No reading on QB until August camp

IOWA CITY -- Don't look for Kirk Ferentz to give a big assessment of what's going on at Iowa quarterback.

This is the summer, and remember these workouts are voluntary. Per NCAA rules, members of the Iowa coaching staff may not organize, observe or participate in sports-specific activities with student-athletes outside the playing and practice season.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz isn't terribly impressed by the rules. Then again, he is the head coach of a Big Ten football team, it's nearly July and he doesn't know who his starting quarterback will be.

"It's hard to quantify this time of year, it's strange," Ferentz said Tuesday. "I mention NCAA rules with our contact with our current players, which seems a little ludicrous to a logical thinker."

Iowa football is half way through summer conditioning workouts. The 7 on 7 portion of the workouts kicked off last week but really start picking up this week.

In April, Iowa QB went something like this: Sophomore Jake Rudock had an edge with juco Cody Sokol pushing and redshirt freshman C.J. Beathard finding his way and not that far off the other two. So in college, you go from spring to fall camp. You basically go from zero to 60 mph with the benefit of the airbag the NFL enjoys with OTAs (organized team activities).

So Ferentz isn't being aloof when he says he doesn't know how his three-QB race is going up to the very minute. He's following the rules.

"I see the guys around [and] I'm not even asking or quizzing," Ferentz said. "To me, it's all going to be decided in August. I think all three of them are working really hard right now to do what they can to enhance their opportunities and chances to compete, but ultimately, I think it's all going to get decided during the course of camp."

Ferentz isn't the only one kind of guessing what Iowa might have at QB. Running back Mark Weisman acknowledged Tuesday that they haven't done much more than 7 on 7, which doesn't include offensive and defensive linemen nor does it include contact. You get it. It's Ultimate Frisbee with a football.

"It's going to be a battle between them," he said. "We have a ton of explosive receivers who want to make a name for themselves. We've just got to be more consistent [in the passing game]."

On Twitter Tuesday afternoon, incoming QB Nic Shimonek, of Corsicana, Texas, basically, in good-natured fun, told Hawkeye world don't forget about him.

— Nic Shimonek (@N_shim_9er) June 25, 2013

Again, good-natured fun.

Quick Slants

-- Wide receiver Damond Powell, who led junior colleges with 30.0 yards a reception last season at Snow College (Utah), hasn't reported to Iowa City. He's still at the Ephraim, Utah, school finishing his second year.

This was the plan all along. When Powell, a 5-11, 175-pounder originally from Toledo, Ohio, signed with Iowa, he said he wouldn't report until after summer school. No, this isn't optimum, but Iowa knew this when it signed him.

"He'll be here for camp, but I'm not sure how much prior to that," Ferentz said. "In a perfect world, you'd like to have him here training with our guys. That gives a guy a better chance. We'll have to check his conditioning level right off the bat to try to avoid any leg injuries."

Powell will have three years to play two.

-- On June 13, walk-on linebacker Dalton Shaull was injured in a moped accident in Iowa City. A Facebook photo showed him in a neck brace but giving a thumbs up sign.

"He's doing a lot better," Ferentz said Tuesday. "His issues are orthopedic right now. That's a miracle on one hand and I think everyone feels very, very fortunate."

-- Redshirt freshman running back Barkley Hill seems poised to return from a torn ACL he suffered last August. Ferentz said the Cedar Falls native doesn't have any soreness in the knee.

-- Redshirt freshman running back Michael Malloy will go on scholarship this fall, Ferentz said. Malloy, 6-0, 215, was initially offered a scholarship but lost it after an arrest in August 2o11. He eventually pleaded guilty to obstructing a police officer. He walked on at Iowa and redshirt last season.

-- Punter Jonny Mullings is no longer with the team. He remains in school and is in good standing, Ferentz said. Sophomore Marshall Koehn, a walk-on from Solon, is now the backup punter behind sophomore Connor Kornbrath.

-- Ferentz was asked Tuesday about Iowa tight ends coach D.J. Hernandez, a graduate assistant this season at Iowa. He's the older brother of embattled New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. Authorities have conducted several searches of Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, Mass., as part of a homicide investigation, but they have not named the Patriots player as a suspect.

"He's fine," Ferentz said. "He was here working last week like everybody. He's doing fine."

-- Linebackers

James Morris and

Christian Kirksey and offensive tackle

Brett Van Sloten will be the three players Iowa takes to next month's Big Ten media days in Chicago.