No. 14 — CB Greg Mabin

No. 14 . . .

Greg Mabin sprinted out of obscurity and into the starting lineup for the Hawkeyes last season. Kind of literally.

A couple of years ago, Mabin (6-2, 200), a junior cornerback, set up a meeting with head coach Kirk Ferentz. He was a freshman wide receiver and wore the No. 88. This was the pivotal meeting where Mabin told Ferentz . . . he wanted to change jersey numbers.

'I wasn't really feeling it, so I asked for a different number,' Mabin said. 'During the meeting, he asked how I would feel about changing my position to become a defensive back.'

It took some time, but it worked. Mabin went from second-team possibility in the spring to lockdown starter before Iowa's 2014 season opener. Mabin's playing experience before that game? Nothing. Not a snap. Not even a special teams snap. When he walked into that meeting with Ferentz, all Mabin wanted was to shed the No. 88. He's No. 13 now and a second-year starter for the Hawkeyes.

'We recruited him as a receiver, he played defense in high school,' defensive coordinator and secondary coach Phil Parker said Saturday. 'For what he has in his ability and his length and all of that, he just has to understand the game a little more on the defensive side. He's learning and improving, it takes time. It's hard just to throw a guy out there and expect him to understand all the different coverages that you run besides just playing a guy man-to-man.'

Mabin said his strength is in coverage, which happened to line up with the fact that Iowa played a lot more cover 1 defense than usual last season. This meant a lot of one-on-one coverage for corners Mabin and Desmond King.

For the most part, Mabin held his own. He came up with two key pass breakups that basically saved Iowa's victory at Pittsburgh. Mabin would tell you he would want the Nebraska and Tennessee games back, but considering he went from zero plays in 2013 to starter in '14, last season was a solid jumpstart for Mabin's college career.

Family position . . .

Given his family background, Mabin couldn't have been terribly surprised when Ferentz tossed this idea out after the 2012 season.

Mabin's dad, Dr. Wesley Mabin, played cornerback at Nebraska from 1968-71 and played on two national championship teams under legendary coach Bob Devaney. Greg's cousin, Jordan Mabin, was a four-year starter at cornerback for Northwestern (2008-11) and is now an Atlanta Falcon. It would've been too neat and tidy if Mabin's other NFL cousin, Dorin Dickerson, also was a corner. But he plays tight end for the Tennessee Titans.

The family connection syncs up in the fact that he plays the same left cornerback position for Iowa that his dad played for the Huskers.

'He always tries to tell me a few things when I go back home,' said Mabin, who finished last season with five passes broken up and one interception. 'I appreciate it.'

Outlook . . .

If last season was a year of learning — and more positive than not for Mabin — this season sets up to be a year to improve.

The struggles you saw late in the season, yes, Mabin probably stewed over those in the offseason. Keep in mind, however, that there was more good than not in his first season as a starter.

'He's fine,' said Iowa assistant Seth Wallace, who's recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach. 'I don't know that that one game fazed him at all. There's plenty from last year that would show that he's a very good player. He's a competitor. That's what a lot of guys have to do these days. They're going to come across a day where it didn't wind up on their side, but he's done everything that we've expected this spring.'

Mabin was a revelation for the 2014 defense. He has a chance to build on that in 2015.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com