Yes, there are exceptions, but time has shown that, in general, the scouting services get it right. Iowa is an incredible outlier of a program that consistently outperforms its recruiting class, while producing NFL players. Especially in the last few years with the advent of the internet, the scouting has improved a tremendous amount.

Here’s a link that explains it a bit better:

http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2011/4/30/2143688/the-best-and-worst-college-programs-and-conferences-at-developing#storyjump

As an addendum, Iowa has successfully recruited 26 4-star recruits. Of those only 13 managed to stay at Iowa for at least 4 years, of those 13, 9 were on the offensive or defensive lines. The loss of that talent effects the product on the field either in depth or top line talent on the field.

I for one am so tired of the saying Iowa puts so many guys in the NFL, who cares? First and foremost they are STUDENTS not football players. Rather know how many graduate and become productive citizens!

The situation with A.J. wouldn’t be so alarming if early player exits from the U of I football program weren’t such a lingering chronic problem. This isn’t a problem created by over zealous Hawk fans, Mike. It is an issue within the program which inevitably is the responsibility of the head coach. A coach who unfortunately now defines transparency by the use of a form letter to explain away a horribly troubling track record of player exits from the program.

Oklahoma, Michigan, ect… ect… must all have “lingering chronic problems” because it’s happening everywhere. Players are more moble than ever and go to where the grass is greener, ala Wisconsin’s QB this year. It helps us sometimes and hurts us other times. Young men change their minds (I switched my major 3 times) good luck to them.

He’s a legacy and probably one of the top athletes on the team. This transfer is different. That Iowa never found a package on offense that could utilize his talents, for even one play, is telling. Under KF, you fit into his system perfectly or you disappear. Skill players are different. They don’t grow on trees and when you have them you find ways to get the ball into their hands. You don’t shove square pegs into round holes.

KF is going to see what I mean next year and maybe beyond as our defense looks to be falling back dramatically in the talent department and we are loosing the one guy who was able to squeeze a dollar out of 15 cents. (Good luck Norm!)

To all that read about the Hawks only, take note of Ohio St; they kicked three players off their team this week. This is a problem everywhere in college football and to predict the outcome of a game or season has been played or started is very shallow thinking. With that thought process, the Hawks should just pack it up and not play the games.

Isn’t this the same Derby who was arrested for drinking and being a d-bag? Seems that he has a holier then thou attitude, so good riddance to him!

All the excuses and rationalizations in the world won’t gloss over the fact that this program has serious and endemic problems, and they seem to reside in coaching staff/player relations. Skill set players dropping like flies and consistent on field game day lethargy are the symptoms, and the situation is at the point where we must expect an era of second rate performance to continue and worsen. It isn’t unreasonable to now expect things to return to the pre-Fry level of bottom rung play in a B1G that has become much tougher.

A little sunshine and air clearing is obviously in order. Yet we have a media group and an AD who seem at the least timid and the worst outright afraid of the head coach. Some candor, and self assesment from the staff is very much needed… the sooner the better.

The Gazette does an outstanding job of covering Iowa football, but right now we need aggressive coverage of the Iowa ‘program’ and promote some accountability. Time to quit whistling in the dark.

If this isnt the clearest sign that there is a systemic problem within the Iowa football program, Mr. Hlas, I don’t know what else to tell you.

AJ Derby was a kid that ate, drank, slept and lived for being an Iowa Hawkeye like his father. I believe there are even pictures that have been published that show the Derby boys sitting with their father on the plane to the Holiday Bowl in 1991.

Let’s remember Mike that Derby was JVB’s backup this season until the public intox incident…so I hardly think that this is an issue that the “recruitniks” were off on AJ Derby’s abilities.

The Hawkeye staff had every confidence in him as the #2 QB as a redshirt freshman ahead of John Weinke–a junior who’s been in the Iowa program for 3 years now.

So, calling his abilities into question here I think quite frankly is a red herring.

Again..there has to be something seriously at issue in the Iowa program right now..and its something that needs to come to the light of day…otherwise I’m afraid its going to to tear this program apart from the inside.

In any talent-centric, complex organization, attrition per se is often a firing offense. It’s simply not possible to succeed in a competitive environment if the assets — which are the people who walk through the door everyday, not the bricks and mortar — melt away. Attrition is one of the key metrics always used in measuring management effectiveness. Nobody cares why. Senior staff are measured, in part, on their ability to attract *and* retain talent.

On Broadway, the old saying goes, the producers take out the trash. Why? Because there is no show without the talent.

Create a hyper-rigid culture such as the one seen now with the KC Chiefs, and soon you will find that the only people who want to hang around are the ones with no other options.

Where is AJ Derby transferring to …? … as I will bet you a nickel that he is going somewhere wher he can play quarterback! If his heart and head are set on playing quarterback, then that is what he should do …

I see a lot of radically upset fans that I’m sure mean well, while I see those like me who are just taking this in stride because we know this happens almost everywhere nowdays, not just Iowa. Maybe some think we don’t compare with Oklahoma, Ohio St., Michigan & others very well but I’d say in recent years [except maybe the last couple] that we stack up pretty well. I’m not a KF defender but I am a bit leary of where we might be without him. Afterall, in his 13 seasons here, we’ve finished in Top Ten more than Hayden Fry ever did in 20. And I love Hayden Fry! I witnessed this program slowly rise out of it’s 1960′s-70′s REAL downtime to become a fairly traditional powerhouse [based on winning seasons, bowl games, etc.If A.J. really wants to transfer & play QB at Coffeeville CC or wherever, let him! I think he has potential to be a good ballplayer but he needs his brother Zach's work ethic. I'm tired of getting all worked up about our attrition & have come to realize there's nothing you can do about it except hope it all works out for everyone involved. It hasn't been all that long ago that we won an Orange Bowl [BCS BS!] & our record vs. SEC teams in bowl games is better than almost all other B1G teams. I’m hopeful we’ll come out of this funk we seem to be in. Go Hawks!

I think AJ Derby is probably good enough right now to play or start for a MAC Team or any second-tier Division I school. If Jake Christensen is good enough to start for Western Illinois, then AJ Derby can start for Eastern Illinois … who knows given the opportunity he may be another Tony Romo. If his mind is set on being a Division I quarterback, then he should pursue his dream and he should not let anyone interfer with him pursuing that! Good Luck AJ.