BTN analyst says Jewel Hampton could compete for league rushing title

CORALVILLE -- Iowa running back Jewel Hampton could rank among the Big Ten's best backs this year, Big Ten Network analyst Howard Griffith said today.

"Jewel Hampton looked phenomenal to me," said Griffith, who covered Iowa's practice Thursday night as part of the network's preseason tour of the league's 11 schools. "I don't think there's any reason he won't be, if he can stay healthy, one of the guys that's up for the rushing title in the Big Ten this year."

Hampton, a red-shirt sophomore, suffered a torn ACL last year before the season and did not play. He rushed for 463 yards and a then-freshman record seven touchdowns as a true freshman in 2008.

Hampton competes against red-shirt sophomore Adam Robinson for playing time. Robinson led Iowa with 834 yards rushing and scored five touchdowns. True sophomore Brandon Wegher, who rushed for a school-record eight touchdowns last year, remains on leave from team activities.

"I thought Jewel had the better day," BTN analyst Gerry DiNardo said. "Adam could have the better day (Friday) or two days ago. Both looked good, but I thought Jewel looked exceptionally good."

DiNardo, who formerly was head coach at Vanderbilt, LSU and Indiana, was impressed with Hampton's running style and leverage when he approaches contact.

"They run the zone scheme, and I think he's got a great feel for the play," DiNardo said. "He keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. He doesn't rush the cut and then when he sees the seam, he accelerates through the seam. When he's hit, his shoulders are down so the first thing the defender usually hits is shoulders or his forearms, very rarely his legs. So he runs with great body lean.

"I think part of the secret here is they've been very consistent with their staff and very consistent with their offensive and defensive schemes. Players have heard the same message from the same people over and over again. To a guy like Jewel Hampton, after a while, all those cuts he makes in the zone scheme because he's done it so many times they're like second nature because he's heard the same thing."

Hampton is suspended for the first game following a summer alcohol-related arrest.