Hawkeye freshmen have a say

LOS ANGELES — Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has a policy that keeps true freshmen off limits from the media. But this is the Rose Bowl and it asks that every player on the roster be available for its hourlong media day.

It's the Rose Bowl, you know.

So Tuesday, Iowa freshmen had a chance to have a say. First, it's an extremely humble group. Also, being first-year players, they start at the bottom of the pile. This hits home at every position for true freshmen, from quarterback to offensive linemen.

'Just a couple of days ago in practice, Landen and I were getting down on ourselves, along with some of the other redshirts,' said offensive lineman Levi Paulsen, a Moville native who signed a scholarship to play at Iowa last season with his twin brother, Landan. Both are offensive linemen in the building stages.

'After practice, Brian Ferentz (offensive line coach) came up to us and said, 'You guys aren't supposed to be good right now,'' Levi said. 'He went on to say that we have 4 1/2 years ahead of us to do nothing but improve. He's got faith in us that we will get there.'

Most of the freshmen are on the scout team. Drew Cook, a quarterback from Iowa City, had the specific role of Michigan State all-Big Ten QB Connor Cook. The Hawkeyes faced Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game.

'I was No. 18 that week,' said Cook, whose 6-5, 220-pound frame has filled out considerably in his first semester on campus (he's still all-in at QB, by the way, and hasn't jumped on the tight end path, where, of course, his father, Marv, earned all-American status in his days at Iowa). 'I felt like I had to give the defense a good look. That was a big week for me.'

Fellow quarterback Ryan Boyle is shorter than Cook, standing around 6-1 and weighing in at 215, but he's a runner and played several scrambling QB roles for the scout team.

'I can run,' Boyle said. 'I usually ran and scrambled and gave the defense that look. We wanted to give the best look for our defense.'

Does Boyle see himself running some read option at Iowa? The Hawkeyes showed that look last season and even ran some of it when junior C.J. Beathard entered games. With Beathard as the starter this season and with Tyler Wiegers the only backup not redshirting, that didn't show up in the gameplan. This is something Boyle might be able to bring, when he gets in and if he wins the job.

'I hope so,' Boyle said. 'Coach Davis (offensive coordinator Greg Davis) puts us in the right position and right play every single time. If the read option calls for that, maybe we'll see it.'

This week, running back Eric Graham has been playing the role of Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting and who leads the nation in all-purpose yards. Stanford runs some 'wildcat' offense with McCaffrey at quarterback. Graham has loved his chance to do that.

'When I was little, I used to do the wildcat a lot,' Graham said. 'It's fun being the quarterback. There's pressure, but I've tried my best to give the defense a good look.'

It wasn't scout team for every true freshman. You'll see four in the Rose Bowl on Friday — linebacker Jack Hockaday, offensive lineman James Daniels and wide receivers Jerminic Smith and Adrian Falconer. Daniels and Smith have started and contributed this season, specifically against Illinois. Smith caught four passes for 118 yards. Daniels jumped in at right tackle after sophomore Ike Boettger suffered an ankle injury.

Brian Ferentz said Tuesday the Hawkeyes have been toying with line combinations in practice and Daniels could start against the Cardinal.

'That (the Illinois game) was probably the only game I've ever played where I was really nervous,' said Daniels, the younger but larger brother of junior running back LeShun Daniels. 'On my first play, I think I gave up a hurry and then looked over to the sideline. All the coaches were like, just calm down. We ended up having a 14- or 15-play drive to end the game. After that, I was fine.'

Smith hasn't topped the Illinois game, but has six catches for 141 yards.

'It was awesome,' Smith said about Illinois. 'Catching four passes, getting over 100 yards, as a true freshman? That was awesome.'

The majority of Iowa's 2015 class remained in development. The offensive linemen have been building their bodies. Quarterbacks have watched Beathard and learned.

Their time has yet to come, but they did have a hand in the Hawkeyes winning their way to their first Rose Bowl in 25 years. They wore the Iowa jerseys with the Rose Bowl patch to the team's media day on Tuesday. They'll slide those jerseys over shoulder pads in the Rose Bowl on Friday.

It's a good time to be a Hawkeye right now.

'We've only been here five or six months, but it's been the best time of our lives,' Landan Paulsen said. 'We've learned so much from the older guys. They're so helpful. You can ask any question you want and they respond to you like that. You have a bad day in practice, everyone — offense, defense, doesn't matter — is there to pick you up.

'It's been a blast. Being here is icing on the cake. It's just insane.'

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com