Football Recruiting...Last 10 Scholarships

KMAC_ATTACK

Well-Known Member
Feb 20, 2007
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Waterloo
I don't know about specific players because I don't follow recruiting as closely as others, but we need to find a dynamic kick/punt returner. I'm not talking about a guy with sure hands who can get 5-10 yards per punt return either. We need someone who is a legitimate threat to take it to the house at any given time. A TD on a return is a MAJOR momentum booster (UNI game in 2006) and can either turn a game around or break the opponent's back.

Hopefully one of these speedy athletes that we're bringing in can be that guy.

I think we have him on our current list of commits or were after a few others....

Jason Carlson shows a 4.35 40 and had two returns for tds this year.

Or were also were recruiting Myron Dillard (4.28 40)

Thats speed, get that speed on a punt or kick off return, a lil opening is all it will take!!!
 

cloneu

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Jul 26, 2007
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Urbandale
www.golfdsm.com
I think we have him on our current list of commits or were after a few others....

Jason Carlson shows a 4.35 40 and had two returns for tds this year.

Or were also were recruiting Myron Dillard (4.28 40)

Thats speed, get that speed on a punt or kick off return, a lil opening is all it will take!!!

I wish they would list the 20 yard shuttle times on these athletes. I would assume that most of these fast guys (4.4 or below) are pretty quick as well. I want a PR guy who will almost always make the first man miss and get 15 yards a return, instead of not having that initial quick move and getting tackled after a 3-4 yard gain.

I don't think that KR guys need the quickness (more of a running start) as much as good vision and speed. I assume this is why most NFL teams have different guys doing PR and KR. Example Wes Welker returns punts because of his shifftyness (is that a word?), and Hobbs returns kicks.
 

wheels686

Well-Known Member
Oct 25, 2006
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Grinnell, IA
Im hoping since we are recruiting so many athletes that one of them would be able to return kicks and punts instead of having to use a scholarship on a person just for that.
 

Aclone

Well-Known Member
Dec 14, 2007
24,548
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Des Moines, Ia.
I'm counting Bykowski as a lineman--especially after hearing the TE coach describe what they are looking for in a TE on Chizik's show.

Last 10:

1. K
2. DE
3. MLB
4. OL
5. C/G
6. DT
7. CB
8. S/CB
9. SLB
10. TE

...and that's hardly enough. :skeptical:
 

isucy86

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2006
7,919
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Dubuque
You Have to Be Realistic

Okay, cool. Now that we're done with the inevitable "stars don't matter" spiel, can someone actually answer my question?

The rankings are there for a reason. They might be skewed a bit by where they go, but theyr'e there for a reason. If rankings meant NOTHING and we're just supposed to sit back and trust the coaches, then why does anyone follow recruiting? Why is anyone excited about Darius Darks or Joe Tiller?

If Chizik is going to make ISU a contender- stars CAN'T matter. We are a team that has gone 3-13 in the last 2 Big 12 seasons. Why would a highly touted athlete from Texas choose ISU over UT, A&M, TT, OU, KU or MU? If Gene Chizik is going to build the ISU program to the point where he can compete for 3&4 star kids like you expect- the results first have to show up on the field.

Here's reality.

1) Chizik's first 3-4 classes will be comprised of 2&3 star kids.
2) Chizik & staff are going to need to "coach kids up". Build 3&4 star players out of 2&3 star recruits.
3) 18 year old kids mature at different paces. Most 4&5 star kids are advanced for their age & ready to play as true or RS freshman. Among 2&3 star recruits, some kids have 4&5 star potential. If GC is going to succeed, he needs to identify those kids & tap that potential.

IMO GC & staff are up to the challenge.
 

isucy86

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2006
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Dubuque
Carlson is the Guy

I don't know about specific players because I don't follow recruiting as closely as others, but we need to find a dynamic kick/punt returner. I'm not talking about a guy with sure hands who can get 5-10 yards per punt return either. We need someone who is a legitimate threat to take it to the house at any given time. A TD on a return is a MAJOR momentum booster (UNI game in 2006) and can either turn a game around or break the opponent's back.

Hopefully one of these speedy athletes that we're bringing in can be that guy.

Carlson returned something like 10 punts for a 32 yard average. Probably one of the things that made him attractive to the staff.
 

sdsmith4

Member
Mar 25, 2006
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Ames, Iowa
We are good at QB, I would like to see us get one more RB since we lose three guys at the position after this season, so the only ones left will be Robinson and Schwartz. I think we are looking pretty good at WR now, so I think we need to be done there. One tight end would probably be good because I am pretty sure Bykowski is an OL. If you look we have Catlett for 2 years, Franklin for 3 and that is really it for true TE's, the others are more H-Back/FB guys in Ekwelundu and Mansfield, so a true TE is needed. We need at least two more O-Linemen, I really don't think we need Cedric Mack, so I hope we get some freshman, definitely Joe King!! Defensive Line, maybe one more but I think we are pretty solid there with what we have got, just get one more to replace the loss of D.J. Marshall! LB, we could use one or two more, we have Ferguson this year and Bell, Mathis and Green from last, so we have some young guys, but depth wouldn't hurt!! The real place we need to become solid is in the defensive backfield! Singleton, Brown and Hunley will all be seniors, Smith, Bell and Johnson will be juniors. So that really only leaves us with McDowell and Sandvig for the long-term! I would say Maurice Gray would be a really good get to solidify the corner, he just really needs to be a nickel/dime guy!! Other than that guys like Benton, Leonard Johnson, Willie Carter! I would venture a guess that Darks might end up at DB and of course we have Dustin Land! We just need to add depth because we really only have eight scholarship guys that project as DB's on the roster currently. Finally, we need to give two kickers scholarships because you never really know!!! This is the toughest spot to recruit and right now we have nobody to do it and I don't want to end up with a bunch of walk-ons like 2004!! Worse case scenario one guy is really good at kickoffs, the other is a field goal guy! Other than that, we just need athletes really!
 

mwitt

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Mar 23, 2006
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Speed is, hands down, the single most important factor in having a successful college football team.

I disagree. I think having solid players in the trenches is the most important thing at this level of football. How else did Iowa beat Florida (Ron Zook jokes aside)? It wasn't superior speed. Speed is important, but I repeat: speed does not make a good football player. I don't care how fast a guy is if he can't play.

I agree with almost everything else that has been posted about our class. I think we've brought in some guys who can be pretty good players.
 

cyclonenum1

Well-Known Member
Nov 30, 2006
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I disagree. I think having solid players in the trenches is the most important thing at this level of football. How else did Iowa beat Florida (Ron Zook jokes aside)? It wasn't superior speed. Speed is important, but I repeat: speed does not make a good football player. I don't care how fast a guy is if he can't play.

I agree with almost everything else that has been posted about our class. I think we've brought in some guys who can be pretty good players.

It's OK for you to disagree...but you are wrong. All you will have to do is watch the BCS bowls and you will see teams with excellent overall team speed (meaning that their guys are fast for their positions...including the line).
 

mwitt

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Mar 23, 2006
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It's OK for you to disagree...but you are wrong. All you will have to do is watch the BCS bowls and you will see teams with excellent overall team speed (meaning that their guys are fast for their positions...including the line).

I'm not sur ewhy you feel the need to put things in bold to act like you're emphasizing points, when you've yet to make a solid point yet.

Football 101 is games are won and lost in the trenches. If you have nobody in the trenches, then you have a bad football team.
 
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cyclonenum1

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Nov 30, 2006
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I'm not sur ewhy you feel the need to put things in bold to act like you're emphasizing points, when you've yet to make a solid point yet.

Football 101 is games are won and lost in the trenches. If you have nobody in the trenches, then you have a bad football team.

Have I disagreed with this? I agree that the lines on both sides of the ball are important. However, once again, speed and quickness are critical to successful line play in today's game...not just size. Speed and quickness at all positions is the most important element to having a successful team!
 

Wesley

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Apr 12, 2006
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Omaha
Speed on the defensive line is starting to negate the big bruiser stodgy offensive line also. Immobile qbs usually get banged up by the speed rushers.