Hawkeyes against a house of an offensive tackle

TAMPA, Fla. — You see the sizes of college football players and it seems like everyone is 300-something pounds. This is bowl season and the numbers are just numbers at this point.

And then you run your eyes up and down Florida's depth chart and see 6-6, 357 pounds at left tackle. That one stands out.

That's left tackle David Sharpe. In a world of big, Sharpe is 'big big.' Iowa defensive end Parker Hesse will be lined up across from Sharpe during much of Monday's Outback Bowl.

'Their right tackle is 340 pounds, too (freshman Jawaan Taylor is 6-5, 340, so these guys do notice the numbers),' Hesse said Friday. 'They're big guys and good players, excellent pass protectors. A lot of people wouldn't expect that out of heavier guys, but they are great with their feet and hands. It's going to be a challenge, but it's something we're looking forward to. I said that against Michigan. You play good guys and you get to see what you're made of. True competitors like that stuff, so we're looking forward to it.'

Hesse, a sophomore, has been on a weight-gain journey since he arrived in Iowa City. He's 6-3, 250 pounds now after playing a ton of positions for his Waukon High School team, including quarterback.

Iowa sometimes fudges on the light side of its listed weights, so the math might be off slightly, but it does appear that Hesse will be giving up somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 pounds against Sharpe.

Hesse compared Sharpe's size and skills with Iowa true freshman offensive tackle Alaric Jackson, who's listed at 6-7, 285 pounds. Apparently, the weight in the media guide is a little bit off on Jackson.

'I play him on the scout team and he's 330,' Hesse said. 'One thing I've found playing Alaric, he's so big that you actually have to be more precise with your head and hands to control him than you would with just a normal 305-pound tackle. As far as technique goes, I'm not going to try to change much of what I've been coached, but I'm going to try to use things I've learned against Alaric.'

Florida linebacker unit takes a punch

Florida head coach Jim McElwain announced Friday that linebackers Jarrad Davis, Alex Anzalone and David Reese will miss the Outback Bowl because of injuries.

Davis is the biggest hit. He's a potential first-round draft pick, but he's missed most of the final four games of the season with an ankle injury. Anzalone suffered a broken arm against Arkansas on Nov. 5 and hasn't been able to return. Davis and Anzalone are the Gators' second- and third-leading tacklers.

This is not where Florida wants to be, especially against a team that found itself a power-running game in late November.

'Obviously, where we're going to be a little short on bodies is not a good place against this kind of team,' McElwain said Friday. 'And yet, that's our responsibility to put a plan together to try and get them on the ground. And our guys in the back end are really going to have to be disciplined with their eyes and not get beat on the play action.

'We'll do some things in nickel and dime packages that'll be a little bit different, and we're gonna have to confuse them a little bit with pressures out of that as well.'

McElwain said he hopes senior defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. can play against Iowa. The son of the former Chicago Bears linebacker has been slowed the last three games with an ankle injury.

'When Bryan Cox Jr. is in there, he's a really, really good football player,' Iowa offensive line coach Brian Ferentz said. 'He's maybe not as talented as some of their younger guys with speed and athletic ability, but he's a good player who just jumps off the tape as being a football player, certainly the kind of guy you have to game plan for.'

Iowa's starting O-line

In the two looks at practice this week, senior Cole Croston has been in the starting lineup at right tackle. He's coming off a shin injury that cost him four games. He's said this week that he's 100 percent and good to go.

So Friday, Iowa's offensive line was from left to right, tackle Boone Myers, guard Ike Boettger, center James Daniels, guard Sean Welsh and Croston.

This is the same group that started at Minnesota, when the Hawkeyes rushed for 179 yards against a Gophers defense that allowed just 117.9 rush yards a game and finished fourth in the Big Ten in rush defense.

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