QB Derby begins in Iowa City

The debate came to a conclusion, for now at least, Wednesday.

A.J. Derby will play quarterback at Iowa.

This is from Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz also called Derby, a 6-foot-4, 220-pounder a “Tim Tebow” type of athlete. He also said if Iowa changes its style of offense to accommodate Derby's skills, so be it.

“That's our intent is for him to play quarterback,” Ferentz said at his signing day news conference. “We're eager to see how he can progress and improve.

“And if things change in our style a little bit, that's fine. Down the road, we think that's he's a guy that can win and lead the football team. We're really impressed with what he did this past year.”

The Iowa City High all-stater made it official. The Hawkeyes signed 21 players to scholarships when the national signing period began Wednesday.

Iowa's class includes Derby and Solon's James Morris, the two premier players in the state of Iowa this season. Along with Derby, the class also has three U.S. Army All-American Bowl participants with tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and offensive tackle Andrew Donnal.

For the first time in Ferentz's 11-plus seasons, Iowa signed three players from the Washington D.C./Baltimore area with Gilman School linebacker Jim Poggi and defensive tackle Anthony Ferguson Jr. and DeMatha High School running back Marcus Coker.

But, yes, Ferentz did say “if things change in our style a little bit.” He was talking offense. He was talking Derby. For Ferentz, that's a fairly bold statement.

Derby led Iowa City High to a 14-0 season and a Class 4A state title. He completed 99 of 187 for 1,820 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also rushed 142 times for 752 yards. He also averaged 40.8 yards a punt and picked off two passes on defense.

Here are facts and figures that support the QB choice maybe more than anything else: Derby was City High's first two-year captain and he led the Little Hawks to a 24-1 record in his two seasons as starting QB.

“He's a winner,” Ferentz said. “And on top of that, we think he's got a lot of upside at the quarterback position.”

Derby has been steadfast in his desire to play quarterback.

“Most recruiting Web sites just have me listed as an ‘athlete,' like I might play something else,” Derby said. “But the Iowa coaches and I are set on quarterback.”

Derby was awarded Parade All-American honors last weekend as an “all-purpose” player. He was listed on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl west roster as a defensive back, but he played quarterback in that game and finished 1 of 6.

There's always the noise from fandom about him possibly playing another position, which is understandable. His dad, John, was an outstanding linebacker for Iowa's 1991 Rose Bowl team.

Ferentz always thought “athlete.”

“A year ago at this time, I would have probably told you there's no question in our minds he was a tremendous football player, tremendous athlete, kind of a Tim Tebow discussion, if you will,” Ferentz said. “And that's really how we envisioned him.”

And then Derby, who's already enrolled and will participate in spring practice, came to a session at an Iowa football camp this summer. He opened Ferentz's eyes to the quarterback possibilities.

“He really impressed us with the progress and improvement that he had made,” Ferentz said. “He clearly had been working on his footwork, throwing the football, that type of thing.

“We were just all tremendously impressed. And after that, we thought, boy, this guy, he's got a lot of upside at quarterback. I think we're getting a tremendous football player, a tremendous person.”

Senior Ricky Stanzi, barring anything crazy, has QB locked down for 2010. In 2011, it'll be junior James Vandenberg, who nearly lifted Iowa to victory at Ohio State last season, junior John Wienke and Derby.

Maybe the debate isn't over. Ferentz slipped that in there, too, Wednesday.

“If that (quarterback) doesn't work down the road, there's probably a lot of things he could do,” Ferentz said.

Maybe it's just beginning.

James Morris, LB, 6-2, 215, Solon High School

Austin Gray, LB, 6-2, 220, Fitzgerald High School (Warren, Mich.)

Jim Poggi, LB, 6-2, 215, Gilman School (Baltimore, Md.)

Anthony Ferguson, DT, 6-2, 280, Gilman School (Baltimore, Md.)

Louis Trinca-Pasat, DE, 6-3, 235, Lane Tech (Chicago)

Austin Vier, ATH, 6-7, 220, Ballard High School

Mike Hardy, DL, 6-5, 260, Kimberly High School (Appleton, Wis.)

Brandon Scherff, OL, 6-6, 295, Denison-Schleswig High School

Andrew Donnal, OL, 6-7, 285, Anthony Wayne High School (Whitehouse, Ohio)

Marcus Coker, RB, 6-1, 222, DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.)

Don Shumpert, ATH, 6-2, 185, Hazelwood (Mo.) East High School

Christian Kirksey, ATH, 6-2, 200, Hazelwood (Mo.) East High School

D'Andre Johnson, RB, 5-8, 210, Monsignor Pace High School (Miami, Fla.)

B.J. Lowery, CB, 5-11, 175, Cincinnati (Ohio) Hughes High School

A.J. Derby, QB, 6-4, 220, Iowa City High School (Iowa City)

Donovan Johnson, DE, 6-2, 245, Martin High School (Arlington, Texas)

Carl Davis, DT, 6-5, 300, Adlai Stevenson High School (Sterling Heights, Mich.)

C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, 6-7, 245, Johnsburg (Ill.) High School

Kevonte Martin-Manley, WR, 6-1, 198, Brother Rice (Birmingham, Mich.) High School

Anthony Hitchens, S, 6-1, 195, Clearview (Lorain, Ohio) High School

Tanner Miller, S, 6-2, 200, Mid-Prairie High School

WALK ONS

Mike Meyer, K, 6-1, 175, Dubuque Wahlert

Ellis Jordan, RB, 5-7, 180, Iowa City High

Jon Chelf, WR, 5-10, 170, Iowa City High

Cole Heissel, DL, 6-6, 240, LeMars Gehlen Catholic

Evan McMillan, ATH, 6-5, 190, St. Paul (Minn.) Academy

Tommy Gaul, OL, 6-3, 225, West Des Moines Dowling

GRAYSHIRTS

Jonny Mullings, P, 6-4, 215, Colston School, Canberra, Australia

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