Joel Lanning learning another football language under new Iowa State staff

AMES — Joel Lanning has been tasked with learning a new football language for the third time in the last four years.

In his quest to become fluent in yet another playbook, the Iowa State junior quarterback has learned from past experiences what works and what doesn't. His Rosetta Stone in the current scheme is about studying and repetition.

Lanning settled in as the starting quarterback in the last five games a year ago and enters the spring as the clear front runner. His comfort level with change and familiarity with his responsibilities at the college level have aided the transition to another set of signals to learn.

The languages between all of the playbooks vary from one another, but they all have a commonality at their core.

'I've had like three new offenses since I've been here and it's kind of crazy how they've all had somewhat the same terminology,' Lanning said. 'It's not terrible. I honestly think the hardest thing is to learn the new signals because with slants, we have something different now than what it used to be. It's hard to learn that signal and just get used to it.'

At 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds, Lanning brings a different dimension to what Coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Tom Manning want to do in the run-based offense.

Lanning was 107-of-193 passing for 1,247 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, but was also the second-leading rusher on the team with 330 yards and four touchdowns. His body type fits well in a system that allows its quarterback to be a running threat, but Lanning has shown the coaches something that isn't as measurable.

Through the first seven of an allotted 15 spring practices, Campbell has looked for three things out of the quarterbacks: poise, accuracy and leadership. Everything, he said, starts there and all of the other elements are filled in around that core.

'I've been pleasantly surprised that Joel has got those intangibles,' Campbell said. 'I think those are some of the things that he has the ability to do. Again, after 15 practices, now we'll tailor our offense to what his capabilities are and to what some of the players' capabilities are.'

Lanning's task of becoming more fluent in the terminology is the jumping-off point for his growth throughout the spring and summer, which has been part of quarterbacks coach Jim Hofher's expectations as well. Any missteps Lanning has made through the first half of spring ball hasn't been for lack of committing himself.

'Joel is a competitor,' Hofher said. 'I think all of you have probably seen that. He seems to be, although we will limit a quarterback during the spring, I think he's probably a physically tough man. He's built to be physically tough. He's got the body type of a catcher more than he does of a pitcher.'

Does that mean Lanning has the green light to blast through defenders instead of sliding this season?

'No, I've had a good talk with Coach (Hofher) about that,' Lanning said with a laugh. 'He told me don't be stupid. I'll be getting down a lot more.'

Lanning's completion percentage of 55.4 percent in his first year as a starter was about establishing a base, but he wants to see that number go up and said it has a lot to do with his mechanics.

An offseason of breaking bad habits and working alongside Campbell and Hofher — who characterized Lanning as a sponge when taking all the coaching this spring — has started Lanning on the path to getting those numbers up.

'The accuracy will come if I get my feet right, that's what Coach Hofher is always trying to say,' Lanning said. 'Get your feet right and (the accuracy will) come with it.'

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