Croot Loops — Offensive line

Going into spring practice, which begins for Iowa March 25th, the Hawkeyes have 12 offensive linemen on scholarship. At least one OL in the two deep (Cole Croston) is a walk-on. Although it varies, the industry standard for O-linemen on scholarship is 15.

On signing day 2013, you probably remember head coach Kirk Ferentz saying Iowa 'borrowed” a few scholarships for wide receivers. It happened again last year except with more defensive backs. So now, you have 2015 and five O-linemen coming in on scholarship.

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Without doubt, center James Daniels

is the star of Iowa's 2015 recruiting class. The 6-3, 290-pounder had offers from everywhere, but when he had hats on the table, they were Iowa, Ohio State and Alabama. Yes, Daniels' father, LeShun Daniels Sr. was a guard for Ohio State (1994 to '96), but his brother, LeShun Jr., is a junior running back for the Hawkeyes. That worked in Iowa's favor, and the Hawkeyes will take four stars however they can get them (and, it seems anymore, that there almost needs to be a connection).

Daniels was a three-year letterwinner for Harding High School (Warren, Ohio). He played offensive and defensive line and was team captain his senior season.

Daniels is considered the fourth-best center prospect nationally by Rivals.com and 13th by 247sports.com. He was the first offensive lineman from the state that Ohio State coaches offered in this recruiting cycle.

Rivals: 4 stars Scout: 4 stars 247Sports: 4 stars Composite

: 4.00

Depth chart in 2015?

: Let's give it a 10 percent chance, probably because of injury. Daniels is a center. It's what he's always played and where he prefers. That also happens to be where Iowa sees him. After playing the majority of last season at guard, senior Austin Blythe is listed as the center going into spring. So, Iowa doesn't need Daniels there. Could he push through at guard? Iowa has experience here with senior Jordan Walsh and sophomore Sean Welsh. Both were in and out of the lineup with injuries or performance issues - and former center Tommy Gaul was deemed more important to have in the lineup - but should be well ahead of Daniels.

So, probably a redshirt for Daniels and then in 2016 he'll have a great shot at what will be an open center position.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Rob Bruggeman

I should put a question mark after Rob Bruggeman's name. I'm basing this off the straight power Daniels' film shows. He fires off the ball, gets into defenders and finishes. Bruggeman started his career as a walk-on and grew into a dominant center, starting only in his first year (he probably would've started as a junior, but an ACL injury ended his season before it started). Daniels has longer arms and needs the weightroom, but on his prep level, he was a powerful player.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: 'James is a national kid. Obviously, having his brother here was key to the recruiting there, but I also think he recognizes what we've done with the offensive line. In terms of a highly rated recruit, historically, there has to be a tie, either geographical or family, to get someone like James. We're hoping for big things out of him.”

My take

: Focused, intense, all business. Daniels enrolled early and will be in spring practice. If he takes care of business, he could be the heir apparent at center in 2016. Iowa centers tend to stick and, more often than not, get long looks in the NFL. What stood out in his highlight video was, believe it or not, the way he targeted blockers at the second level. Daniels found himself releasing up to linebackers. Yes, it's highlights, but he always hit his target and stayed under control.

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You know that Jake Newborg

wanted to be a Hawkeye. He committed to Iowa in Sept. 2013 and, of course, didn't sign until last week on Feb. 4, 2015. Newborg was a couple of games into his junior season at West Lyon High School when on a visit to Iowa City ... 'Kirk pulled me and my parents into his office and told me I was the type of player that they wanted for the Hawkeyes,” Newborg, a 6-3, 280-pound guard, told HawkeyeReport.com. He kind of saw it coming, but 'I kind of felt it in my gut, but I wasn't sure.”

Newborg gave it a little less than three weeks before committing to the Hawkeyes and was Iowa's first commit for the 2015 class. Newborg had no other offers, which is emblematic of this class. Iowa had a lot of early commits who stuck and so didn't see any other offers.

'He has always been a big, physical kid, but once he got going in the weight room and did the things the right way, he started to really improve and grow into his body,” West Lyon coach Jay Rozeboom told HawkeyeReport.com. 'He has this attitude that he likes to win the one-on-ones whether in practice or games, you name it. He wants to win every one-on-one battle.”

Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 3 stars 247Sports: 3 stars Composite

: 3.00

Depth chart in 2015?

: No. Newborg is a weightroom devotee and will need a year to build the body. West Lyon, his prep team, finished as the Class 1A runner-up to Iowa City Regina, which was quarterbacked by Iowa signee Drew Cook. Newborg finished the season with 53 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He also led the way upfront on the offensive line for West Lyon, which had the best ground attack in the state with a total of 4,683 yards rushing.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Austin Blythe

Newborg is leaner than Blythe right now, but that will change. This is a height and where Newborg might fit sort of a thing. He doesn't boast the wrestling background that Blythe had, but Newborg comes in with high marks as a defensive player. In fact, there was and probably remains some debate on where he'll line up. 'When I talk to Brian (Ferentz) he says offense when I talk to Reese (Morgan) he says defense, but they will decide at camp.”

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: 'You can roll him in there with the Paulsens. He's everything you'd expect out of an offensive lineman that we've found here in Iowa. The qualities that a lot of the great ones in this program have shared, tough, physical. Jake fits that mold. He's athletic and has good size. We've talked about defensive line with him.”

My take

: His highlights are ridiculous. Everything Newborg touched on film wilted. He's a very powerful athlete right now. You can see why there is a bit of a tug o' war among Iowa coaches. You can see Newborg trading punches as a 3-technique defensive tackle or as a workaholic plugger guard. He has a lean frame right now and will fill out. He has the beginnings of a player who'll be able to fight on a Big Ten line of scrimmage.

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Landan and Levi Paulsen

committed to Iowa in late February 2014. They stand 6-6 and weigh in the 275-to-285 range. They spar to see who gets to wrestle heavyweight for Woodbury Central. They don't live on a farm, but their lives have been steeped in farm chores.

They picked Iowa early and they stuck with Iowa, so the recruiting hype died off. Iowa ended up being the only formal offer they received. If they would've kept things open, you know more offers would've come (Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Stanford showed interest).

The Paulsens bale for some farmers on a regular basis, but they also get random calls for this particular service. During a normal day in the summer, Landan estimated that they out up 1,500 to 2,000 bales a day. The work ethic, the wrestling background, the size, it's like Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, an offensive line coach at heart and to the bone, dreamed up these guys.

Yes, they are raw prospects. They know this. Woodbury Central is a Class A program in Iowa. The Paulsens helped teach teammates how to do certain lifts in the school's weightroom. They know they have work to do.

'We didn't have a structured program in our high school,” Landan said. 'We know we're going in and we're totally raw. That's what the coaches tell us. ‘We know you're really raw and undersized for your frames.' We're undersized physically and we have a lot to learn mentally. They'll tell us that straight up. That's one of the things I like about Iowa, they're not going to tell you you're a good player. We know we're decent players and we can develop into good players.”

Landan - Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 4 stars 247Sports: 3 stars Composite

: 3.33

Levi - Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 4 stars 247Sports: 3 stars Composite

: 3.33

Depth chart in 2015?

: No. It's a massive leap from Class A football in Iowa (Moville has a population around 1,700) to the Big Ten. You look at the Paulsens and you think they look like they're plug-and-play, but what's the hurry? Iowa is veteran on the inside of the OL. Yes, the Hawkeyes are trying out a pair of new offensive tackles, but no true freshman has seen time there in Ferentz's 17 seasons at the school. Ike Boettger and Boone Myers are third-year sophomores, so they're more advanced. It's tough to see the Paulsens making up that kind of ground, and, really, there's no big rush here.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Brandon Scherff

I know, whoa daddy, but if you look at where Scherff started, you can see some similarities. No, the Paulsens didn't play quarterback for Woodbury Central (Scherff did that for Dennison), but they do play in the jazz band. They also share the outdoorsman gene. We're talking avid hunters and fishermen (the Paulsens also are trappers). Beyond all the peripheral stuff, the Paulsens share the same build as Scherff. They've got great size and that's a great place to start.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: 'You're talking about very good size. Tough, physical, these guys are hard-nosed kids, now. It will take them some time, it does with everyone, especially when you're talking about the developmental positions on the offensive and defensive lines. Maybe some of the skill guys on the outside could maybe do something their freshmen years. They're great guys and will put in the work. They're were on board before I got here (last June), and I'm glad they were. They've helped us out recuiting-wise, there's no question about that. All those guys who've been with us for a while, they did their part recruiting-wise.”

My take

: During an interview with the Paulsens, Levi said that during a few summer camps, coaches wanted to know if they were a package deal. They also played them on the same side, with Levi lining up at guard and Landan playing tackle. If you watch their film, you'll notice Levi (6-6, 275) doing a lot of pulling from the guard spot and you'll see quite a few highlights of Landan (6-6, 285) playing a standup defensive end. You can see them splitting up that way and lining up next to each other in a few years.

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Brett Waechter

(6-5, 265) is another offensive lineman from Iowa who committed early, didn't show any bend in his commitment and then ended up with only the offer from Iowa. Waechter had regional interest (including from Nebraska, where his uncle, Henry, was a defensive end before he won a Super Bowl ring with the 1985 Chicago Bears).

Waechter also struggled with a right shoulder injury in his last two seasons playing for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School (where he was coached by his dad, Steve). He first suffered the injury during the second game of his junior season. He had surgery that November (2013) and didn't return to contact until camps that next summer. He thought the injury would send him on a summer camp odyssey looking for a scholarship. He camped in Iowa City on June 1 with the anticipation that he would return June 21 for another round of camps with Iowa, but he didn't have to. He had a scholarship offer from the Hawkeyes.

'They said that after the first camp and two more camps after that, they liked me the best out of everybody they saw and think that I would be a good fit for their program,” Waechter told HawkeyeReport.

Waechter has enrolled early, but his status for spring football might be up in the air with the shoulder perhaps needing surgery.

Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 2 stars 247Sports: 3 stars Composite

: 2.66

Depth chart in 2015?

: No. If Waechter's shoulder is an issue, there's no reason to rush him into action. Not only does Iowa have Myers and Boettger slotted as starters at tackle, it also has experience in Cole Croston and Ryan Ward and lists redshirt freshman Keegan Render on the two deeps going into spring. Iowa doesn't have experience at OT, but it does have bodies. As with the Paulsens and Newborg and, for that matter, Daniels, there's really no need to rush Waechter.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Markus Zusevics

They look a lot alike. Also, they have similar bodies, even though Zusevics was more of a weightroom project (he came 255 pounds). The norm for most offensive lines, college and NFL, is to put a massive dude at right tackle, which is where Zusevics played (before matriculating to the NFL). Iowa doesn't go that route. If Waechter tops out at 290-ish, he'll still be a solid tackle candidate.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: 'I hate to say ‘developmental,' but that's really what he is and what a lot of these guys are. He's raw, but he's smart, he's athletic. He's got great length. He comes from a football family. His uncle has been over here two or three times, he's part of this deal. Brett has been with us for a long time now. [Conversation goes into the possibility of an early signing period, which pretty much all of Iowa's 2015 O-line commits probably would've taken.] It would've allowed us to communicate with them without having to be conscious of what period we were in. There's some benefit to the early signing period, which is going to happen.”

My take

: On his level, Class 1A in Iowa, Waechter was a moose. His highlight YouTube is pancake after pancake. So, what translates? Waechter showed excellent feet. The HMS scheme asked him to move around and he hooked up with second-level defenders very well, and usually buried them. He also kept his knees bent and stayed in control when in space. He didn't lean or throw himself out of the play. He has nice long arms and, at least judging by the number of times he took defenders to the grass, appears to play with an attitude. Football is sewn into the family, too, and that's a bonus that will pay off in getting to the field sooner. But again, no hurry. Iowa has bodies at tackle and Waechter will need some weightroom time.