Runway seems clear for Jay Scheel

IOWA CITY — Sometimes, it's difficult to know why curiosity surrounds certain players. Every year, one player seems to generate a good amount of questions without having done anything on the football field.

For Iowa sophomore wide receiver Jay Scheel, it's probably the fact that he's a local who did some great, flashy, athletic things to help Union High School to a state championship during his sophomore year. Also, he happens to play wide receiver, a position of chronic need for the Hawkeyes.

So, Wednesday the first question for wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy was about Jay Scheel.

'I've been impressed with Jay so far,' Kennedy said. '(Offensive coordinator Greg) Coach Davis always refers to 'wow' catches, he just made a 'wow' catch (in morning practice, which was No. 7 for the Hawkeyes this spring). Jay is doing that when the ball is high, when it's behind him, a little out in front. He's shown the ability to go get it.'

'The ability to go get it,' that's encouraging. For a variety of reasons, Scheel hasn't been able to do that during his three seasons at Iowa. As a redshirt in 2014, he recovered from knee surgery and didn't start seeing the practice field until November. Last year, he appeared on the depth chart going into fall camp, but was derailed by injury and others rising above him on the depth chart. He saw action in only two games.

Iowa WR Coach Bobby Kennedy on Separation

So, now this spring. Scheel (6-1, 195) is No. 2 at split end behind fellow sophomore Jerminic Smith. Health isn't an issue. The runway seems clear.

'He has good hands. He has good speed,' Kennedy said. 'He needs to keep developing his stamina because to be a wide receiver at this level, you've got to be able to run all day. I'd like him to keep developing in that area.

'But I think Jay has a bright future. I've said that in the past. I think he's ready to kind of show what he has and how he can contribute.'

During a news conference Wednesday, Kennedy talked about Iowa's principal wide receivers for 2016.

On senior Matt VandeBerg (who led Iowa with 65 receptions last season, the most for an Iowa receiver since 2011): 'The neat thing about Matt VandeBerg and the things I'm most impressed about with him is not only does he have the ability to make the 'wow' catch, consistent plays, be a consistent player, gives good effort on the perimeter blocking, but he's a guy that this game, doing well, is really important to him.'

Smith might be just behind Scheel as far as curiosity goes. As a true freshman last season, Smith caught six passes for 141, including four catches for 118 yards against Illinois: 'You see flashes out of him, some really good things. Because he's a young guy and hasn't figured it out yet, he takes a step back.'

The up-and-down career of junior Jonathan Parker came up. He did nice things in 2014 as a freshman running back/kick returner. He tailed off at the end of the season and was only used as a jet sweep specialist/decoy in 2015: 'He's not just a jet sweep guy. He catches the ball extremely well. Sometimes, it still gets on him, you know, kind of quickly, but he's also a guy who had to develop a little more grittiness and toughness in terms of downfield blocking. He's shown he's willing to do that.'

Senior Riley McCarron has his best shot at a starting job: 'To me he's a guy who shows great leadership, grittiness, toughness, will do anything you ask him to do. He has very good ball skills, good speed. So to me, not saying that the depth chart is set or anything like that, but I consider him to be one of the starters.'

Kennedy said the best way a wide receiver can add value and carve his way to the field is learning all three positions and working in on special teams. The degree of success here has varied. This spring, it's been a 'one position first' mentality.

Iowa WR Coach Bobby Kennedy on Interchangable Receivers

Last season, Iowa played five or six wide receivers in games. That number is light and Kennedy would like to see it grow in 2016. Scheel is learning two positions. Parker is fixed on one spot, but is starting to learn another. McCarron knows all three WR positions.

'Some guys can do that very easily,' Kennedy said. 'Sometimes it takes guys a little bit longer. For example, last spring, we moved guys around a bunch to see what they knew, how they'd adjust. We're doing a little bit of that this spring, but still developing that 'one position first, then once you have that mastered, let's move you to another one and see if you can handle that.''

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