Harty: Easy to get carried away with Ryan Boyle’s performance
IOWA CITY, Iowa – For Ryan Boyle’s sake, let’s hold off before we call him the next Marvin McNutt or Ed Hinkel, or even a starter at receiver for the Iowa football team.
Let’s wait before we label him as Iowa’s next star who switched from quarterback to receiver.
Don’t get me wrong, Boyle’s decision to switch from quarterback to receiver is intriguing for several reasons, mostly because nobody saw it coming, especially this early in his career.
Everybody was too busy assuming that fellow freshman Drew Cook would switch from quarterback to tight end just because his father played tight end for the Hawkeyes.
Not only is it unfair and narrow-minded to think way about Drew Cook, it is wrong.
Cook appears firmly entrenched at quarterback, while Boyle is willing give up playing arguably the most high profile position in sports for a shot to get on the field sooner than later.
The position switch, which occurred on Wednesday, isn’t necessarily permanent.
Ronnie Harmon played receiver during his first two seasons at Iowa in the early 1980s under Hayden Fry before switching to his preferred position of running back as a junior.
In no way am I comparing Boyle to Harmon because that would be silly at this point. Boyle looked good on two plays in a spring scrimmage against mostly reserves.
He showed impressive breakaway speed on a 38-yard catch, while also showing good leaping ability on a 6-yard touchdown grab late in the fourth quarter.
But Boyle didn’t show enough to be anointed.
And this is coming from a fellow graduate of West Des Moines Dowling Catholic High School, albeit 32 years ahead of Boyle.
It would be a pleasure to watch a fellow Maroon become a star at any position for the Hawkeyes. There is no denying Boyle’s athletic ability or his commitment to football.
But there is also no denying his inexperience at this stage.
It’s easy to get carried away in the spring because that’s when teams build for the future and establish a culture. Part of the mission each spring is to build confidence and team chemistry.
Iowa fans should be excited about Boyle’s willingness to switch positions because it shows that he is unselfish, tough and confident.
He certainly flashed on Saturday, showcasing a number of physical attributes.
Let’s just wait to see if Boyle keeps flashing before we burden him with huge or unrealistic expectations.