Harty: Who or what stood out at Friday’s open practice besides Mother Nature
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Besides Mother Nature’s wrath, here is what stood out during the Iowa football team’s open practice on Friday at Valley Stadium.
The effects of finishing 12-2 – Fans started arriving at Valley Stadium two hours before practice started. They stood in line despite the chill and wind just for the chance to see the Iowa players up close and to get autographs.
And though it’s likely that many of the same fans would’ve attended Friday’s practice regardless of Iowa’s record from last season, it’s also reasonable to think that Iowa gained a few fans on a chilly Friday after winning a school-record 12 games last season.
Iowa football is relevant again under veteran head coach Kirk Ferentz. And with that comes more admirers.
Josh Jackson’s coverage skills – The decision not to have a full-contact practice or scrimmage created an opportunity for Jackson, who then seized the moment. The Texas native excelled in pass coverage, with two pass deflections and multiple plays in which he blanketed his receiver.
Jackson is being withheld from contact this spring as he recovers from an undisclosed injury. He showed no visible effects of the injury during Friday’s practice.
With starting cornerback Greg Mabin not practicing this spring because of an injury, Jackson has more chances to showcase his skills as he did on Friday.
“It’s not quite the same as seeing him full-scale. But it’s been good for him,” Ferentz said of the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Jackson. “I think he’s made growth. That’s one positive thing I’ve seen — a lot of the younger guys that haven’t played yet, we’re seeing growth.”
Jackson appeared in all 14 games last season as part of Iowa’s nickel coverage. He had eight unassisted tackles and broke up two passes.
Brady Ross’ outlook on football – The Humboldt native looks as if he were born to play either fullback or linebacker for the Hawkeyes. He has played both positions in his first year at Iowa, starting out at linebacker before switching to fullback this spring.
"Fullback is just as fun," Ross said after Friday’s practice. "It’s physical. It’s violent. So there are definitely a lot of similarities."
Ross has gained a considerable amount of weight since becoming a Hawkeye and now tips the scales at 240 pounds on a 6-1 frame.
He and junior Drake Kulick will try to carry on the tradition of Iowa’s previous fullbacks, most recently the one-two punch of Macon Plewa and Adam Cox, both of whom used up their eligibility last season.
"I look up to those guys and all those older guys," Ross said. "It was just a great group of seniors."
Two passes; two catches – Sophomore-to-be Jay Scheel appears on the verge of breaking into Iowa’s rotation at receiver. He helped his cause by catching a deep pass from quarterback C.J. Beathard that would’ve resulted in an 80-yard touchdown if it wasn’t a 7-on-7 drill.
The important thing is that School got behind his defender, made the catch and looked healthy doing it.
The second catch of significance was made by junior-to-be Jonathan Parker. It came on an 11-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Tyler Wiegers. Parker made the catch in traffic near the back of the end zone. Wiegers also placed the ball in a tight window.
The 5-8, 188-pound Parker still is adjusting to being a receiver after playing running back as a freshman in 2014. He switched to receiver last season, but was buried on the bench. That could change next fall if Parker keeps making catches like the one he made on Friday.
Kids’ clinic enthusiasm – You sometimes can tell when a group of college football players are just going through the motions.
That wasn’t the case on Friday as the Iowa players helped to conduct a Kids’ Clinic after the open practice. The players and the kids both seemed unfazed by the miserable weather conditions, which included near freezing temperatures and non-stop wind gusts.
The next generation of Iowa football players might include some of the kids who participated in Friday’s clinic.
It’s unfortunate that the weather had such a negative impact on the practice. But as Iowa Associate Athletic Director Matt Henderson said in the press box on Friday, the most important thing is that the fans, especially the kids, got to see the Iowa players up close and personal.
Note: The strong winds made it virtually impossible to evaluate the kickers and punters. A decision also was made to practice without pads, so it was tough to judge the linemen in pass protection and run blocking and vice versa for the defensive linemen.
The skill players, on the other hand, were able to showcase their skills during drills and during 7-on-7 competition.