Iowa Mailbag: On drama in 1997, Brian Ferentz, the offensive line and more

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa’s original spring football schedule called for the final practice on April 23. In a normal year, we would have spoken with every key performer and assistant and come up with some solid assessments about the 2020 football team.

Instead, we’re halted in an uncomfortable gridlock caused by COVID-19. Luckily, we can enjoy the NFL draft this week, then the next two episodes of the riveting Chicago Bulls’ 10-part documentary Sunday night. That leads into our first question of this edition of the mailbag.

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Let’s say you could turn back the clock and embed an all-access camera crew for a season with any Iowa football and basketball team since 1997. What years are you picking for each sport and why? I think I’m going with the 1997 football team because they were so close and yet so far away from what they could’ve been, and the 1998-99 final basketball season with Tom Davis, just because it must have been weird knowing he was a lame-duck coach. — Chris B.

Awesome question, and I don’t think I could argue with either of your choices.

The 1997 football team was filled with potential but underachieved. With All-America-caliber players such as Tavian Banks, Tim Dwight and Jared DeVries, the Hawkeyes lost three regular-season games by a combined eight points. They blew a 14-point halftime lead at eventual national champion Michigan. They missed two field goals in a 13-10 setback at Wisconsin, Iowa’s first loss to the Badgers since 1977. The Hawkeyes missed four field goals in a 15-14 loss at Northwestern. “Frustrating” doesn’t begin to describe that season.

I also don’t think I could pick a more interesting basketball season than the one you described. From Davis’ final season scenario to ending Kansas’ 62-game home winning streak to its only Sweet 16 appearance since 1980 to hiring Steve Alford, there were storylines and plots everywhere. I couldn’t top that choice if I tried, but I will offer up a No. 2 for each.

For basketball, I’d pick the 2005-06 squad. With in-state players such as Jeff Horner, Adam Haluksa and Greg Brunner, Iowa had high-character athletes who performed at a high level. The Hawkeyes were unbeaten at home, finished second in the league and won the Big Ten Tournament. To see it fall apart as a No. 3 seed against Northwestern State was a real shame. Considering the turmoil with Pierre Pierce before that season and the contempt fans had for Alford, it would have been illuminating. Unfortunately, that team and those players never have received their due. I hope that changes.

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As for football, there are about a dozen possibilities and I’d probably select 2009. Every game had roller-coaster moments, from Ricky Stanzi’s frequent pick-sixes to the defense coming up with repeated big plays, like Adrian Clayborn’s scoop-and-score at Penn State. Could you imagine the behind-the-scenes access following the 17-16 win against UNI with a pair of blocked kicks? Or the craziness involved with Stanzi’s four third-quarter interceptions followed by a 28-0 fourth quarter run against Indiana? Or to be in the huddle before the final pass from Stanzi to McNutt at Michigan State? Or Stanzi’s leg injury in a deflating loss against Northwestern, the overtime loss at Ohio State and then the Orange Bowl win against Georgia Tech? You could make that a 10-part series and people would watch it.

Macro and micro questions here. Micro, favorite uniform combos and twists you’d like Iowa to keep. I really liked the black pants for Minnesota last season; dug the yellows, too. Just curious your thoughts. Macro, I believe Iowa is in Indy the past two seasons if the Hawkeyes retain their early draft entries. No grudge against the players at all: Go make your money, thanks for being a Hawk. Going forward on how name/image/likeness shakes out, how does that bode for programs like Iowa, Wisconsin or other developmental programs that could offer for-sure local sponsorships and potentially national? Does earning potential and a solid program/college experience keep guys in school an extra year? — Kurtis C.

I’m one of the worst people to ask about uniforms because I’m way more in favor of the established look than alternative gear. But if I were 16, 18, 21 years old, I’d be all over the different looks. I’d say my favorite by far was the blackout uniform against Ohio State in 2017. If Iowa dusted those uniforms off every season, I’d love it. But with the $1,000 compression helmets, it would be awfully difficult to pull off. So, you’ll see something like the all-black uniforms against Minnesota, which was fine, too. I think once a year is probably good for alternative gear.

The name/image/likeness debate will have ramifications for every sport, but it needs to be unveiled carefully. I’m totally in favor of an Iowa senior linebacker making $5,000 pitching fishing poles and boats or the quarterback earning $10,000 on commercials for a car lot. What scares me is an incoming freshman basketball player (or wrestler) picking up a $1 million national shoe contract before stepping on campus. That has major ramifications, ranging from amateurism to team construction.

I’m not sure how much (or little) the issue affects Iowa or other like-sized programs. The Iowa City-Cedar Rapids corridor has plenty of marketing opportunities, just like Lincoln-Omaha, Madison or other college communities. That issue may shuffle the recruiting deck more among Ohio State, Alabama, Texas and USC than trickle down much to Iowa. High-level recruits went to the blue bloods more frequently than Iowa or Wisconsin anyway. I know some people are concerned about financial opportunities at major-market schools such as Minnesota or Northwestern, but pro sports own those towns. There’s not going be an Eden Prairie car lot or a northside restaurant requesting a Gopher or Wildcat when you can get a Viking or Bear.

How could the potential “one-time free transfer” rule impact the Hawks? Iowa doesn’t dip into the transfer pool too often, but could the Hawkeyes become a bigger player in the transfer game? How would it affect player retention? — Michael O.

With Iowa football, it would be more positive than negative. The Hawkeyes grab one or two grad transfers a year, and most are plug-and-play guys. Running back James Butler was a nice pickup from Nevada in 2017. Offensive lineman Coy Cronk from Indiana should start this season. Punters Ron Coluzzi and Michael Sleep-Dalton were nice additions. I still think former Michigan receiver Oliver Martin will make a mark on the program.

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There might be a little more attrition for Iowa than normal, perhaps with a few backups bolting after spring practice. But I think the Hawkeyes would end up on the winning end of those acquisitions more often than not.

For instance, Iowa’s third-team running back might bolt for a home-state Group of 5 school in mid-May. But if I’m a junior defensive tackle at a Mid-American Conference school coming off a good season, I’d consider hopping to an Iowa, Wisconsin or Nebraska. So the trade-off for Big Ten schools largely is positive on the field.

Of all the Iowa players not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, who do you think has the best chance to make an NFL roster? My guess would be Kristian Welch. — Chris R.

Two players stand out for me and both likely are undrafted free agents: Welch and tight end Nate Wieting.

Welch combines enough athletic skill and size with football intelligence to make a roster or at least a practice squad. Welch could play every special teams unit and fit as a backup linebacker for most teams, especially those right against the salary cap. It wouldn’t surprise me if a team would want to convert him to tight end, either.

If any of Iowa’s non-combine invitees sneaks into the draft, I think it’s Wieting. It’s not because he did anything impressive statistically last season (10 catches, 117 yards), but rather that Wieting is an upper-level edge blocker. In that category, Wieting is comparable to T.J. Hockenson and George Kittle. Unlike many rookie tight ends, Wieting has four years of experience in a zone-blocking scheme. If anything, Wieting can be a plug-and-play blocker in training camp. If an NFL team has an abundance of late-round picks and is looking for someone to play a hybrid tight end/fullback role and compete on special teams, Wieting might be that choice.

What NFL team do you think will draft Nate Stanley? Will they draft him with the notion he will be a solid career backup or that he has the intangibles to be a future starter? I think he has a deceptively high ceiling if he can continue to work on his mechanics, but do you think NFL teams will see that? — Graham B.

I projected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a potential landing spot, and I think it makes sense. Stanley reportedly scored the highest among this year’s quarterbacks on the Wonderlic and understands the game at a cerebral level beyond most of his peers. Stanley can make every throw on the field, too.

The questions start with his mechanics, on which he has worked the past four months. If he makes strides there, he can compete for a backup job.

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As for a starting role, he needs to be able to command a huddle. He could do that at Iowa, especially later in his career. But can he look at a mercurial pro wide receiver and tell him to shut up in the huddle, if necessary? He might face that. In addition, Stanley was a bit late on some reads and developments and used his big arm to get out of jams. He can’t do that in the NFL. But that’s an area where he can make strides with help from a quality quarterback coach and a veteran starting quarterback.

Could you give a little breakdown on the offensive line — projected starters, backups, maybe some guys to watch who might crack the two-deep? With what might be a really short offseason, I’m a bit worried about the depth at what is (in my opinion) the most important unit for Iowa at all times. — Paul G.

I certainly don’t disagree that line play is critical for Iowa, which is I why I wrote about it earlier this week.

Overall, I think Iowa has two potential All-Big Ten players in senior left tackle Alaric Jackson and sophomore center Tyler Linderbaum. Graduate transfer Coy Cronk, who started 40 games at left tackle for Indiana, figures in at one starting spot, and junior Mark Kallenberger should start somewhere, too. My guess is they compete at right tackle, with one landing there and the other moving to guard.

Several players will compete at the other guard spot, but after starting six games last season, junior Kyler Schott is the incumbent. Senior Cole Banwart tore his ACL in practice early last season but has nine career starts. If he is healthy, Banwart definitely is a potential starter. Sophomore Cody Ince and redshirt freshman Justin Britt turned heads last year and both will compete at guard. Sophomore Jack Plumb is the likely backup at tackle.

Schott and Banwart have experience at center, so they’ll back up Linderbaum. As for an inexperienced redshirt freshman, I’m interested to see whether Tyler Endres or Nick DeJong steps forward at a tackle spot. Both are probably a year away from making an impact, but they are the program’s future at that position.

It is presumed that Brian Ferentz is the “coach-in-waiting.” How much of a sure thing is that, and what could change that? — Mark F.

Perhaps no football-related topic generates more speculation among Iowa fans than whether Brian Ferentz succeeds his father. I don’t believe there is an internal plan for that.

I’ve spoken with some administrators who are lukewarm at best about that possibility and others who are open to it. I don’t think Kirk Ferentz is retiring within the next two years, so we’re looking at 2022 at the earliest.

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Without going too deep into this topic, I think Brian has tremendous football acumen. He understands the game and can teach it. As the offensive coordinator, Brian has nudged the passing game forward and would extend Iowa’s traditional style of play. There are many positives associated with him.

But simply passing the baton from one generation to the next has major challenges. The personalities between father and son could not be starker. Could Brian build consensus among fellow staffers and campus leaders and become a respected CEO-type like Kirk? I’d argue that few people could do it as well as Kirk in this state, and the pressure would be intense for Brian.

When this question comes up regularly, I usually write or say that Brian should lead another program for a few years before trying to replace his father. Like any first-time coach, Brian would make a few public blunders. It’s better to do that at an FCS program or a MAC school than in the spotlight at Iowa.

Before the virus, did you hear any rumors about Iowa switching from zone blocking? I know you have written about it extensively, but wondering if any coaches mentioned actually making an adjustment. Obviously, such a change is not going to happen with the current circumstances and lack of practice time. — Zach P.

Iowa’s reliance on the zone-blocking scheme won’t change under Kirk Ferentz. He likes its aggressive approach and how it combines power and speed. But he also realizes it needs to make improvements. The optimum number for Iowa is 4.5 yards per carry. The past two seasons, it has hovered at 3.9. That’s not nearly good enough.

The Hawkeyes have incorporated more gap blocking in recent seasons and that might continue if the cut blocking rules are enforced too stringently. If nothing changes, the gap percentage might creep upward. But zone blocking will remain the backbone of Iowa’s running scheme.

(Top photo of Tavian Banks in 1997: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

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