 | 2010 FB Position Preview - Linebacker |
 by Dr. Jay
Hawkeyes.Org Editor
Today continues with #5 in my 10-part preview of the 2010 Hawkeye Football team. In this
10-part series, I'll detail each position by pointing out who's gone, who's returning, and who's
new. Plus, I'll discuss where I feel the strengths of the team lie, and where the weak links are.
Today's installment: Linebacker.
Movin' On: LB Pat Angerer, LB A.J. Edds
Movin' Up: SR Jeff Tarpinian, SR Jeremiha Hunter, SR Troy Johnson, SR Ross Petersen, JR Tyler
Nielsen, JR Bruce Davis, SO Cameron Olson, SO Terrance Pryor, RS FR Shane DiBona, RS FR Marcus Kloos
Movin' Over: None
Movin' In: JR Lance Tillison, LB Austin Gray, LB Christian Kirksey, LB James Morris, LB Jim Poggi
Movin' Out: None
Iowa faces a big hole at linebacker with the departure of all-Big Ten players Pat Angerer and
A.J. Edds. Angerer was singleminded in his pursuit of the ball, and Edds had the additional
talent of being good in pass coverage. He was able to stay with speedy receivers, logging five
interceptions in 2009 and 7 for his career. The duo combined for over 220 tackles, ranking #1
and #4 on the team in 2009.
The heirs-apparent to the 3 starting spots begin with last year's starter at weakside LB, Jeremiha Hunter.
Hunter had 89 stops, including 2.5 for loss, and a blocked kick in '09, ranking him as the second
leading tackler on the team. Likely to join him in the starting spots are senior Jeff Tarpinian at
middle LB, and junior Tyler Nielsen at outside LB. Injuries have plagued Tarp over his career, and
kept him from the regular season final game vs. MInnesota last year, but he played in all 12 other
games, recording 20 stops and a fumble recovery. Nielsen played in all 13 games and had 7 total
tackles last season.
The next wave of backers include talented, experienced guys like senior Troy Johnson at weakside,
who earned defensive player-of-the-week honors vs. Minnesota last year filling in for the injured
Hunter. Johnson responded with 11 stops, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Though the game vs.
the Gophers was his only start, he played in all the other games. Similarly, junior middle
linebacker Bruce Davis saw action in all 13 games, totalling 14 tackles, a fumble forced, and a
fumble recovery. Senior Ross Petersen walked-on to the program and redshirted in 2006. Prior to
the 2008 season, he switched from LB to TE, but then switched back prior to last year. He has no
career stats, but has moved into the 2-deep at the OLB spot going into this summer, and hopes to
get some playing time in his final year as a Hawk.
Junior Lance Tillison returns to Iowa after a checkered past. He began his career as a reserve
safety, was arrested for drunk driving and suspended two games, and in 2008 switched to linebacker.
He had 8 career stops, but transferred out of the program for 2009. He's back in 2010, but not
currently on the depth chart. Other youngsters with time in the program but no game experience are
sophomores Cameron Olson and Terrance Pryor, and redshirt freshman Shane DiBona.
The newcomers at linebacker include Austin Gray, James Morris, Jim Poggi, and Christian Kirksey. All
were 3-star recruits, except for Kirksey who was a 2-star. Gray comes to Iowa from Michigan, and
Kirksey from Missouri. James Morris was a star running back and linebacker at Solon, just north
of Iowa City, and his father is head equipment manager for the Hawks. Jim Poggi comes all the way
from Gilman High in Baltimore, MD, but it's no mistake that he's a Hawkeye. Poggi's father, the
head coach at Gilman, got to coach Brian Ferentz for a time while Kirk was working in Baltimore
for the Ravens. When he got the Iowa job, everyone shipped west before Brian could finish high
school in Maryland.
Despite the great talent that moved on to the NFL when Angerer and Edds graduated, there are a
lot of capable players to fill those holes, and playing behind the talented defensive line, the
linebackers should be able to make plays, no matter who they are. With 5-6 experienced guys in the
rotation, everyone should be fresh when they're in the lineup. If Tarp and Nielsen can have the
increase in productivity one would expect from new senior starters, and Johnson and Davis can also
live up to the hints of excellence they showed last season, there should be little if any drop-off
here. If there is any weak spot, it's at the OLB position, but the experience of Hunter,
Johnson, and Tarpinian should be able to cover, as they can switch in and out of those positions,
if needed. After the top 6, I'd look for most of the others (especially Tillison) to get their game
legs on special teams. Next up: Tight Ends
Previous Installments:
Intro
Quarterbacks
Kickers
Defensive Line
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