Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson flashes potential

WEST DES MOINES — Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson wore a red jersey, which means no contact in spring football practice.

But the sophomore from Cornith, Texas was allowed to compete in a spring football practice at Valley Stadium without pads, and Jackson made the most of his opportunity. Working on the opposite side of consensus All-American cornerback Desmond King, Jackson defended wide receiver Matt VandeBerg. As quarterback C.J. Beathard threw toward VandeBerg, Jackson undercut the route and picked off the pass.

'He's a guy who's coming along really well,' VandeBerg said. 'He's playing pretty well lately. Once he's able to go full go all the time, then you'll be able to see his potential. (Friday) he had an interception. He's a good player.'

Jackson, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 185 pounds, red-shirted in 2014 as a defensive player. He moved to wide receiver last spring, then returned to cornerback in the fall. He played on several special teams units and saw action as a fourth cornerback on passing downs. He finished with eight tackles and two pass breakups in 14 games.

'I see a lot out of Josh Jackson,' said King, who won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. 'I believe he's very athletic, and he's very versatile. I believe he can play corner, inside corner, he can go to safety as well. His height and his arm length help him a lot when he's out there covering receivers.'

Jackson filled in on the first unit for senior Greg Mabin, who is out this spring with an undisclosed injury. Jackson remains limited in practice but has flashed his potential in non-contact opportunities.

'When we have pads on, he can't do any of the contact stuff,' Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. 'But like (Friday) he was able to get in there. It's good. It keeps him active. He's a young guy we think has promise, and this gives him a chance to really grow and make some progress. It's not quite the same as seeing him full scale, but it's been good for him. I think he's made growth. That's one positive thing.'

BOONE KICKS INSIDE

Junior Boone Myers started 10 games at left tackle last year before kicking inside at guard for the Rose Bowl. This spring, he opens up at left guard next to left tackle Cole Croston, who started six games at right tackle and four at left tackle last year.

Myers, a Webster City native, said moving to guard was the best scenario for the team.

'The best five play,' Myers said. 'So we felt like it would be stronger with me moving inside. We have two really good tackles and a really good interior. The coach asked me, 'Hey we need you to play inside,' and I said, 'Yeah, that's fine.''

Junior Sean Welsh has worked at center this spring after starting 12 games at guard and two at right tackle last year. It's a move that might become permanent if sophomore James Daniels remains out with an injury through training camp.

'(Welsh is) doing well,' Ferentz said. 'It's not natural yet. In nine workouts, he's done a really good job. His head was spinning the first couple of workouts; you can only do so much sitting in a chair. You have to go out and do it and do it in front of people right in front of you. He's a really good football player. He's making the adjustment, and I'm confident he'll be in really good shape.

'We have to make sure we have our bases covered and if it proves out that James can come back and we'll gauge all the stuff in August. But I think we'll all feel better going into August knowing that we've got a guy who's had some experience at that position.'

NELSON OUT

Sophomore defensive end Matt Nelson, who played high school football at Cedar Rapids Xavier, suffered a sprained ankle in practice on Wednesday and did not compete in Friday's workout. Red-shirt freshman Anthony Nelson took reps with the first team in Matt Nelson's place.

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