A look at the Iowa Hawkeye running back situation

Concerns - Are there enough carries?

Jewel Hampton, a year removed from the ACL surgery, should be hungry and physically ready.

Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher more than proved they are Big Ten running backs last year. They split 30 carries a game nearly down the middle last season, with Robinson carrying 16.5 times a game and Wegher 13.5.

Now add Hampton.

Additions/subtractions - Marcus Coker comes to Iowa with some recruiting stripes. The 6-foot, 228-pounder rushed for 1,698 yards and 23 TDs as a senior at DeMatha Catholic High School in Washington D.C. De'Andre Johnson is a compact but powerful back at 5-8, 210.

Coker has a chance to play. If he shows something in August camp, he could be the No. 4. Coming off an ACL injury, Johnson likely will red-shirt.

Battles brewing - How will this work?

For more on this story and Morehouse's complete “Four Downs” series, go his blog “On Iowa”

It can work. Robinson, Hampton and Wegher might list in the 210-pound range, but that's rounding up. The reality is Iowa has three smallish backs. You hope it won't be for the players' sakes, but injury likely will be a factor here. It was with all three last season, it likely will be again this year. The Big Ten puts a lot of punishment on 5-8 or 5-9 and 200-ish RBs.

This is why it's good to have three rather than two. Harsh reality of football dictates they'll need all three.

2010 prediction - Creativity.

Iowa's offense is now as deep at running back as it's ever been under Coach Kirk Ferentz. There is room for creativity, finding ways to use and keep all three happy. Could be in the passing game - Wegher seemed to take to the five-wide spread Iowa ran a handful of games last fall. Could be in the running game. Each series could bring a fresh running back. That would be to Iowa's advantage, especially with an O-line that will be three-fifths new.

Right now, it looks like carries/series will go 1) Robinson, 2) Wegher (who has had the spring all to himself) and 3) Hampton.

But it's Iowa running back. Injury likely will shape this.