Four downs with the linebackers

QUICK LOOK BACK: A senior-laden linebackers corps spearheaded a defense that was a force throughout the season. MLB Pat Angerer played his way into the NFL combine with 145 tackles. Ditto for OLB A.J. Edds, who finished the season with a career-high five interceptions. Jeremiha Hunter will return and be the leader of the LBs after a junior season in which he finished second on the team with 89 tackles.

This brings us to the backups, most of whom were largely unseen last season. When Hunter was knocked out of the Ohio State game, Jeff Tarpinian entered. He suffered a knee injury at some point during the game and was knocked out of the start for the next week, season finale against Minnesota. This put Troy Johnson in the lineup. He earned Big Ten defensive player of the week with 11 tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a fumble caused and recovered. That was Iowa's No. 3 at the weakside preserving a shutout in the season finale.

Tarpinian and Johnson are in it for 2010. Junior Tyler Nielsen will get first shot at Edds' outside linebacker spot. Of course, Hunter returns, probably resuming his spot on the weakside.

FOURTH DOWN -- CONCERNS: Experience is going to take a hit, no way around it. Will that mean performance takes a hit? That certainly remains to be seen.

Tarpinian has had a special teams career up until this, his fifth year. At one point, he was the No. 1 on the weakside, ahead of Hunter. But a serious hamstring sidelined him for the start of 2008 and Hunter has held the job since. He's got good size (6-3, 233), so I see him taking the middle linebacker spot.

Hunter should resume the weakside spot he's held the last two seasons. Nielsen, who's fought a few injuries and worked his way onto special teams, is the heir apparent at outside linebacker.

Johnson, a senior, and junior Bruce Davis will provide a big-time pushes at MLB. In his only chance to do anything in ‘09, Johnson, a 6-2, 235-pounder, earned Big Ten defensive player of the week after 11 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in a 12-0 victory over Minnesota. Davis was a special teams star last season, with most of his 14 tackles coming in that capacity. At middle linebacker against Minnesota, Davis recovered a fumble.

THIRD DOWN -- ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: Obviously, Angerer and Edds leave Iowa as the most decorated LB duo during the Ferentz era this side of Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge. We've talked about them, so we'll move to the additions, which are many.

Redshirt freshman Shane DiBona begins his career this season. I think the 6-2, 225-pounder makes the depth chart, but serious playing time is probably a year away. He could assume several roles on special teams, including the role of mauler on kick coverage, which was assumed last season by Tarpinian.

After DiBona, it's walk-ons, central of whom is senior Ross Peterson, who at 6-3, 236 with a 4.0 GPA in psychology

 could seize some PT as a senior.

But really, the additions are the incoming freshmen, the guts of Iowa's future at the position. Look for one or maybe two frosh to add depth and play special teams next season.

I'm sort of focused on Solon's James Morris in that regard. The 6-2, 215-pounder is uniquely positioned for the task that is Iowa football. His stepdad, Greg Morris, has worked in the team's equipment staff since the '80s. He's been the equipment manager for I don't even know how many seasons.

I talked to James about playing or redshirting in February:

“I talked a lot on my official visit to my position coaches,” Morris said. “I was pretty specific in the scenarios I predicted and where they see me fit in on the roster. There are a couple different things that could happen and both are based on basically how well I perform in camp. That will dictate what they do.

“My goal is to play as early and often as I can. That's everybody's goal. Not everyone will say that. Also, my goal is to help the team. However I can do that and still see reasonable time, I'm going to do it.”

When it comes to the choice to redshirt or not, more often than not, it's the player's choice.

“Coaches said they're looking to play one if not two of the freshmen linebackers so, basically, they have someone who's been at game-speed for when the cupboard is proverbially bare, as outsiders would say,” Morris said. “That's not how I like to think of it and that's not how the coaches like to think of it, but I'm a realist too and they need we need to get some depth.”

I see Jim Poggi as a possibility at OLB and he perhaps gets a look at depth and special teams next season. Christian Kirksey and Austin Gray will likely redshirt. Gray is coming off a torn ACL. I see Kirksey adding some weight during a redshirt season.

SECOND DOWN -- BATTLES BREWING: I see MLB as the battleground spot. Logic dictates Hunter will stick on the weakside. Nielsen has been groomed for this shot. He's not set in stone, but Edds did say during Orange Bowl week that he felt Nielsen was the man at OLB. That's pretty good insight.

That leaves MLB wide open.

Tarpinian is the front runner. It's his time, but he'll have to win the job. And I'm just assuming he'll slide into the open spot in the middle, where he's never really played. He's gained experience as the nickel linebacker, but I don't believe he's lined up in the middle or has made any of the calls the MLB makes. Maybe this will get more creative than we all can imagine. Tarpinian has the optimum size and decent wheels (as shown by his kick coverage this season). He's also one of the smarter players on the team, an accounting major who's a three-year academic all-Big Ten.

Johnson and Davis aren't going to go quietly. We're talking about a fifth-year senior and a junior. Their career clocks are flying to an end. They will have a say in this.

FIRST DOWN -- "On Iowa" prediction for 2010: It's time for Hunter to shine and I think he's perfectly capable of doing just that. He'll be a three-year starter. He's been No. 2 on the team in tackles the last two seasons, checking in with 80 and 89. He's been good in pass coverage. Linebacker coach Darrell Wilson might see scenarios where the 6-2, 235-pounder goes to the middle. He's been the No. 2 tackler on the team the last two seasons, so contact isn't an issue. With that logic, he'd be the middle linebacker, but that's pure spitballing. I'm guessing he stays put and he's Iowa's best candidate for all-Big Ten at linebacker.

Tarpinian will find a home in the middle. It might fit him better than the weakside. He's got the size and smarts. Nielsen is more of a questionmark, but he came in with excellent credentials (U.S. Army all-American) and it's his time. He's sat next to Edds in meetings for three years. Something soaked in, you'd think.

Linebacker is the hot spot on defense, but I'd define "hot" at warm bath. The position has enough upperclassmen with enough experience.