Iowa football recruiting: Important moment in time for D-line

Kind of like with the O-line post, I think we need a 'who's who' of the defensive line just to keep the accounts straight.

I'm going to include two walk-ons who are on the latest depth chart and, for now, we need a "Drew Ott" category, because nothing has been decided on his case. He's still in limbo (and that is a crime, he's not been able to hire an agent and trainer to help him work through the elbow and knee rehab because he's waiting for the Big Ten and/or NCAA to decide on his petition for a medical hardship waiver and a fifth year of eligibility, if I were him, I'd sue at this point for lost opportunity).

Seniors: T Jaleel Johnson, T Faith Ekakitie, T Kyle Terlouw

Juniors: T Nathan Bazata, T Brant Gressel

Sophomores: E Parker Hesse, E Matt Nelson, E Sam Brincks

Redshirt freshmen: T Garret Jansen, E Anthony Nelson, E Brady Reiff, T Michael Slater

True freshmen: E Chauncey Golston, E Cedrick Lattimore, E Romeo McKnight, E Austin Schulte, E Brandon Simon

That should add up to 17 with possible movement within the freshman class from end to tackle and other positions. If Kyle Taylor is 6-2, can he play on the line of scrimmage? Is Nick Niemann a defensive end?

• DT development this year is crucial. After 2016, Bazata will be the only DT who's played. The more the merrier here. For Iowa, three experienced DTs is realistic; four is fantastic. It has four for 2016 and then it drops considerably.

• Defensive end isn't deep and isn't terribly experienced. Hesse has the beginnings of a productive player. He's working on the explosive pass rush. He's going to play a ton this year. Nelson played well in his limited opportunities last season. They're really being counted on the grow this year.

• With nine players in the redshirt and true freshmen part of this group, a heavy investment has been made in the future. Patience and development, it's going to take some time.

Let's refresh our memories on the January depth chart (head coach Kirk Ferentz said, yeah, it's a January depth chart, but also said it's where you start and I do believe it's as honest of an assessment we're going to get from the staff until we get spring updates, probably beginning at the end of March).

LE: M. Nelson, Brincks

LT: Johnson, Ekakitie

RT: Bazata, Terlouw

RE: Hesse, A. Nelson

So, that's kind of a who's who. I'll save any further analysis (or whatever you want to call it) for the Four Downs DL post that will hopefully come out before spring practice.

Chauncey Golston

Iowa was the first to offer Golston, who is the quintessential defensive end starters kit at 6-5, 227 with long arms and legs.

Golston and fellow East English Village Prep teammate and D-lineman Cedrick Lattimore committed to the Hawkeyes together last May. Golston eventually received offers from Cincinnati and Western Michigan. With former East English Village Prep product Desmond King having one of the most decorated seasons in Iowa football history, the relationships that defensive coordinator Phil Parker has built there and in Detroit kept Golston solid.

Golston recorded 43 tackles as a senior, with nine sacks. As a junior, he made 53 tackles as a junior with 13 sacks. Golston was team captain as a junior and senior.

'Based on what I saw at the Rivals Camp in Cleveland, I'm highest right now on Chauncey,' Josh Helmholdt, Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst, told HawkeyeReport.com. 'That kid just oozes potential.

'I was very surprised that he only had the one offer from Iowa. I expect that he would have blown up with a lot of offers this summer had he stayed uncommitted, so I think they're getting a real sleeper and a gamer in Chauncey.'

Rivals: 3 stars

Scout: 3 stars

247Sports: 3 stars

Composite: 3.00

Depth chart in 2016?: No. Golston will need to work on explosiveness and overall strength. Iowa's pattern has been the farther away a true freshman plays from the ball, the better chance he has to play as a true freshman. Golston is a scrimmage player, so it's going to take a year or two to build the body. The only caveat I'd throw in here is if he takes off and shows he belongs and locks into one of those 'on the depth chart, but not really going to play' deals and then there's an injury. You see the depth chart. It's thin and that might lead to opportunity for a frosh D-end.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Derreck Robinson

I'm not sure Golston has the heft that Robinson walked in with from Minneapolis, but both are 6-5 and Robinson might serve as a good baseline for how long it might take for a long, linear D-end to hit. Robinson didn't start seeing considerable playing time until his junior season and then became a starter and a force as a senior in 2004, probably the best defense of the KF/Norm Parker era (first or second).

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace: 'Chauncey doesn't carry the same amount of weight that Cedrick does. Because of that, there's going to be some development with Chauncey, just putting on the right weight. The nice thing is you're dealing with an outstanding athlete. You certainly could project him on the outside. He certainly fits that same mold as an Anthony Nelson or a Matt Nelson, two current guys for us who have outstanding height and very good athleticism. We've potentially got guys in this class in the defensive line who are 6-3 or better. We've already got a handful of those guys already. It really fit the same mold we're working with. With any of these guys, you hever know where their bodies are going to transition to. So, you put them on the outside, so the natural progression is if they continue to put on weight, they eventually could move to the inside.'

ESPN scouting report: Golston is an edge defender with raw positional skills and strength that will need to develop to be an effective Power 5 End. His skills with further development show the ability to play the left side in a 43. Has the length, speed and hand placement as a base for development.

@PlannedSickDays: I like both bookend defensive ends out of the same high school in Detroit, Michigan. I think Lattimore may end up inside and take a path similar to last year's signee Michael Slater. At BHGP, I compared Golston to former Hawkeye Kenny Iwebema of the mid-2000s. Both of these guys remind me of typical Michigan State defensive line recruits under Mark Dantonio. I believe he came calling late in the recruiting game. Iowa loses Jaleel Johnson, Faith Ekakitie and Kyle Terlouw off the interior defensive line after 2016 and one or both of these guys could be longtime contributors.

My take: Long-limbed gorgeous-looking defensive lineman. The project with Golston will be get-off. He doesn't get off the ball like senior-year Drew Ott did at the beginning of 2015. Well, of course, Golston doesn't have to do that yet. He covers a ton of group in just a few strides.

East English also used Golston at defensive tackle. He looked great there, too. On the inside, his first step was more than quick enough. He was a handful. He also played with refined technique, often getting his hands into OL and locking out his elbows, giving him control of the situation.

This is crazy me talking, but Golston has a similar build to . . . Malik McDowell. Now, I'm not saying he's McDowell, Michigan State's star DT who's long and lean and kind of defies the position with otherworldly strength and leverage. I'm just saying the path has been cut.

It's my blog, I'm allowed to be crazy every once in a while.

Cedric Lattimore

Odd Cedrick Lattimore factlet: As a sophomore, he ran cross country at East English Village Prep. That was 2013. Less than a year and a half later, Lattimore and Golston committed to play football at Iowa.

This MLive.com post has the rest. Kind of interesting. Lattimore said, 'I thought I was a basketball player. I didn't like running, but I just wanted to get in shape.'

So, Lattimore will begin his career with just three high school seasons of football. He probably played in the Detroit PAL Youth Football League, a program for boys ages 7 to 14. That is one of the best youth leagues in the country. Desmond King is an alum.

There are a lot of people who follow Iowa recruiting and fixate on where Iowa doesn't recruit (Pennsylvania has been abandoned; Florida isn't mined by Iowa as it once was and no Texas recruits this year). Detroit remains a friendly stop for Iowa with four from the area this year joining King and backup QB Tyler Wiegers among others.

Interactive Map: Iowa's 2016 football recruits

Lattimore had more offers than Golston, including Michigan State and Minnesota. He played both defensive end and tackle and set the school record with 17 sacks as a senior.

'Cedrick is 6-4, 250 pounds, so he's a very good sized kid and a very athletic kid,' Helmholdt told HawkeyeReport. 'From what I saw from him, his game is not as refined yet, but the potential is there. He's a good athlete at that size. He almost looks and moves like a big linebacker.'

Rivals: 3 stars

Scout: 4 stars

247Sports: 3 stars

Composite: 3.33

Depth chart in 2016?: Probably not. I'm going to side with the 'Iowa's pattern has been the farther away a true freshman plays from the ball, the better chance he has to play as a true freshman.' But . . . at 260 pounds, Lattimore might be closer to having the bulk and strength to get in the game. Still, I'm guessing he's probably a future DT and he will spend the year building the body.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Christian Ballard

Ballard came to Iowa City around 6-4 or 6-5 and slightly heavier than Lattimore. Ballard did jump in as a true freshman in 2007. Ballard also was a terrific prep hoops player and was a track standout. I'm not sure they're starting from the exact same point, but there are similarities.

'He had a lot of people come to the school face to face, yet he just stayed firm with his commitment, and again, that tells you more about the way he's going to handle things, I think,' Kirk Ferentz said. 'He made up his mind for the right reasons. He was convinced that was the best thing for him. His mom was totally on board. So, you walked out of the house, you walked out of the school feeling really good about the young man, and those are little things that I think lead me to believe whether he's playing inside or outside he's going to have a really good career for us. He's coming for the right reasons. I think he's highly motivated, and we're just excited to start working with him when his high school season is over.'

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace: 'Cedrick's recruiting skyrocketed after we offered him. It really took off. He was on a little bit of a camp circuit, which drew the attention of a lot of other schools. There's a camp up in Detroit, 'Sound Mind, Sound Body,' that is one of the best in the Midwest and is currently open to college coaches. We did attend it, along with every other college program in the country. The eyes are on them. We were fortunate, whether it be Kelvin Bell (on-campus recruiting coordinator, who was sent on the road to fill Jim Reid's spot after Reid was hired for DC at BC), Phil Parker, the two of them with all of those guys up there, they did an outstanding job of fighting off some of the last minute interest on some of these guys, or even the long-standing interest in someone like Lattimore, who got Michigan State a couple of months ago. They really did a good job recruiting these guys.'

Probably an inside guy?

'He'll probably start on the outside and then transition to the inside. The defensive line guys we got, they have no problems playing with their hands and that's kind of day 1 with a defensive lineman. It's amazing you don't see as much of that anymore.'

Scott Dochterman: There's plenty to like with Lattimore as a defensive linemen. With his athletic ability, current size and potential for growth, I can see Lattimore playing a versatile or hybrid role like Christian Ballard or move permanently inside to defensive tackle. Lattimore is explosive off the ball, stays low and is physical. He's a punishing tackler and finishes them all. His tenacity is obvious. After bulking up in a red-shirt season, Lattimore could be a strong candidate to replace Jaleel Johnson when he's in the NFL.

HawkeyeReport.com's Tom Kakert: Let's face it, Iowa has missed out on some defensive ends in the past few years and it's a thin position. With the addition of Lattimore, that will begin to solve the depth chart issues. Lattimore is 6-4, 250 pounds and a big time athlete. The upside here is very good and he's coming in with his high school teammate and fellow DE Chauncey Gholston, who is also a very good prospect.

HawkeyeNation's Rob Howe: Iowa needs to fortify the defensive end position and it certainly did so with Lattimore, who turned away home-state Michigan State to come west. Lattimore is a tremendous athlete who comes off the edge with an already impressive array of pass rush moves. I believe he's the best DE prospect the Hawkeyes have landed since Adrian Clayborn and he reminds me of the current Atlanta Falcon.

ESPN scouting report: Shows good toughness and physicality when running through his target. Development of his motor to create consistency in his game and develop his angles to chase will benefit his game. . . . Edge defender with good size and length in his frame to develop. Raw positional skills yet has the physical ability to turn it on. Once his body develops and his skills are improved on the edge, he has the upside needed to become a Power 5 Defensive End.

My take: Maybe the best thing about Lattimore is the way he bought into being a Hawkeye. Along with Lattimore, you also get Golston and OT Alaric Jackson, all of whom are from Detroit and lifelong friends. I don't know the dynamics, but it's probably a pretty great thing for Lattimore to show that kind of love for Iowa. It has a way of radiating. That's also how leadership should work. As a player, all the tools are there. I think, yes, he probably does end up at DT, but he's also long and fairly lean. Scott might be right with his Ballard comparison.

Romeo McKnight

We talked a little about recruiting areas in the Lattimore stuff. I've written a ton that Iowa needs the Chicago suburbs to be productive for Iowa to remain competitive. (I know that Iowa isn't doing any satellite camps this year, but I would still have one in Chicago area. It's close and anything to personalize the brand.) I think we all agree on this point. If you don't, I can't hear you. LALALALALALA (fingers in ears).

But seriously, you know it's true.

So, I asked Seth Wallace about recruiting territories. The new hire (along with the Drew Ott thing, we should probably be hearing about that any day now — probably a recruiting coordinator and defensive assistant) might shift things around with territories.

'The area has to be right for the person recruiting it,' Wallace said. '(Running back coach Chris White) Chris' experience is on the east coast. Bobby (WR coach Bobby Kennedy) has experience down in Texas. We've slid (TE coach) LeVar Woods into St. Louis/Kansas City just to get him closer to Iowa, which is where his background is.

'We tried to get into Georgia. We might spend a few days down there in the spring and just see what we can uncover. I might go down there and take a few days with my experience down there. Right now, I'm in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

'(Offensive line coach Brian Ferentz) Brian is in Chicago. I've actually taken the upper northern counties of Illinois, which would include a little bit of the northern suburbs to take a little bit of the travel off of Brian (who's just had his second child). We might find someone else to slip in there based on how this next hire goes.

'It's really more about the comfort and the relationships that a coach has based on the area. Phil has been in Detroit and has also run that upper third of Ohio, Toledo/Cleveland.'

This backs my Chicago point. There could be as many as three Iowa assistants in the region this spring and summer.

This class had five players from Illinois, including McKnight, who's from the most fertile of grounds for Iowa.

Check this piece in the Northwest Herald.

It's been years since a scholarship football player – Dave Beazley, Class of 1993, who went to Northwestern – came from Crystal Lake Central.

But the area's two NFL players last season, Bryan Bulaga and C.J. Fiedorowicz, both played at Iowa.

And before them, three of four of the Division I Hartlieb brothers from Marian Central went there too. Chuck, Jim and John all were Hawkeyes while Andy went to Wisconsin.

That track record means something.

Rivals: 3 stars

Scout: 3 stars

247Sports: 3 stars

Composite: 3.00

Depth chart in 2016?: No. He's a D-lineman and will need to develop because that's what most true freshmen D-linemen do, but McKnight also suffered a torn ACL last August and that cut short his senior year. He's made a speedy rehab. Wallace said if he still is in that stage when he arrives at Iowa, it's OK. They just want him first to get healthy. McKnight had a host of MAC offers. If he were able to play last season, maybe a few more B1G offers would've rolled in. He played defensive end and running back as a prep. McKnight also competed in wrestling, winning an Illinois Class 2A state title at 220 pounds as a junior and earning all-America honors three years.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Kenny Iwebema

Iwebema started at Iowa in the 6-4, 227 range and left as a 6-4, 267-pound draft pick. His time came as a third-year sophomore and he ended up being a three-year starter for the Hawkeyes. He had offers from Kansas State and Michigan State, so he came into Iowa with a little more fanfare. McKnight is 6-5, 235. The starting line, at least physically, is similar.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace: 'Romeo is from the northwest suburbs, Crystal Lake area, Crystal Lake Central High School. He really came on during the summer before his senior year. He came on during a combine that we showed up to. We got some information on him. Went back looked at his tape. Played linebacker in high school. Ran all over the place. You start looking at his characteristics. He was a state champion wrestler in the state of Illinois. That obviously got our attention. We saw him in multiple camps, including one here on our campus and that was after he committed to us. Even then, it was a no-brainer for us that we had found the right guy. Very linear. Has probably grown another inch since we started recruiting him. He tore his ACL, so he's been in the rehab process, he and Austin (Schulte). In some cases, it might've kept those guys beneath the radar because they didn't have the senior tape. We've monitored a lot of that. We've stayed in constant communication with them and working with their rehab. We feel like by this spring and certainly this summer, those guys who've had some minor operations will be ready to go at some point in the summer.'

ESPN scouting report: Demonstrates can take on blocks and hold ground when he stays low and brings his hands, but needs to work to be more consistent in both areas. Demonstrates adequate lateral mobility for size to be active along line and can continue to sharpen but displays he can use angles well to help him get into position to make play on the ball. . . . Can do a good job of attacking half-man and shows some flashes of being active with his hands when attacking blockers. Doesn't display ideal bend and closing burst and does not demonstrate much speed-to-power capabilities at this stage, an aspect he needs to work on and develop.

My take: I'm thinking McKnight is a legit 6-5, which is great, but it also means it will take some time to develop power. Still, the kid is a wrestler. It's exactly what Iowa coaches are looking for. I was trying to think of other D-ends who had strong wrestling backgrounds. The only one I could think of was Matt Roth. I can't go there with a comparison. Maybe someday, but not now. This recruiting class remains the 'attack of the 6-5 D-linemen' and that's never a bad thing.

Austin Schulte

Iowa invited Pella's Austin Schulte to a one-day camp early last June. Iowa defensive line coach Reese Morgan told Schulte that coaches wanted to get a look at him as a defensive end.

Schulte had 71 tackles and 19 tackles for loss while helping Pella to a Class 3A state title as a junior. He did that from the middle linebacker position. So, fast forward to earlier this month and giving defensive end a try.

In camp situations, when coaches ask you to try something, hey, why not?

Schulte, 6-4, 250, jumped right in.

'Coach Morgan brought me in as a defensive end,' Schulte told HawkeyeReport.com. 'I've played middle linebacker all through high school, so he just wanted to see me at that position. He said I did pretty well and after the camp he asked me to come over to the football office. There, me, my dad, and my younger brother met with coach (Kirk) Ferentz and he offered me a scholarship.'

That was an eye-opener for Schulte, who had offers from the best of the best in FCS schools (Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, South Dakota, and South Dakota State).

'I was kind of in shock at first,' Schulte said. 'I didn't know what to say or what to think, but I'm just so excited and so blessed.'

At defensive end during that camp, Schulte listened to Morgan and concentrated on technique.

'He (Morgan) said that I have a good frame, good athleticism, and I really learn well,' Schulte said. 'I haven't played that position, but I adapted and learned the different techniques and everything as the day went on.'

Schulte follows former Pella teammate Garret Jansen to Iowa City. Jansen will be a true freshman defensive tackle at Iowa this fall.

'When I think of Iowa, I think of all the offensive and defensive linemen that they've sent to the NFL and just how successful they are at those positions,' Schulte said. 'Also, we have a kid from our school, Garret Jansen, that's going to play defensive line there too and I'm good friends with him, so it would be cool to play with a teammate from high school in college.'

Schulte suffered a torn ACL in Pella's season opener last August and remains in the rehab process.

Rivals: 3 stars

Scout: 2 stars

247Sports: 2 stars

Composite: 2.33

Depth chart in 2016?: No. He's a D-linemen who suffered a torn ACL in what will have been a year when fall camp starts. Plus, as you'll read, I think Schulte is headed toward DT. He has a year to put on some weight and build the body. I thought this tidbit from Schulte's official visit on HawkeyeReport.com was interesting. It's a quote on how Iowa has been handling his rehab: 'I met with (strength and conditioning) coach (Chris) Doyle and he has talked with my physical therapist, Patrick Dooley. He sends videos of stuff I do to Coach Doyle and they communicate. He knows what is going on. He said I am about as far along as guys would be if the same thing happened at Iowa. It is going well.'

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Nathan Bazata

Schulte is probably taller, listed at 6-4 compared to Bazata's 6-2, but because I do think Schulte ends up at DT, I think this comparison can work. Am I underestimating Schulte's athleticism? Probably, yes. He played middle linebacker as a junior at Pella and was a standout. Schulte saw the switch coming and told HR.com that he was ready for the switch from LB to DL.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace: 'You look at the size on Austin, he's got outstanding size, outstanding strength. He's already got a very good build to him and a very good frame. He's someone we feel will come in here and provide depth immediately to the defensive line.'

DE or DT? 'We'll see how it all plays out. I could see him probably interior-wise. He also comes from a heckuva program. They've always been good and were exceptional again this year.'

ESPN scouting report: High school linebacker that looks more comfortable on the move at this stage and can use size to try and run thru blockers at times, but we feel will likely end up playing with his hand down and will need to work on more quickly engaging blockers and better utilizing his hands and maintaining better pad level. Displays some tightness and can struggle to quickly redirect, but displays good range for size once on path to ball carrier. . . . Schulte is a big high school linebacker that we feel will transition to the D-Line in college not only because he will likely outgrow linebacker, but defensive end will be a better fit for his strengths and more mask limitations. Could potentially be solid special teams contributor earlier on while he adjusts and develops as DE.

My take: Hmm, I'm trying to think if a successful Iowa high school linebacker has ever made a successful transition to DT at the University of Iowa. Hmm. Well, let me see. Oh yeah, Mitch King and Matt Kroul come to mind. They worked out pretty well. I hate making those kinds of predictions, but this one was right there, so I took the cheese.

Brandon Simon

Hey, we're talking an awful lot about defensive ends in this post, aren't we? Iowa has missed the target on recruiting defensive ends in the last couple of classes. That position now has been covered, covered, covered and now covered.

Brandon Simon, a 6-1, 236-pounder from Ramsey, N.J., visited Iowa City last summer and raved about the city and Iowa campus.

'Iowa amazed me,' Simon told HawkeyeReport.com. 'I didn't realize how beautiful Iowa City was. I thought when I was going out there, it was going to be just farmland and cornfields. But when I got there, it totally shocked me. It's a beautiful college town. Then I loved the coaching staff, I loved coach (Reese) Morgan (defensive line coach), and I loved the players. One of my former teammates is at Iowa right now, Terrence Harris (a redshirt freshman defensive end). I got to talk with him and he really likes it there. Iowa really impressed me.'

Simon, rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, picked Iowa with scholarship offers from Iowa, Boston College, Syracuse, East Carolina and Connecticut.

Iowa and Syracuse were the finalists for Simon, who passed on a visit to Syracuse this weekend. The Don Bosco Prep defensive lineman is No. 38 on NJ.com's list of New Jersey's top 50 players. Rivals has him ranked No. 26 in the state. Simon is the second New Jersey prep to commit to the Hawkeyes this week, joining (maybe) New Jersey wide receiver Frank Darby (Jersey City).

Rivals: 3 stars

Scout: 3 stars

247Sports: 3 stars

Composite: 3.00

Depth chart in 2016?: No. Again, D-lineman. Simon is undersized at 6-1, 236. Maybe that weight could work if Simon was super explosive. Undersized D-linemen have been known to slip into Iowa's starting DL or DL rotation. I can see a match if Iowa ends up having a need for an explosive pass rusher and Simon shows that in camp. I'm going to have to see that to believe it, though. Anything is possible, but I'm a 'no' on all five of these guys for 2016, and that's kind of what you want on the D-line.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison: Broderick Binns

What did Binns' teammates used to call him? Oh yeah, Inspector Gadget because of those super-long arms. Did you know on a defense that included Tyler Sash, Amari Spievey, Brett Greenwood and Shuan Prater that Binns led the 2009 Hawkeyes with nine pass breakups? I have no idea if Simon has a similar wingspan. Just off highlight tape, you like that he's compact and powerful. I think Binns' skill set was crazy unique and this comparison comes more out of the fact that they have similar dimensions.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace: 'Simon is a defensive end/interior guy. Great family. He took a leap of faith and came out here during the summer with his dad. Mom came back out on the official visit with his sister. Really, just a very good player. Phil (Parker) and I were out there during the spring and had an opportunity to see him in person and an opportunity to actually see him on the field and go through drills and some different things. It wasn't just the film. The film drew us out there, but we went out and saw an outstanding program (Don Bosco Prep). There wouldn't be a better program in the country. It's got to be up there in the top 10, top 15. It has games that they're playing across the country. He's been around good football and he's played at the highest level high school-wise. We're certainly looking forward to getting him.'

ESPN scouting report: Demonstrates ability to fire out low and uncoil at contact. Does a very good job of shooting his hands, flashing ability to shock blockers on initial contact and displays the upper body strength and quick, strong hands to separate and quickly shed. Strong player that can fight at the point of attack when keeps pads down, but could struggle against bigger blockers when doesn't win with quickness/leverage. . . . Flashes ability to convert speed-to-power and be able to put blockers on their heels. Uses hands well as a run defender, but not as active with them rushing passer and needs to work to improve usage of his weapons. Shows effective flashes and needs to further develop use of push/pull. . . . You wish Simon had a little better size, but this is a good, tough football player. Depending on scheme and physical development could potentially see a move to LB at the college level.

My take: I don't see the size deal being a thing like the ESPN report does. I've seen Iowa work with all kinds of body shapes. You kind of learn not to count out anyone because you never know. I like the explosive power here and think that's Simon's foot in the door, probably for the future but, again, you never know. Pass rush skills are worth their weight in gold, and Iowa happens to go into next season needing as much of that skill as it can find.

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