other guys to step up. We have a great DL Coach so I know he will have guys ready. I actually think LB will be a strength next year. If healthy, we will have a lot of depth and there will be competition. Guys will be bigger and faster just due to experience and maturing another year. Getting Bacon back will change our defense significantly. CB and S both scare me due to our lack of experience, but Williams and Cooper will step into leadership roles and we have really good coaches that will not doubt have guys ready. It may be an adventure early.
Losing Bacon probably changed our defense significantly. I think the staff planned to use him as a stand up linebacker on run downs and as a rush end on pass downs. I think this was the four down lineman talk in the preseason. When he got hurt and other linebackers were also hurt, we became very limited in our options. I think we stick with the 3 man front next fall, but the next generation of the defense is to use Bacon and others off the edge in passing situations. Time will tell.
