Iowa football 'can't lose something you never had' in recruiting

IOWA CITY — "You can't lose something you never had."

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said that Wednesday, indirectly referencing Texas high school running back Eno Benjamin, who decommitted after a mini-saga involving visits to other schools after verbally committing to play for the Hawkeyes. Ferentz addressed the situation, albeit vaguely because of the rules, and said his staff will circle the wagons and hit the recruiting trail again.

Iowa tries to offset the power a recruit has before signing day by sending the now-famous letter with the 'no other visits' policy included. But Ferentz said Wednesday the reality is things like what happened with Benjamin have happened before and will happen again.

'Until there is an early signing date you're going to see activity with commitment, all this type of thing, it hardly comes as a surprise to us," Ferentz said. "Quite frankly, that's why some schools are opposed to early signing for that very reason, just so there's a chance to have that type of activity.

"The bottom line is it's a very fluid process, always has been. And the only time to get excited about the way recruiting goes is in February, once you have your class committed. And we've seen plenty of examples of that, as well.'

Ferentz is supportive of the players having that power, and repeated as much on multiple occasions during his bye week media availability.

The manner in which a recruit conducts himself matters a lot to the Iowa staff. Ferentz and Co. have 'general parameters' in how they'd like those who have committed to conduct themselves, and most often if a productive dialogue remains open, problems don't arise. How the Benjamin situation played out still is in the weeds a bit, but Ferentz said Wednesday that, overall, Iowa has had good luck in that area.

'It would be really nice for us as coaches to think that you're never going to get a surprise,' Ferentz said. 'I can say this, in recent history the recruits that we've dealt with have been great. They're very straight forward. It's a matter of choice for everybody.'

While Iowa has its policy it sends to recruits in the effort to be sure they stay committed, there's nothing, Ferentz said, stopping them from talking to a recruit who's verbally committed to another school.

It's not as if Ferentz and Co. are preying upon someone else's turf, but they certainly don't shut off communication once a player has verbally committed elsewhere.

'We're open to it. We'll listen,' Ferentz said. 'No hard, firm policies, other than case-by-case. But we do have a blanket statement we try to operate on. And just kind of go from there.'

Ferentz said his staff will 'hit some games this weekend,' on the recruiting trail, with an obvious hole in their commit list to fill.

DUAL RUNNING BACKS?

Speaking of running backs, two of the guys Eno Benjamin theoretically would've replaced have been pretty much everything for the Iowa offense so far this season.

Iowa running backs Akrum Wadley and LeShun Daniels have been the Pied Pipers, with Wadley carrying 90 times for 636 yards and eight touchdowns, and Daniels carrying 119 times for 624 yards and six touchdowns. Between the two of them, in terms of all-purpose yards, they've accounted for 53 percent of the offensive production.

So why not put them on the field together?

While it's not been something Iowa has done — or even really tried to do in the past — offensive coordinator Greg Davis brought up the option when asked what Iowa can do to get guys involved in different ways. Anything to spark the offense, right?

'Can we get LeShun and Akrum on the field at the same time? That's one of the things that we're looking at,' Davis said. 'Where is the best combination of getting guys on the field that can come up with plays. And whether or not that's Akrum — a package with Akrum and LeShun in the back field at the same time.'

Derrick Mitchell, who has been the third-down back this season, was brought up in that mix as well. His role hasn't been as predominant as maybe was thought earlier this year, but that's been owed in many respects to Wadley's success in the passing game, with 18 catches for 188 yards and a touchdown.

What the backfield looks like the rest of the way has a lot to do with the work — and possibly experimentation — Iowa does this week.

'That's what this week is all about,' Davis said. 'There's some advantages to having a third down guy. That's (Mitchell's) role and that's what he prepares for. But there's also some advantages to having the other two guys in there, too. LeShun is a big body. Akrum is a really good screen guy. We'll continue to look at that.'

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com