Scherff campaigns for left tackle

IOWA CITY -- With every mock draft the internet spits out, it's becoming more and more possible that Iowa might be in the market for a left offensive tackle next season.

Two weeks ago, The Sporting News had Iowa junior Riley Reiff going to the Detroit Lions in the first round. It's too early to tell if Saturday will be a tell when it comes to 2012 left offensive tackle for the Hawkeyes.

But Reiff -- who's been nursing a bone bruise for a couple of weeks, Iowa play-by-play voice Gary Dolphin said on Saturday's broadcast -- was the first O-lineman taken out of Iowa's 45-24 blowout against Indiana.

He was replaced by redshirt freshman Brandon Scherff. Yes, Scherff knows next year is way off in the distance, but, yes, he wants the left tackle job.

"Yes," Scherff said when asked if he'd want the job. "Absolutely."

Scherff has split some time at left guard with junior Matt Tobin. During practice last week, Scherff saw reps as the No. 2 left tackle. So, there's a little more evidence.

It's hard to imagine but true. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder still is only a redshirt freshman.

"I'm just working at it and Riley helps me out a lot," said Scherff, who's from Denison. "It's different from left guard to left tackle, because you have to work more on the outside. But Riley tells me who to focus on and what to watch out for."

Just something to think about.