Knock on wood here …. but my impression is that by-and-large is that the DL has been able to remain pretty healthy through camp so far. Hopefully Gaglione wasn’t concussed or, if he was, he’ll be able to recover quickly.
Anyhow, good health during camp equates to good continuity. Good continuity typically equates to positive improvement/development. Furthermore, personnel continuity also tends to really help the chemistry of the unit.

Although I could be wrong, I’m thinking that Bigach and Gaglione will really do their best to put together really nice SR campaigns. Bigach has good size for a DE and he’s probably going to be tough to move when he sets the edge … thus, that could really help us when it comes to contain. Word has it that Gaglione has been showing some nice flashes as a pass-rusher from the edge, and that will be equally important. I really wouldn’t be surprised if both of those guys show up, work hard, and have the sort of impact that Tom Nardo has last year. They might not be all that flashy … but they could still end up being big and critical contributors.

It’s also nice to know that Alvis is a bit of a veteran and has been continuing to improve as he continues to rehab his prior ACL injury. While it will invariably take him a while to return to his late-season form from last year … that doesn’t mean that he won’t improve from a technique and/or knowledge perspective. From some of the available footage, it certainly seems like he’s continuing to make strides. He’s definitely going to be an important contributor for us too.

And, of course, we have some nice and hungry talent among our sophomores and freshmen. Certainly a number of those guys will jump to the fore and emerge as positive stories for the Hawks.

The above considerations, in many respects, potentially places the ’12 Iowa DL “ahead of the curve” in relation to the ’11 version of the DL. As I recall, the ’11 Iowa DL, despite having some exceptional talent in Daniels and Binns, they also had a pretty brutal camp heading into the season. Davis, Alvis, and Daniel were all battling injuries through camp and each of those guys were in direct competition for starting spots. Then, once the season started, both Daniel and Davis were limited due to injuries throughout the entire schedule. Though a good two-thirds to three-quarters of the season, Daniels was hampered by injuries too. Nardo missed several games around when the conference slate started and, as well all know, Alvis suffered the ACL tear in the Michigan game and missed the rest of the season.

The point being that not only did the ’11 defensive line have a shaky start getting out the gate … but they got hammered by injuries throughout the season and never truly played up to the “Hawkeye standard” of play. Thus, while many Hawk fans anticipate the worst as we enter the ’12 season … I honestly believe that if the ’12 DL can enjoy a pretty healthy season, I think that they’re capable of developing into a very solid group.