Big QB, bigger OL

IOWA CITY -- Brandon Scherff is a mountainous 6-foot-5, 310 pounds. When he was a junior in high school, he was a pretty darned big 6-5, 270-pound quarterback.

Yes, quarterback. As a sophomore at Denison High School, Scherff threw for 1,200 yards.

"He can throw," Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg said. "He looks like he might be able to pop the ball in his hand."

The key factor in Scherff's decision to give the offensive line a try was when Iowa started recruiting him as an O-lineman.

"I was getting recruited here for O-line and I didn't want to come in here and not know what I was doing," said Scherff, who is down to share time today at right guard with junior Matt Tobin. "Thought it was a pretty good choice to move there. I liked the whole concept, just going out there and hitting people."

Scherff is a redshirt freshman and he could -- capital "could" -- be on the same track that Bryan Bulaga followed in his career at Iowa. Bulaga, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers last year, started at guard in '07 before moving to left tackle. He plays right tackle for the Packers.

Next season, Iowa could be in the market for a pair of tackles. Markus Zusevics is a fifth-year senior; Riley Reiff is already hearing his name attached to the NFL.

"I think so," Scherff said to the question. "I've been working right tackle and left tackle on the second offense, just moving me in there whenever."