No. 19 — TE Ray Hamilton

No. 19 ...

Whoa! Isn't that low for a player who should be Iowa's No. 1 tight end? Yes, but here's what went into the ranking:

Senior Ray Hamilton (6-5, 252) does have a chance to be Iowa's No. 1 tight end. He's waited patiently behind C.J. Fiedorowicz for three seasons. He's been the No. 2 guy behind the giant 6-7, 265-pounder who was a third-round draft pick to the Houston Texans this spring. Remember the mantra that wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy used during his spring news conference: Everything is earned.

Hamilton has earned this.

There are a few caveats here: Hamilton is one of four tight ends Iowa has used and will use this season. Each has different skill sets. Each will be needed. So, maybe no Iowa TE reaches the production that Fiedorowicz enjoyed the last two seasons (75 receptions, 732 yards and seven TDs), but as a whole, maybe they're more effective.

Now, all TE production isn't measured in numbers. That's what everyone (including me) jumps to. At 6-5, 252, Hamilton has proved himself to be an effective blocker. You don't get a chance to put up numbers at Iowa unless you can block. There's huge value in that. The TE is a key read for the running back on outside zone plays. As Iowa's No. 2 TE for much of the last two seasons, Hamilton has proved his worth in this realm.

While his receiving numbers have steadily risen, they don't blow you away. Hamilton's best year in this regard was 2013 when he caught eight passes for 95 yards. In the two previous seasons, Hamilton had three receptions for 35 yards. So, the receiving part of this is for Hamilton is largely unproven.

Skill sets ...

Let's allow Hamilton to give a run down, after all, he's right there in practice and everything:

Hamilton on Jake Duzey: 'You saw him at Ohio State. He can outrun a defense.”

On George Kittle: 'He might even be faster than Duze. Those two are about as fast as you get [at the TE position].”

On Henry Krieger-Coble: 'His ball skills are off the charts. He's great with his hands. He catches everything.”

'I think we all complement each other very well. As long as we can do that - and produce, that's the most important thing. We need production from our group. That's the most important thing.”

Three TE sets ... It really opened some eyes last season at Ohio State, when Iowa went to the three-TE sets and used them with great success. The totals were 11 catches for 191 yards and two TDs. It was a gameplan that if it were used in the NFL would've helped a Jacksonville Jaguars beat or throw a scare into the New England Patriots. In college, Ohio State eventually caught its breathe and held off Iowa, 34-24.

We've been over the fact that offensive coordinator Greg Davis said 'we felt like that was one of the things that we probably should have done more of, quite honestly, is to put that grouping on the field and play empty formation out of it.”

But what it does or what it can do for an offense, 'The 13 personnel [three tight ends] is something that we feel like gives the defense some problems in terms of lining up where pass strength is, where run strength is. And last year, we felt very comfortable putting that personnel grouping on the field. And we have still got it and we are still using it some,” Davis said. 'And then it will kind of come in and out, depending on what you're doing. The good thing that we could do last year, we could put 13 personnel on the field, and be an empty formation ... The more things that the tight ends can do and feel comfortable doing, the more that personnel grouping can be a part.”

Outlook ...

Hamilton will be Iowa's No. 1 tight end. He'll probably have to jump ahead of Duzey to be Iowa's No. 1 TE as far as targets in the passing game go, but Hamilton has a high profile in the blocking game and that's as important as pass-catching.

Let's get this straight, Hamilton can be a factor in passing, too. He didn't have the numbers Duzey had, but he had key receptions against Minnesota and Iowa State. These were catches that moved the chains. Hugely important. An element Iowa's offense always can use.

Duzey and Kittle have the speed to stretch a defense. Hamilton has the power to work in traffic and maybe win a step and some space against a linebacker. Hamilton will get the targets that Fiedorowicz had last year, which probably won't be as many but could be considerable.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@sourcemedia.net