Despite inexperience entering the season, Iowa’s linebackers look like old pros, and they show it in a variety of ways.
By Charlie Green
When the linebacker class of 2013 — Anthony Hitchens, James Morris, and Christian Kirksey — moved on to the NFL, the prospect of growing pains at the position seemed an inevitable reality.
The 2014 season lived up to that, and of all the position groups with question marks coming into 2015, and there were many, linebacker may have been the Hawkeyes’ most uncertain spot.
Now, if one was to revisit that belief, it might seem far off base. That’s because the unit has stepped up in a big way this year, diagnosing and reacting to plays quicker than it did a season ago — and looking like seasoned vets in the process.
“A linebacker’s ability to consistently read his keys is crucial to his ability to play at a high level,” Hawkeye Gamefilm said. “Most systems ask a linebacker to key a lineman or a back, depending on the formation/down/distance, etc. Consistently diagnosing plays, as the Iowa linebackers have done most of the year, is a product of doing a good job with keys.”
Senior Cole Fisher has bounced around quite a bit in his time at Iowa, but in his final season, he has settled in as the starting “will” linebacker. He ranks second on the team in tackles with 103, has 2.5 sacks, and intercepted Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. last week to help the team move to 12-0.
After years on the back of the depth chart and on special teams, Fisher’s experience is shining through.
“The experience of being here for five years, hopefully, I know what’s going on by now,” Fisher said.
He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors on Monday. Sophomore Josey Jewell did even better, receiving second-team recognition.
Jewell has 2.5 sacks and two picks, and he leads the team with 111 tackles this season. He has 7.5 tackles for loss and eight passes defensed. As the “mike” backer, Jewell has excelled in his second year after showing potential in last season’s TaxSlayer Bowl. He’s not the only youngster that has come through in an expanded role.
Sophomore Ben Niemann isn’t quite the tackling machine as his peers, but he still has 6.5 tackles for loss, including 3 sacks.
Fisher, who knows all three positions well, credits Niemann with alleviating one of the team’s most glaring weaknesses of 2014.
“The biggest thing is that we’ve been setting a hard edge with Ben at the ‘leo’ [strong-side] position,” Fisher said. “He’s done a great job, and it’s really one of those positions that you don’t get a ton of action, but when it comes your way, it’s really important that you get your job done.”
While adapting to the speed and complexity of the game may have made Jewell and Niemann mentally ready for action, another off-season with strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle didn’t hurt, either.
“Another factor is that [Jewell and Niemann] have another year of Division-1 weight-training under their belt,” Hawkeye Gamefilm said. “[Jewell] in particular was undersized last year and lacked the strength to take on blockers and shed at the point of attack.”
What’s unusual is the group’s contributions in the pass rush. The Hawkeyes typically don’t ask their backers to blitz often, and 2015 is no different. However, they have sent Niemann a fair amount off the edge, and Jewell has seen his share of blitzes as well.
Combined with Fisher, the three have accounted for 8 of the team’s 27 sacks.
“We don’t use them a whole lot in terms of pressure,” defensive end Parker Hesse said. “But when we do, they’re effective.”
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