No. 1 question on the board for Iowa was wide receiver

CHICAGO — Iowa's best and most experienced wide receiver tried to remember the last time he took an all-out stride down the football field with shoulder pads on.

You know those 'um and aw' sounds people make sometimes when they're trying to remember something? Matt VandeBerg let out a little of that. Through no fault of his own, it's been awhile.

'It's been a very long offseason,' VandeBerg said from his seat at the opening of Big Ten media days. The emphasis there was on 'very.'

VandeBerg was off to the races last season, looking as if he might equal the mega-breakout numbers he put up as a sophomore in 2015, when he led a 12-2 Iowa team with 65 receptions. VandeBerg had 19 catches through four games. At some point early in the season, he was slowed by an injury and pushed through. But then during practice leading up to the Northwestern game, VandeBerg suffered a broken left foot and was lost for the season.

This spring, he suffered the same break in the same foot and didn't participate in spring practice.

VandeBerg was one of three Hawkeyes at Monday's interviews, joining linebacker Josey Jewell and guard Sean Welsh. No, VandeBerg didn't feel out of place, but, yeah, of course, he wants to get to the actual playing of football and not rehabbing the foot or gearing down on drills because of the foot.

'Ten months, something like that since I've taken a competitive rep with pads on?' VandeBerg asked. 'Yes, I'm excited. I'm chomping at the bit.'

Every team shuffles through Big Ten media days dragging along some questions. The Iowa wide receiver question is as obvious as the Tiger Hawk logo on the Hawkeyes' helmets (one reporter asked Iowa players to actually draw the Tiger Hawk on a piece of paper, and they weren't bad).

VandeBerg is Iowa's leading returning wide receiver. Running back Akrum Wadley is Iowa's leading returning receiver with 36 receptions. The Hawkeyes have a SWAT team of tight ends who will help push this thing forward, but right now and on paper, the wide receiver group is a question mark.

An obvious question mark. Head coach Kirk Ferentz was asked how many receivers the team needs to get through a game.

'Two would be a really good start,' he said. Maybe Ferentz was being facetious. Maybe he wasn't.

'If we can get there, I don't want to get greedy,' Ferentz said. 'It'd be nice to have four guys go in and out. That's not always realistic. Three would be better than two. If we can get to five, great. But again, I think we've got to factor the tight ends in that equation.

'Who knows? Maybe Wadley is out there running routes, that type of thing. We'd be foolish not to consider that.'

Wadley? Now Ferentz has your attention. Your head is nodding.

We've been over the woes from Iowa's passing game in 2016. Did it lose the Hawkeyes a game? Yeah, maybe it did. As far as the 2017 prospects go, you also have to factor in personnel losses. Quarterback C.J. Beathard is a 49er, along with tight end George Kittle.

So, Iowa also happens to be looking for a quarterback. Sophomore Nathan Stanley was listed at the top of the depth chart over junior Tyler Wiegers in the media guide Iowa released Monday, but Ferentz was quick to say don't read anything into that.

Answers to Iowa's passing game questions will start to form Sunday, when the Hawkeyes open camp. Right now? No one wants to prejudge, no one Iowa brought to B1G media days, anyway.

Big Ten media days: Some sort of Iowa alternate uniform is happening

'I'm really confident it's going to shape up,' Welsh said. 'I know everyone has been talking about the wide receiver and quarterback issue and all of that. I'm not really too concerned about it and it really isn't a concern. I can't control it. The best thing I can do is help the guy behind me feel confident in that he's not going to get hit. I think that's the only thing we can do to help him out.'

Ferentz said Iowa will let VandeBerg and defensive tackle Nathan Bazata slowly work their way to full speed as camp opens. You just know VandeBerg has had that first full-go rep.

'As far as coming back ...' VandeBerg, who said his foot is 100 percent, by the way, let out a little laugh here '... I'm ready to go. It's been a long time coming, and I'm just ready to go.'

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