Media day -- Last Call

The Big Issues

Sniffed around the running backs deal and came up with no clues.

Doesn't feel as though it's going to be the "hot hand" theory. Didn't feel that way last season with Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher. Don't see how it'd fly with the addition of Jewel Hampton.

Kirk Ferentz did say if a Shonn Greene emerges, they will definitely ride that hot hand. Don't see that happening. Didn't happen last season with Robinson and Wegher. Could happen with a healthy Hampton, but he's not the 225-pound piano-on-wheels that Greene was.

Health will steer this, maybe as much as anything else.

The O-line, big issue No. 2, feels set, except for center.

It's year No. 4 for tackle Markus Zusevics and guard Adam Gettis. Ferentz and O-line coach Reese Morgan know what they have. If either of these two is unseated, it's going to take a monster effort or they're going to have to lose it. Their direct competition -- Brett Van Sloten, Nolan MacMillan or Woody Orne for Zusevics and Cody Hundertmark for Gettis -- are in their first years of eligibility or their first on the O-line.

The coaches have four years of Zusevics and Gettis. The history will work in their favor. Won't win them the jobs outright, but it won't hurt.

Big issue No. 3 is kicker. Just stay tuned their. Ferentz said he's willing to play "volleyball," meaning go with the "hot foot," during the season, but he knows that's not optimum. It's not generally how he does things. Ideally, Daniel Murray and Trent Mossbrucker wins this outright. I've had limited exposure, but I just don't see big separation all of the sudden happen between the two. This, sort of like the O-line, is going to come down to comfort level. And I think that favors Murray.

Going, going gone

Guard Julian Vandervelde sported a one-guard (or thereabouts) look Friday. There's a reason for that.

The last time he allowed his mother, Cynthia Tobin, to cut his hair, she used a dull pair of scissors and "it felt like she was pulling out chunks of my hair."

Two years later, and looking to save the cost of a haircut, Vandervelde thought why not? Mom had two years of practice on dad, John Tobin, he wanted to save a few bucks, why not?

"She did great on everything, until she took the guard off," Vandervelde said. "Then, she took one of my sideburns. I've had sideburns since I was 14 years old. I've never gone without sideburns."

So, they decided to take the other one, even it out and let them grow back. Buzz. There went the other sideburn.

There's more.

"This is my mistake, I should've stopped here," he said. "I should've said, 'We're done,' and just gotten out of the chair."

But no, mom circled around and "This is a little uneven, I'm just going to even it out."

Remember, she took the guard off.

"Nrrrrrtttt," Vandervelde said. "Please mom, tell me there's a guard on that clipper. Nope. Went and looked in the mirror. It was terrible. I just said, 'Take it all, just take it all.' And this is what we get for it.

"Never let your mom cut your hair, unless she knows what she's doing. Experienced, licensed haircutters."

Exit stage left

Redshirt sophomore tight end J.D. Griggs has asked for his release and will transfer, coach Kirk Ferentz said.

Counting three commitments for the 2011 class, Iowa had 11 scholarship tight ends in the chute. That's a lot. That's too much.

Something was bound to give there. Griggs has always passed the look test, but he never played a significant down if any. During the spring practice, he had a pair of drops.

The lessens the load a little bit at tight end and probably boosts Iowa's scholarship take for 2011 close to 25.

New man in middle

I had lunch with freshman linebacker James Morris last week for another project. We at at Joensy's in Solon. He had one of their famous tenderlions, big as a hubcap. If I would've attempted that, I would've had to had another gall bladder removed.

Anyway, during lunch, he told me he's a middle linebacker, probably the third stringer going into camp. He's listed 215, but I'm thinking at least 220 and maybe 225.

He plays this year, probably a few special teams and some LB duty. He'll play.

The last huddle at Michigan State

You've seen Derrell Johnson-Koulianos' version. Now, here's a little from Marvin McNutt, the wideout who's number was called and who scored the game-winner with no time left on the clock.

Of course, it's well documented -- right there on the Big Ten Network broadcast -- that DJK didn't exactly agree with the decision and did a little campaiging for the ball to go his way.

"We were all talking, trying to give coach (Ken,the playcaller) our ideas. I think I was the closest one to him," McNutt said. "I said my guy is playing me on the outside, I can beat him on a slant. He (O'Keefe) said, OK. And then, DJ's like, 'Uggghhh.' Then, he gave a look like, 'OK, fine, whatever.'

"It was definitely a really serious huddle."