Another Rhabdo 13 update

Rhabdo documents released

The Des Moines Register got its hands on hundreds of emails and documents from the Iowa Sport Information department regarding the Rhabdo 13 through the Freedom of Information Act. They have published all the emails, so you can read through them if you want. The vast majority of it is quite bland. About half of the emails are just back-and-forths trying to figure out the correct wording for the multiple press releases, including Kirk Ferentz's official statement, done around the time of the hospitalizations. The other half is mostly shooting done requests for information from various media outlets including ESPN's Pat Forde and some guy from the Wall Street Journal. There's also an email from a parent concerned about the school work his son would miss while in the hospital. They are student-athletes after all.
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Returning Stats for 2011

Iowa had a very senior heavy roster in 2010. There were also a handful of players that left the program (mostly running backs) and 1 junior who left for the NFL (Tyler Sash). As a result, there is a large amount of production that will need to be replaced by younger players in 2011 if the team wants to have a similar or more successful year.

What is interesting to me, is how the team was hit evenly across the board. Pretty much every major offensive and defensive statistic had about 60% of its volume produce by players who are no longer on the team. The notable exception is passing yards in which Ricky Stanzi had 3004 of the 3049 yards in 2010.
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A quick and early look at 2012 recruiting - Defense

I meant to post this about a week ago to go with the early look at Iowa's 2012 recruiting on offense, but that was before sickness hit.

Defensive linemen for Iowa

Seniors: Lebron Daniel*, Thomas Nardo, Broderick Binns*, Mike Daniels*, Joe Forgy
Juniors: Steve Bigach*, Joe Gaglione
Sophomores: Marty Hopkins, Casey Kreiter, Scott Covert, Dominic Alvis
RS Freshmen: Carl Davis, Donavan Johnson, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Mike Hardy
Freshmen: Darian Cooper, Riley McMinn, John Raymon

For 2012: 3

Early Offers:

• Tommy Schutt - Glen Ellyn, IL
• Vincent Valentine - Edwardsville, IL
• Sheldon Day - Indianapolis, IN
• Mike Shoff - Cambridge, NE
• Noah Spence - Harrisburg, PA
• Faith Ekakitie - Lake Forest, IL

Depending on how things shake out at the tackle spot opposite of Mike Daniels, all 4 starters on the defensive line could be seniors. It's still likely that at least 3 will be seniors, meaning 2012 will see a lot of fresh blood. There is little depth at the position as Iowa hasn't done much of a rotation the past couple of years. Iowa will need to try to get more of the younger guys experienced this year to lessen the blow of a big senior contingent graduating. I think there is enough depth that there won't be an immediate need to get a guy who needs to come in a start as a true freshman...a spot on the two-deep though wouldn't be out of the question.
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I've been sick

This past week might have been the longest I've gone without posting since I started this blog almost two years ago (I didn't check). I've been sick. I haven't really done much of anything in the past week besides lie on the couch and watch bad movies on Starz! and marathons of Top Chef. I barely got up to eat, let alone fire up the laptop to write.

So, here it is a week later, and actually there isn't too much I missed. Good thing it's the off-season.

Austin Blythe, Heavyweight Champion of the State of Iowa

I watched a lot of the state wrestling finals on Saturday night. The split screen to show the matches for all 3 classes at the same time made it difficult to follow, but I managed to keep my eye on the top-right quadrant for Blythe's match. Blythe became the first Iowan to reach the finals at heavyweight all 4 years of his high school career and he became a 3-time champion on Saturday pinning his opponent about half way through the third round.

Blythe controlled the match from the very beginning. He scored an early take-down and never let up. He showed his burst, his strength, and his technique and was just all-around impressive. It's easy to see how his wrestling talents will translate into an interior offensive line spot.

Hawkeyes in the NFL

Good and bad news on the NFL front. Good news first... Former Hawkeye and son of Kirk Ferentz, Brian Ferentz got a promotion with the Patriots last week and is now the tight end coach. He's been coaching for New England the past 3 years as an assistant.

Now the bad news... It's not really that bad, but still uncool--the Colts have decided to release Bob Sanders. Injuries are ultimately what brought an end to the relationship. Sanders has played in just 9 games in the past 3 seasons after winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. So it's an understandable decision. I have been rooting for the Colts for a while now, as much as I root for any NFL team (not much), because of all the Iowa ties. I loved watching Sanders and Dallas Clark (and most recently Pat Angerer) make big plays in Indianapolis and remember their huge contributions in Iowa City. It's sad to see that end.

A quick and early look at 2012 recruiting - Offense

Quarterbacks for Iowa

Seniors:
Juniors: James Vandenberg*, John Wienke
Sophomores: Wyatt Suess
RS Freshmen: A.J. Derby
Freshmen: Jake Rudock

For 2012: 1

Early Offers:

• Gunner Kiel - Columbis, IN
• Zeke Pike - Ft. Mitchell, KY

Quarterback looks like it is set for the next few years. Vandenberg is the likely starter for the next two, then Derby (if he's still a QB...I think he will be) and Rudock will battle it out. Still, a quarterback per year is important to have. Especially if Derby is looking at switching positions, Iowa will need some depth when Vandenberg and Wienke graduate.
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Links For Iowa may have some new receivers

Check out the Insight Bowl trophy

Between the wrestling meet and the basketball game on Sunday, the Insight Bowl trophy will be on display at Carver Hawkeye Arena. They'll be a photographer there, so fans will have the opportunity to take a picture with the trophy.

Then at halftime of the basketball game, Marcus Coker and Micah Hyde will be honored for being the Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable Players respectively of the Insight Bowl. The rest of the team (any football player at the game) will be honored as well.

Iowa is also doing a special deal where a wrestling ticket or a basketball ticket will get you in to all 3 events: wrestling meet vs. Michigan, Insight Bowl trophy display, and basketball vs. Minnesota.
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Where Iowa offers signed

Iowa offered scholarships to 110 players, according to the Rivals.com recruit database. This number is probably not precise as it is only a list of offers that were reported to Rivals, but it's the best available. I decided to see where all 110 of these players ended up after I saw something similar posted on a Michigan blog.

Iowa does most of its competing for players against other Big Ten schools (I included Nebraska as B1G in this chart). In fact, of the 110 players Iowa recruited, 24 signed with Iowa and 24 signed with other Big Ten schools. The other two conferences that Iowa competed most with were the Big 12 (one kid, Donald Smith, signed with Iowa State) and the ACC. All 3 of these conference make sense because of Iowa's recruiting footprint. Iowa mainly focuses on the states were the Big Ten is present, but also ventures out along the East Coast.
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Bryan Bulaga, Super Bowl Champion

Congrats to Bulaga

Former Hawkeye Bryan Bulaga was a key part in Green Bay's Super Bowl win last night. He was solid on left side of the line and protected Aaron Rogers all night. He also became the youngest player to ever start in a Super Bowl.

A year ago he helped Iowa win 11 games and the Orange Bowl. He decided to leave school after just 3 years and head to the NFL. Now he has a Super Bowl ring.

Rhabdo 13 news from the last week

I was so focused on signing day and recruiting last week that I haven't been writing at all about the updates on the Rhabdo 13. Here are a few things that happened in the past week:

• All 13 have been out since last Sunday, but are now being treated as outpatients and will be required to have blood test every couple of days to ensure proper kidney function. They will not be able to return to workouts (or spring practice if it takes that long) until their blood test shows that they have sufficiently recovers.
• Kirk Ferentz's signing day presser [pdf] was supposed to be about the 24 incoming Hawkeyes, but instead was largely focused on the Rhabdo cases. Ferentz answered questions openly (at least as openly as he could) and defended the coaches, specifically Coach Doyle, and Iowa's conditioning program. A couple of big items from the presser: Iowa has done this same 100-squat workout 3 other times (2000, 2004, and 2007), and there is no evidence that any of the players did anything wrong.
• The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics fired 3 staff members and suspended 2 without pay for innapropriately accessing the electronic medical records of Iowa football players.
• Several of the players that did commit to Iowa were asked about the Rhabdo situation and if it affected their decision at all. It did not appear to slow down Iowa's recruiting at all as they added 5 players after the 13 were hospitalized. All the recruits that were asked about the situation had similar responses...they talked to the coaches about it and were confident that it won't happen again.

2011 Iowa Commits Map

The 2011 signing class comes to Iowa City from all over the eastern half of the United States. A large portion of the commits come from the Big Ten footprint but there are a couple of other key areas that Iowa has been building a pipeline. The Hawkeyes have done a nice job recruiting around the East Coast, specifically in Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania/New Jersey. The Iowa coaching staff, including Kirk Ferentz, have a lot of contacts in that area and it's paying off.

The other areas Iowa found recruits is in Texas and Florida. I think pretty much every D1 school finds players in Texas and Florida. Those two states just produce a ton of talent.

Anyway, I was playing around with the Google Maps API and plotted out the hometowns of each of the 24 commits. You can click on the little Tigerhawk icons and find out who is from each location.
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Iowa adds 24 commits

Quinton Alston - LB

Sicklerville, NJ (Timber Creek)
6'1", 220
Scout: Rivals:

Ferentz quote:

Darryl and I stopped by there that Friday morning, the first Friday, we were allowed out after the Bowl game and as you know he had committed to another institution. So we had stopped by there and he called me later that night, he and his mom met with us at school and he called me that night. I was at my next stop, and it was great news. And then, you know, he's just a tremendous young man.

Stats: ('09) 80 tackles, 12 TFLs, 4 sacks

Video: Highlights | GoHawks Video

Quick Thoughts:
Alston looks like a middle linebacker to me. He's strong against the run and, based on his film, can meet a running back in the hole and hit him hard. Though the depth at linebacker in currently slim, I see Alston a year or two away from really competing for a spot on the 2-deeps, though he could play special teams earlier.
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It's Signing Day!

Most of the last minute recruiting was done over the past couple of days. Iowa had 5 players commit over Monday and Tuesday. So, the list of commits should be about 95% in place. There are only one or two players that may pick Iowa today. If neither do we may see the Iowa coaches extend an offer to a local kid or another under the radar guy.

For up to the minute results on who has actually signed a letter of intent follow the GoHawks.com blog. They are updating often with information and videos on each of the commits.

I'll update at the end of the day once everyone has signed. For now, here's the list of all the recruits expected to sign today (or that already have signed).
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2011 Commits: Lomax, Lowdermilk, Bullock, Canzeri, and Collins

Jordan Lomax

Jordan Lomax silently committed to Iowa over the weekend but made it official late on Monday. He is a defensive back from DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland...the same high school as Marcus Coker and recruits Cyrus Kouandjio and Darian Cooper. Over on HawkCentral.com, Lomax said that he is "trying his best" to push his fellow teammates to follow suit and come to Iowa and that he hopes the pile from DeMatha to Iowa continues. I would have to agree. DeMatha, and really the whole Maryland area has been a hot-spot for Iowa recruiting the past couple of years. Also out of Maryland are fellow commit Nico Law, and current players Jim Poggi and Anthony Ferguson (though I don't think Ferguson is still on the team).

Lomax is a consensus 3-star recruit. He played corner, safety, and some wide receiver in high school. In his video he looks like some very strong cover skills, but what impressed me more what his ability to read the offense and make a play...either coming up and making a tackle in the backfield on a run or adjusting to the ball on a pass to pick it off. So to me he looks more like a safety prospect.
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