Ferentz on Ferguson

Iowa has tried for years to break into Baltimore, Md., and did it in a big way this year with DT Anthony Ferguson Jr. and LB Jim Poggi.

Iowa filled a need with Ferguson, a big D-lineman with a wrestling background. The 6-3, 280-pounder also lettered in track and wrestling. He earned all possible awards during his senior year while helping the Gilman School to the Maryland private league title.

You know Iowa likes its interior players to have a wrestling background.

Links -- Ferguson made a Maryland preseason "Dream Team," link includes a photo. . . . From PressBoxonline.com, this story talks about Ferentz and Maryland. . . . Here's the story I wrote when Ferguson committed to the Hawkeyes. (He committed before visiting IC with his family. Iowa beat out Penn State.)

Bio -- From UI sports info: High school honors - - Named first team all-state, all-conference and all-Metro as a senior . . . was first team all-conference as a junior and sophomore. . . earned all-City honors in Baltimore as a junior . . . Career - - earned three varsity letters in football . . . team captain as a senior, helping prep team win Maryland private league title . . . recorded 68 tackles as a senior, including 21 tackles for loss, five QB sacks, five forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles . . . led conference in tackles for loss and forced fumbles as a senior . . . collected 64 tackles as a junior, with 13 tackles for loss, five QB sacks, two forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles . . . had 32 tackles as a sophomore, with eight tackles for loss, three QB sacks, two forced fumbles and one recovered fumble . . . also lettered in track and wrestling.

Personal - - Born 12/28/90 . . . Psychology major . . . mother is Rosalee Wilson . . . high school coach was Biff Poggi.

Ferentz on -- Iowa brought in five D-linemen, Ferentz's quick assessement: "It's a little bit of a projection, two of the guys are bigger than normal. We haven't had a lot of big guys. As you know, Colin Cole is probably the only guy that really came in with the kind of size of Anthony Ferguson and Carl Davis. A little bit different for us that way. . . . "Anthony's in that 280 range. Big guy."

Projection is fun -- Pure defensive tackle and, really, we don't need to go any farther.

This is the total DT package under Ferentz at Iowa. Wrestler, check (all that hand fighting). Athlete, check (a thrower in track, have to be able to move to have success). Football player, check.

I think Ferguson probably redshirts. If he's the right kind of 280 now, he could be 290 next spring and have a shot at the depth chart. The D-line is going to be wide open in 2011, with three graduating after next season.