Ferentz on Shumpert

Listed at 6-3, 185 pounds, Don Shumpert could be a very different safety than Iowa has had.

Next season, Brett Greenwood and Tyler Sash will bookend the position for the third consecutive season. They are in the 6-foot, 200-pound range. The immediate contrast is height, but other than that, Greenwood and Sash have thrown their bodies around like no other Hawkeyes the last two seasons (back-to-back offseason shoulder surgeries for both).

Still, safeties seem to be getting taller league wide. What does that offer? Speed being equal, it would offer range. Also, it would offer defense against the fade routes, which is something Iowa fans love when it's Stanzi-to-McNutt.

Shumpert is an athlete. Safety, wide receiver, basketball. His dimensions make him an interesting safety prospect.

Links -- Here's a link to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch all-conference team that the paper had nothing to do with. . . . Here's a link to the P-D's list of Super 30 football recruits. Shumpert is No. 7; LB Christian Kirksey is No. 9. . . . Here's a link to the St. Louis American all-American team. . . . Here's a link to a signing day story I did on Iowa's recruiting connection to St. Louis.

Bio -- From UI sports info: High school honors - - Earned first team all-state honors as a senior and was second team as a junior . . . named to St. Louis Rams Golden all-Metro team and St. Louis American all-American team . . . was first team all-conference as a senior and second team as a junior . . . Career - - earned two varsity letters as wide receiver and free safety . . . recorded 45 receptions for 736 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior, with 79 tackles on defense . . . gained 237 yards and scored three touchdowns on 16 receptions as a junior . . . had 55 tackles and three interceptions as junior . . . team captain and MVP as a senior . . . helped prep team win state title as a junior... team returned to state playoffs as a senior . . . also earned two letters in basketball.

Personal - - Born 1/8/92 . . . pre-business major . . . Honor Roll student throughout prep career . . . parents are Karen and Don Schumpert . . . high school coach was Mike Jones.

Ferentz on -- Iowa has a hole on the depth chart at safety and one of the three safeties it signed in this class might have a shot to fill it: "I think it's possible because we don't have a lot of depth right now. We feel great about our experience at both starting positions and they won't be out there again this spring. They both had offseason surgery. Like they did a year ago.

"So when you guys come out to the scrimmage, April 17th, it's going to be the same old thing. Geez, don't look very good. Hopefully we'll look better when fall rolls around. But I think it's very possible. We're going to need some guys to get involved in the two deep, and we'll see what kind of competition we have this spring.

"The guys that are healthy are going to have a great opportunity to get some quality work and show what they can do. And then we'll see what the young guys can do when they get here. But that is something that we're hoping maybe we can get a little bit of help there."

I asked about the St. Louis connection: "Yeah, that's North County. Players talk to each other. One thing I noticed here in the '80s, we had a lot of players from New Jersey. Bernie was a tremendous recruiter throughout his entire career. I remember asking Bernie about that. He told me -- this was at a young age -- but he says players sell players and I think there's a lot of truth in that.

"The fact that guys came out here had good experience, good quality experience in all the areas I talked about. That's important.

"And my son (Brian, who's up for the tight ends coach of the New England Patriots) sees Andre Tippett frequently. He comes down every Monday, every Monday gives him the Hawkeye, Go Hawks, one of those shots. When a guy like Andre Tippett comes from Newark, New Jersey, he probably wondered where the heck am I when he got here in 1980. Now 30 years later this is one of the great experiences of his lifetime, and that's what you're looking for.

"So, that stuff's all good, and that's a neat thing. So if you can get people to have a good experience, I think that certainly helps you regionally in a recruiting area. No question about that. Because players, there's a lot of recruit talk that goes out there, but I believe players ultimately believe players more than they believe anybody, and that's a good source of information for recruits."

Projection is fun -- Shumpert told me the plan for him right now is free safety. I think that sounds about right. The only out here is he put up some pretty nice numbers as a wideout for Hazelwood East, including eight TDs as a senior. He could -- could -- head to WR if safety solidifies.

But I really think this is the rangy safety that Iowa was in the market for when in about 2006, when Ohio State threw a couple 6-3 safeties on the field against Iowa in 2005.

Not sure if this is him, but think maybe.

Here's some hoops highlights.

Five videos down on this Google link is a nice video of Shumpert in a 7-on-7 tournament.

Christian Kirksey & Don Shumpert (2) from Chris Pool on Vimeo.

Iowa Commitments Christian Kirksey & Don Sumpert from Chris Pool on Vimeo.

Here are the Chris Pool videos that also are on the Christian Kirksey post.