No. 40 — LS Tyler Kluver

No. 40 . . .

There might've been a few long snaps last season that didn't totally hit the bull's-eye, but sophomore Tyler Kluver was pretty much perfect — at least to our naked eyes, but probably not to his — and that's exactly what is demanded from the long snapper.

There's no not getting the job done here. You get maybe one flub ever and it's the other guy's turn. There was no need for that in Kluver's first season handling the long snapping duties for the Hawkeyes.

He was perfect. And so now, just going off how things are done around the Power 5 world, the tryout is over and it's time to pay this man his money.

You read more and more about Power 5 schools awarding scholarships to long snappers. Along with the rise of kicking camps and specialists scholarships, which has become a cottage industry in the last dozen or so years, a long snapping school has risen up. Rubio Long Snapping is a component of Chris Sailer Kicking (they figuratively go hand-in-hand). Sailer Kicking has helped a mound of kickers reach full scholarships (including Iowa's Mick Ellis). The Rubio camp claims to have helped 150 snappers earn full scholarships in the last eight years.

Yes, long snapping is the most specialized of specialized football activities. But these players have received scholarships and, this year, the New England Patriots drafted a long snapper.

Just like every school everywhere, Iowa finds itself with little or no wiggle room for scholarships at this time of year, but Kluver should be at or near the top of the list if one opens before the season (maybe No. 2 after kicker Marshall Koehn).

Earning the shot . . . Check out this ESPN.com post for extended details, but Kluver had to nail his final two snaps in the 'high pressure snap' competition to earn a spot in the 2012 Under Armour All-American game. Kluver didn't earn any offers out of Marshalltown, but had interest from Iowa, Minnesota, Wyoming and North Texas.

Read what you want into high school All-American teams. In my opinion, the high school football world is too big to digest. That said, good teams seem to have a lot of All-American all-stars, and Kluver did what he needed to do to earn his spot.

There is competition . . .

After having the job all to himself last spring, Kluver will have some competition in 2015. Junior offensive lineman Reid Sealby did some long snapping this spring. Also, incoming freshman tight end Nate Vejvoda has a knack. Also, walk-on freshman Jackson Subbert (6-3, 205 from Williamsburg) is listed as a long snapper on Iowa's roster.

All of the players listed are between 6-3 and 6-5. Kluver is listed at 6-0. He's solidly built and holding his own at the line of scrimmage hasn't seemed to have been a problem, but this is the hypercompetitive world of college football.

Here's what Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace said about Vejvoda last winter: 'He's also a very good longsnapper. That really is where you'd like to find your longsnappers, with that type of frame, with that type of athleticism. We're excited, first and foremost, as a tight end, but he's also got some value on special teams.'

Outlook . . .

Kluver is going to be tough to beat for the job. With a year in the grinder, he's proven. You'll have to score a knockout, something that is difficult to do in the special teams training camp setting.

Maybe Kluver earns a scholarship at some point.

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