NCAA Football Preview 2011: Iowa Hawkeyes Release First Spring Two-Deep Depth Chart

Vandenberg leads a crop of new Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes have released their first depth chart of the offseason, and to no one’s surprise, the starters are mostly upper-classmen. That’s not shocking because the Hawkeyes typically go with age over beauty, and this season they are losing a ton of starters. It makes sense that they would have most of the older players in the starting lineup right now rather than simply giving it to the younger kids.

Big Ten Nation takes a look at the Iowa two-deep, and offers up some analysis about Iowa’s bounty of new starting players.

SE – McNutt, Shumpert
WR – K. Davis, Martin-Manley
RB – Coker, White
FB – Rogers, Gimm
QB – Vandenberg, Wienke
TE – Herman, Fiedorowicz
LT – Reiff, Tobin
LG – Gettis, Orne
C – Ferentz, Boffeli
RG – MacMillan, Scherff
RT – Zusevics, Van Sloten

DE – L. Daniel, Forgy
DT – M. Daniels, Bigach
DT – Nardo, C. Davis
DE – Binns, Alvis
OLB – T. Nielsen, Kirksey
MLB – Morris, B. Davis
WLB – Kirksey/Hitchens, DiBona
LC – Prater, Castillo
RC – Hyde, Lowery
FS – Miller, Swanson
SS – Sleeper, Donatell

K – Meyer, Mossbrucker
P – Guthrie, Mullings
LS – Kreiter
PR – McNutt
KR – K. Davis
After three years of being under-utilized, Keenan Davis will finally become a big part of Iowa’s offensive sets. Watch out for Davis to be a mid-late round NFL pick next year and develop into a star, because he’s only just now getting his feet wet. At 6’3″ 210 pounds with good speed and excellent athletic ability, he is the ideal target for new gunslinger James Vandenberg.

I love the way Iowa’s backfield is shaping up right now with Marcus Coker (6’0″ 230) as the starting tailback and Brad Rogers (5’10” 225) as the starting fullback. Those guys are bruisers through and through. If Rogers can develop a repertoire in the passing game, he could be a very dangerous offensive weapon. He will be a nice short yardage option, and has shown the ability to play running back if needed.

One guy to look out for is Jason White, a junior. At 5’11” 205, he has the ideal build for a speed back, and Iowa is famous for bringing backs out of the woodwork. If anyone on Iowa’s offense is a sleeper right now, it’s White.

Perhaps even more-so is Kevonte Martin-Manley, a wide receiver prospect currently behind Keenan Davis on the depth chart. He is 6’0″ 200 pounds, and has good speed. When I talked to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos about a month ago, I asked him who the next great Iowa player was going to be. Without much hesitation at all, he pointed to Kevonte Martin-Manley. He told me that there aren’t many guys that work harder in the weight room and film room, and that he is much further along than you would expect a young receiver to be. He’s just a redshirt freshman, so he could have a long career ahead of him as a Hawkeye.

At the tight end position, you have Brad Herman currently penciled in as the starter, but I think he will get beat out by C.J. Fiedorowicz as the offseason progresses. Fiedorowicz was the Hawkeyes’ prized recruit a year ago out of the state of Illinois, and he’s absolutely huge at 6’7″ 260 pounds with the ability to stretch the field. He has the potential to be a red zone nightmare, and with three years potentially of starting, he should be one of the best NFL prospects in the country at the tight end position.

Defensively, you are looking at a 75% overhaul on the defensive line, with only Mike Daniels returning from last year as a starter. LeBron Daniel, Broderick Binns, and Thomas Nardo all are penciled in as starters at the moment, but that is a very small lineup, especially for the amount of running Iowa will see this year. Expect Carl Davis, a 315 pound kid to get significant looks this offseason.

One battle to watch this season will be at linebacker where Anthony Hitchens (high school running back and defensive back) and Christian Kirksey are apparently going to vie for the starting spot. Both guys are smaller with great speed and quickness.

Another position to look out for is safety, where the Hawkeyes will have to replace both Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood, two All Big Ten performers. As of right now, sophomore Tanner Miller and junior Collin Sleeper. Both of those players are relatively unknown, but the Hawkeyes did just pick up a kid named Nico Law who looks like he could vie for playing time as a true freshman.

On special teams, the Hawkeyes will replace Ryan Donahue with 6’6″ 245 pound Eric Guthrie.