A Closer Look: Secondary

THE DEPTH CHART

LEFT CORNERBACK

1. Greg Mabin, jr., 6-2, 200; 2. Maurice Fleming, jr., 6-0, 205; 3. Michael Ojemudia, true fr., 6-2, 190

RIGHT CORNERBACK

1. Desmond King, jr., 5-11, 200; 2. Sean Draper, sr., 6-0, 190; 3. Kevin Ward, soph., 6-1, 205

STRONG SAFETY

1. Miles Taylor, soph., 6-0, 195; 2. Anthony Gair, jr., 6-2, 210; 3. Isaiah Kramme, fr., 6-3, 205

FREE SAFETY

1. Jordan Lomax, sr., 5-10, 205; 2. Brandon Snyder, fr., 6-1, 210; 3. Jake Gervase, fr., 6-1, 200

NICKEL - Fleming

THE GUY

Senior free safety Jordan Lomax has fought through a pair of injuries to become the secondary's de facto leader. He was an honorable mention all-Big Ten player last year and twice has earned academic all-Big Ten honors.

Lomax has the ability to cover and bring the thunder to stop running backs. He began his career as a cornerback, then switched to safety after a hamstring injury cost him his job in 2013. Last year he registered 92 tackles, broke up six passes, forced one fumble and picked off one pass. He has 104 career tackles.

But Lomax's leadership qualities are what set him apart. He's an economics graduate and spoke in front of an Iowa athletics department meeting last spring.

'He's just been a phenomenal young guy in our program,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. 'Like a lot of our guys, he's got some great stories. He's gone through hardship and disappointment. You know, he looked like he was going to be a starter a couple years ago and had an injury off the bat which was disappointing and lost his starting position. (He) battled through that ... and he's persevered.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Iowa lost just one starting defensive back - strong safety John Lowdermilk - and sophomore Miles Taylor seems to have won that job with strong performances in the spring and fall camps. Taylor is known as a fierce hitter and has drawn comparisons from those around the program to former Iowa great Bob Sanders.

The Hawkeyes have experimented at backup safety by shifting junior Anthony Gair to strong safety and freshman Brandon Snyder to free. Gair started one game at free safety in place of Lomax last fall. Snyder red-shirted but was locked in a battle with Taylor at strong safety during the spring. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker called the alignment 'a work in progress.”

'They're all four in there competing, and they're growing,” Parker said. 'Whether somebody has to move from a free safety to a strong safety, they have to know both positions, and I think we're looking at those four guys right now.”

Desmond King hails from Detroit and doesn't know how to swim. But a few friends persuaded him to go canoeing anyway at a lake near West Branch this summer.

'We went fishing so I got in the water,” King said. 'That's something I don't like to do. I don't like to get in boats because I'm scared. I can't swim, so it was the first time getting on a boat and actually fishing. I didn't catch anything, but it was interesting.”

Iowa's price of front-line depth at defensive back is attrition among younger players. Since April, three defensive backs elected to transfer. Sophomore Malik Rucker (Minneapolis), who saw action in six games, left in May. Sophomore Solomon Warfield (Cleveland area) bolted in late July. Red-shirt freshman Jalen Embry (Detroit) quit about a week into training camp.

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com