116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
The Contingency -- Defensive line
Defensive line
The Men: DE Adrian Clayborn, DE Broderick Binns, DT Karl Klug, DT Christian Ballard
The Contingencies: DT Mike Daniels, DE Lebron Daniel
Yes, only two.
When it comes to defensive and offensive lines, in my mind, you're looking for the No. 3 tackle and end. On the O-line, the No. 3 guard right now might be Cody Hundertmark and No. 3 tackle Woody Orne.
On D-line, the unquestioned No. 3s are Daniel and Daniels.
Daniel, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound junior, was always the guy getting a faceful of Bryan Bulaga's glove during an Iowa practice footage you saw last year on local news or the Big Ten Network. That either breaks you or makes you.
Defensive coordinator Norm Parker has talked up Daniel in the past, but he hasn't had any chance on the field behind Clayborn and Binns (and Ballard in '08).
That will likely change. Daniel will get a starter (or two) this fall depending on the suspension that Binns might face for an OWI earlier this month. Last season, offensive tackle Kyle Calloway received a one-game suspension for an OWI; cornerback Shaun Prater got two. Suspension remains to be seen, but Daniel will be seen.
The No. 4 D-end might be redshirt freshman Dominic Alvis, a 6-4, 240-pounder who missed a lot of spring with a groin injury.
Your No. 3 D-tackle is Daniels, a 6-1, 275-pound appliance. He's not tall, so he wins a lot of leverage battles. He had decent quickness and is strong as an ox. He very well could be starting on a few defensive lines around the Big Ten. Last season, he had 1.5 sacks in very little playing time. Expect to see more of Daniels early. The game in Arizona is going to tax D-linemen and Iowa's best foot forward in the desert heat might be the D-line.
No. 4 tackle is up in the air. Walk-on Thomas Nardo (6-3, 277) might wedge in there. If sophomore Steve Bigach (6-3, 272) can shake injuries, he might have a say. Incoming freshmen Anthony Ferguson (6-3, 280), Carl Davis (6-5, 295) and Louis Trinca-Pasat (6-3, 250) show something during camp, they could get a look.
James Ferentz (53) grapples with Mike Daniels (93) during the Iowa Football Spring Practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, April 17, 2010. Daniels will be DT No. 3 this fall. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)
(From left) Iowa's Lebron Daniel, Kyle Haganman, Broderick Binns and Karl Klug head toward Northwestern during a kick off return during the first half at Kinnick Stadium on September 27, 2008. Love this picture. All these guys could factor at some point this fall and this shows where they began. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)
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