Survivor: Center Island

This is a scheduled resurrection. Football doesn't have too many of those, so this has a chance to be something.

Rafael Eubanks started the very first game of his career at Iowa. Turn back the clock to 2006. As a redshirt freshman, Eubanks walked out with the starters against Montana and didn't leave the lineup until a knee injury four games later. He started every game in 2007.

Then, last season, Eubanks was beaten out at center by fifth-year senior Rob Bruggeman. He started four games at guard and was squeezed out there by then-sophomore Julian Vandervelde.

Now, if the depth chart holds this week, Eubanks will take his place back at center.

"Raf has played, has experience and is a very bright kid," O-line coach Reese Morgan said. "He's a talented young man."

But . . .

"It's a critical position for us and we'll know more as camp goes along," Morgan added.

Right now, going into Saturday's opener, it's a football resurrection, of sorts. It has a chance to be something.

"It's my senior year, I want to be playing and I want to help out my team in any way possible," said Eubanks, who has 26 career starts. "Right now, we're in a situation where there's competition. That's just football. I'm not mad about that or anything. I actually think it's really good for the team.

"Somebody's going to have to step up their game and hopefully play well through the season. It's going to help the team."

The depth chart at center has been an ongoing battle since spring practice.

Junior Josh Koeppel (6-2, 267) made the position a 1a-1b deal throughout fall camp. Redshirt freshman James Ferentz (6-2, 265) is probably the future at the position. There's no telling when the future arrives in football.

Last Friday, the depth chart had Eubanks, a 6-3, 280-pound fifth-year senior, at the top. Eubanks fully acknowledged that it's going to be a battle to stay there.

He knows better than anyone that's the way it is.

"Everything you do and everything you achieve is earned," Eubanks said. "That's just kind of Iowa football. How we do during the season is what we put into it."

Vandervelde got a few snaps at center during spring practice. He was going to be an option before summer biceps surgery sidelined him through fall camp. He's supposed to return to practice this week, but coach Kirk Ferentz has said he'll want Vandervelde just to concentrate on guard after missing this much time.

Eubanks appears to be the survivor.

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