The gold standard (DL talk)

Iowa's defensive line will be the gold standard of the 2010 Hawkeyes.

Defensive end Adrian Clayborn proved it in '09 and should be positioned for national awards next season. He had 20 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks, third in the Big Ten in both categories. He also had four forced fumbles. He'll be one of the Big Ten's marquee names next fall.

"We definitely want to step up and be the leaders of the defense," Clayborn said. "With Pat (Angerer) and A.J. (Edds) going out, we're up for the challenge. We've got to look at it as being leaders."

In his first season as a starter, junior Broderick Binns finished the season with 10 tackles for loss, six sacks and a team-high nine pass breakups, one more than NFL-bound cornerback Amari Spievey. (It's the wingspan and a knack for reading the QB and getting in the throwing lane.)

"A lot was expected from us this year ('09), and it was my first time starting and Ballard's first season at tackle," Binns said. "It's nothing new to us. We'll have to stop the run and rush the passer. It's nothing new to us. We're going to go out and play like we did this year."

Senior-to-be Karl Klug was a revealation at tackle with 13 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and four sacks. He was named first-team all-Big Ten by The Sporting News and honorable mention by league coaches. Last season, Mitch King had 15.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Senior-to-be Christian Ballard made the move inside from D-end and saw his numbers go up. He went from 40 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks to 54 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks with five QB hurries, second behind Clayborn's 9.

That's the gold standard for the Hawkeyes and maybe the Big Ten. Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue also should be strong up front.

In these four, Iowa is returning 52 tackles for loss, 27 sacks, 16 pass breakups and seven forced fumbles. That's a lot of disruption already sitting on the team bus.

If you think they're a satisfied group, remember the lull they experienced going into Penn State. The D-line didn't do much against UNI and Iowa State. After D-line coach Rick Kaczenski pointed this out -- maybe even a little unpolitely -- they had a meeting and turned it up.

The question isn't performance. It's depth and beyond 2010.

As far as backups go, can you name one after end Lebron Daniel and tackle Mike Daniels?

ENDS

This is after Clayborn and Binns, of course. Barring injury, they'll see 99 percent of the snaps next season.

Lebron Daniel (jr.) -- Defensive coordinator Norm Parker had high praise for Daniel, a 6-2, 250-pounder, during spring practice last March. He did see some time on goal line and was the first DE off the bench. He'll likely assume those roles again this season and is positioned to be the guy who takes over for Clayborn in 2011. Also, he's been the guy getting beat on by Bryan Bulaga the last two years. You can only go up from there.

Dominic Alvis (fr.) -- The 6-3, 220-pounder was one of the last scholarships of 2009, signing on after initially being offered a grayshirt. He impressed in fall camp, but needed the year to build a defensive lineman's frame. Great athlete at Logan-Magnolia, lettering in track and basketball. He suffered a knee injury, I believe, during senior football and missed a lot of his senior season.

Joe Forgy (jr.) --   Redshirted this season after walking on from Ellsworth Community College, Forgy earned a team leader award for his scout team efforts. He's listed at 6-4, 250. In two seasons at Ellsworth, he earned honorable mention all-American, along with first team all-region and all-conference honors in 2008. Was captain and had 12 sacks for a regional championship team in '08. Might see time in a rotation situation.

Joe Gaglione (so.) -- The 6-5, 242-pounder missed the entire 2009 season after spring shoulder surgery. He might have been on the cusp of a rotational role, possibly at tackle, before the injury. Now, who knows. Was still not practicing during bowl prep. Could help on the inside, but maybe not until '12.

Louis Trinca-Pasat (fr.) -- An interesting incoming freshman from Lane Tech in Chicago. He played tight end and defensive end in high school. He also was occasionally used as a wide receiver. Probably a redshirt, but he has enrolled early at the UI.

Mike Hardy (fr.) -- Hardy has good size at 6-5, 260 and could grow into a tackle or O-line prospect, but he's coming in listed as a defensive end. A state champion in the discus at Appleton (Wis.) Kimberly, he had a lot of top-flight schools offer scholarships, including Wisconsin and Nebraska.

 TACKLES

Binns is somewhat of a buffer at end. He'll be back in 2011. There's no such luxury at tackle, with Klug and Ballard going into their senior seasons.

There's Mike Daniels and . . . a lot of development.  

Mike Daniels (jr.) -- He saw extremely limited time, but did see enough for 1.5 sacks and 10 tackles. He'll likely be the third tackle again this season with an eye toward being No. 1 in 2011. He's not a road grader at 6-1, 267, but he's got above-average strength and knows what to do with his leverage.

Steve Bigach (so.) -- Was listed as a No. 2 last spring. Signed out of Cleveland in 2008 as a 220-pound project. Rosters often exaggerate, but in 2009, he was listed at 6-3, 270. Could be a contender for a starting spot in 2011 with similar weightroom dedication.

Thomas Nardo (jr.) -- A 6-3, 270-pound walk-on, he's a longshot for playing time in 2010.

Scott Covert (fr.) --  Son of Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Jimbo Covert, the 6-2, 240-pounder is probably a year away after taking a redshirt in 2009. He was injured some early last season, but shook it and participated in Orange Bowl practices. Optimistically, he could position himself well for 2011 with a big winter in the weightroom.

Marty Hopkins (fr.) -- The 6-3, 230-pounder was injured and didn't participate in Orange Bowl practices. Needs to build the body to contend for time at DT.

Anthony Ferguson (fr.) -- A 6-2, 280-pounder, Ferguson comes to Iowa from Baltimore's Gilman School along with linebacker Jim Poggi. Ferguson also wrestled at Gilman. He picked Iowa over Penn State, Duke and Virginia.

Carl Davis (fr.) -- Davis is the first fully grown DT Iowa has recruited since maybe Colin Cole, who is making money with the Seattle Seahawks. The 6-5, 300-pounder helped Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson to a state runnerup finish in Michigan's Division I. Picked Iowa over Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Donavan Johnson (fr.) -- He'll come in a bit undersized for DT, but the 6-2, 245-pounder had a dozen offers, including Nebraska, Purdue and K-State. He could also project to D-end, where the Arlington, Texas, native likely begin at Iowa.