So, just an overview going into fall. Who knows if we even end up having spring FB. Just thought I'd get some conversation going.
QB: Obviously, one of the biggest issues for next season is keeping Purdy healthy. I didn't care much for not letting him run this past season, but knowing now that he had ankle injuries, it makes sense. IMO we are in the middle of an all-timer at QB for ISU. He does throw off his back foot too much, but he's a gamer and will make plays, especially if he's healthy and able to run. Behind him is a little scary. It says something that they didn't go after a grad transfer or JUCO. Larson may be a steal as a walk-on, and I believe he may have had G6 offers if he would have been healthy as a SR. Bouman is on campus already and with his dad being an ex-NFL QB, you know he's polished. I do have doubts as to how he would fit into the offense, being somewhat immobile...seems like you'd need a really good OL and running game for him to be successful. Dekkers shows up in June and I think he could be a Lanning-type QB for us. I think that both Bouman and Dekkers are going to be pushing their 4 game limit, but if Purdy goes down for any stretch, they could lose the RS.
RB: Hall had a great FR year and is super talented. He's only going to get better. Lang can be a nice change of pace back and is at least dependable. Nwangwu...I'm just not sure how he fits in. He has elite speed, but they probably need to design a package for him where he can be successful. At the very least, he's a good KR. Brock showed some flashes while redshirting and I feel like he's going to end up being 2nd string and get major carries. They don't really have a big back, which is a problem. It would not surprise me if Dekkers ends up coming in with a Lanning type package, but then you're probably burning his RS.
WR: First off, it would be very surprising to me if Milton didn't end up moving back to M. He's proven he can play there. He isn't as shifty as Jones, but he has good speed and can make plays. Akers is a good backup there...I don't know that he's starter material. On the outside, I feel like Shaw has earned his spot. He had a decent year and will get better. Shaw is a good blocker and can make contested catches. We've heard good things about Porter and the RSFR Anderson. Should be good there. The other spot I would assume is wide open between the JUCO Hutchinson, Scates and Wilson. I would bet on Hutchinson there just from the hype he got from Campbell on NSD, but if Scates makes a big step forward, he has the talent to start.
TE: Wow, has this position improved over the last 3 years. Kolar is an AA and potential early draft entrant. Allen is an overall solid, well rounded player. Soehner does really well as a lead/edge blocker and can still run and catch. We've heard good things about Loving-Black and Dean. I'm a little worried about 2021, but 2020 you can't ask for much better out of this position.
OL: Biggest question mark on the team (again). I think that they have two solid guys in Downing and Newell, but to be a good offense, we will need those guys to be all conference type players. I feel like Ramos can handle LT OK. Hudson at RG is totally unproven. He may be good, but who knows? RT is a huge question mark. Will the light finally go on for Foster? Are Treiber or Remsburg ready? Will they add a grad transfer? Or can Newell play RT, allowing someone like Schweiger or Ross or Simmons or Hufford to start? Regardless, our depth is almost entirely RSFR or TRFR and that's a little scary.
DE: Almost an embarrassment of riches here. All time sack leader (almost) Jaquan Bailey returns, Uwazarike returns, Zach Peterson returns, Will McDonald returns and he piled up sacks late. He will surely put on another 10 pounds. Then you have RSFR Suttle and Peterson and TRFR Wilson, all of whom we've heard good things about. Tucker Robertson played some good snaps for us too. We are set here.
NG: This is a super important position and we lose two guys who played almost every snap. Bankston comes in from JUCO, but I question how well he fits in this scheme, being undersized. We have yet to see the light go on for Josh Bailey. Isaiah Lee played some as a TRFR, but he got very limited snaps last year. I think that there are times when Uwazarike and/or Robertson can play inside, but that's more for passing downs. I could see the TRFR Singleton getting at least his 4 games in here.
LB: I will stand by my opinion that they wasted a year for Rose having him play SAM because they couldn't find a replacement for Willie Harvey. They took an elite MIKE and turned him into an average SAM. If I were in charge, my main priority in recruiting would have been finding someone that can play SAM and allow Rose to move back inside, but they didn't really do that as far as adding a JUCO. I think that Hummel will fill in just fine at WILL and Vance is a decent LB. But, I would experiment a little with both those guys at SAM and WILL and give Rose back his spot at MIKE. It would really help if someone like Vaughn, Horne, Pulvermacher would step up and grab a spot. I am not sold on the staff's evaluation at this position.
CB: Johnson had a good season and he has a bright future. Speedy Young struggled as a starter, but as a 3rd CB, he can be pretty good if he keeps improving. I thought that Kyle showed flashes, but he has a lot of work to do to be solid. King played some as a TRFR, so he should end up being a solid backup this year at least if not challenge Kyle to start. I feel like Antoine as a TRFR could very well take off the RS.
S: Having a healthy Eisworth will do wonders for this defense. He gutted through the season, but he was half the player he was in 2018 and early 2019. White has turned into a decent Safety...still misses too many tackles, but he has experience and played OK as a JR. The other spot, I'm not sure of. Miller played some as a TRFR. Azunna has been a solid backup, but not a starter. Isheem Young has gotten some mention from the staff. We'll see if he's ready. Virdel Edwards has good size, but we haven't heard much about him. Then there are 3 TRFR on campus already that should have a chance in spring ball (if we have it). The position is there for the taking, and there are bodies available...that makes me feel at least decent about the Safety position.
K: Assalley actually had a decent season despite some struggles. They're bringing in a grad transfer, so that should cover the kickoffs.
P: Both Rivera and Dunn back. Even if Dunn isn't ready to go, I feel like Rivera can handle things fine.
KR/PR: Nwangwu is back, Milton is back. I feel like they need to work on their PR unit overall, but we have the guys there to be successful. If Milton makes bad decisions, then we need to find someone else.
QB: Obviously, one of the biggest issues for next season is keeping Purdy healthy. I didn't care much for not letting him run this past season, but knowing now that he had ankle injuries, it makes sense. IMO we are in the middle of an all-timer at QB for ISU. He does throw off his back foot too much, but he's a gamer and will make plays, especially if he's healthy and able to run. Behind him is a little scary. It says something that they didn't go after a grad transfer or JUCO. Larson may be a steal as a walk-on, and I believe he may have had G6 offers if he would have been healthy as a SR. Bouman is on campus already and with his dad being an ex-NFL QB, you know he's polished. I do have doubts as to how he would fit into the offense, being somewhat immobile...seems like you'd need a really good OL and running game for him to be successful. Dekkers shows up in June and I think he could be a Lanning-type QB for us. I think that both Bouman and Dekkers are going to be pushing their 4 game limit, but if Purdy goes down for any stretch, they could lose the RS.
RB: Hall had a great FR year and is super talented. He's only going to get better. Lang can be a nice change of pace back and is at least dependable. Nwangwu...I'm just not sure how he fits in. He has elite speed, but they probably need to design a package for him where he can be successful. At the very least, he's a good KR. Brock showed some flashes while redshirting and I feel like he's going to end up being 2nd string and get major carries. They don't really have a big back, which is a problem. It would not surprise me if Dekkers ends up coming in with a Lanning type package, but then you're probably burning his RS.
WR: First off, it would be very surprising to me if Milton didn't end up moving back to M. He's proven he can play there. He isn't as shifty as Jones, but he has good speed and can make plays. Akers is a good backup there...I don't know that he's starter material. On the outside, I feel like Shaw has earned his spot. He had a decent year and will get better. Shaw is a good blocker and can make contested catches. We've heard good things about Porter and the RSFR Anderson. Should be good there. The other spot I would assume is wide open between the JUCO Hutchinson, Scates and Wilson. I would bet on Hutchinson there just from the hype he got from Campbell on NSD, but if Scates makes a big step forward, he has the talent to start.
TE: Wow, has this position improved over the last 3 years. Kolar is an AA and potential early draft entrant. Allen is an overall solid, well rounded player. Soehner does really well as a lead/edge blocker and can still run and catch. We've heard good things about Loving-Black and Dean. I'm a little worried about 2021, but 2020 you can't ask for much better out of this position.
OL: Biggest question mark on the team (again). I think that they have two solid guys in Downing and Newell, but to be a good offense, we will need those guys to be all conference type players. I feel like Ramos can handle LT OK. Hudson at RG is totally unproven. He may be good, but who knows? RT is a huge question mark. Will the light finally go on for Foster? Are Treiber or Remsburg ready? Will they add a grad transfer? Or can Newell play RT, allowing someone like Schweiger or Ross or Simmons or Hufford to start? Regardless, our depth is almost entirely RSFR or TRFR and that's a little scary.
DE: Almost an embarrassment of riches here. All time sack leader (almost) Jaquan Bailey returns, Uwazarike returns, Zach Peterson returns, Will McDonald returns and he piled up sacks late. He will surely put on another 10 pounds. Then you have RSFR Suttle and Peterson and TRFR Wilson, all of whom we've heard good things about. Tucker Robertson played some good snaps for us too. We are set here.
NG: This is a super important position and we lose two guys who played almost every snap. Bankston comes in from JUCO, but I question how well he fits in this scheme, being undersized. We have yet to see the light go on for Josh Bailey. Isaiah Lee played some as a TRFR, but he got very limited snaps last year. I think that there are times when Uwazarike and/or Robertson can play inside, but that's more for passing downs. I could see the TRFR Singleton getting at least his 4 games in here.
LB: I will stand by my opinion that they wasted a year for Rose having him play SAM because they couldn't find a replacement for Willie Harvey. They took an elite MIKE and turned him into an average SAM. If I were in charge, my main priority in recruiting would have been finding someone that can play SAM and allow Rose to move back inside, but they didn't really do that as far as adding a JUCO. I think that Hummel will fill in just fine at WILL and Vance is a decent LB. But, I would experiment a little with both those guys at SAM and WILL and give Rose back his spot at MIKE. It would really help if someone like Vaughn, Horne, Pulvermacher would step up and grab a spot. I am not sold on the staff's evaluation at this position.
CB: Johnson had a good season and he has a bright future. Speedy Young struggled as a starter, but as a 3rd CB, he can be pretty good if he keeps improving. I thought that Kyle showed flashes, but he has a lot of work to do to be solid. King played some as a TRFR, so he should end up being a solid backup this year at least if not challenge Kyle to start. I feel like Antoine as a TRFR could very well take off the RS.
S: Having a healthy Eisworth will do wonders for this defense. He gutted through the season, but he was half the player he was in 2018 and early 2019. White has turned into a decent Safety...still misses too many tackles, but he has experience and played OK as a JR. The other spot, I'm not sure of. Miller played some as a TRFR. Azunna has been a solid backup, but not a starter. Isheem Young has gotten some mention from the staff. We'll see if he's ready. Virdel Edwards has good size, but we haven't heard much about him. Then there are 3 TRFR on campus already that should have a chance in spring ball (if we have it). The position is there for the taking, and there are bodies available...that makes me feel at least decent about the Safety position.
K: Assalley actually had a decent season despite some struggles. They're bringing in a grad transfer, so that should cover the kickoffs.
P: Both Rivera and Dunn back. Even if Dunn isn't ready to go, I feel like Rivera can handle things fine.
KR/PR: Nwangwu is back, Milton is back. I feel like they need to work on their PR unit overall, but we have the guys there to be successful. If Milton makes bad decisions, then we need to find someone else.
