Croot Loops — Linebackers

Iowa recruited four linebackers in this class. It looks as if, maybe, the Hawkeyes have three candidates for inside linebacker positions and maybe one outside LB candidate.

Texas linebacker Angelo Garbutt

committed to Oregon State in August, and then coach Mike Riley took the Nebraska job. The relationship between Garbutt and Riley carried over. The 6-2, 210-pounder decommitted from Oregon State in January and visited Iowa and Nebraska. He also had offers from Missouri and Texas Tech,

The quick January tour pointed Garbutt toward Iowa. Last season at Hebron High School (Carrollton, Texas), Garbutt split time between linebacker and running back. At one point as an RB, Garbutt accounted for more than 60 percent of Hebron's total offense, carrying 116 times for 789 yards and six touchdowns - an average of 23 carries and 158 yards per game.

Garbutt finished with 188.7 yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry while earning first-team all-Class 6A District 6 honors.

He was recruited primarily for his potential as an outside linebacker after recording 55 tackles as a junior at Hebron, including 13.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks

Garbutt is one of four Dallas-area preps who signed with the Hawkeyes last week.

Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 3 stars 247Sports: 3 stars Composite

: 3.00

Depth chart in 2015?

: Maybe, and not just on special teams. Garbutt's film shows that he enjoys rushing the passer and creating mayhem. Yes, he'll need work on the finer points of linebacker, especially pass coverage and keys, but he likes to go and isn't shy about contact. He's a real candidate for core special teams, but also could find a role in third-down pass rush packages (if this skill translates on this level, obviously).

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Anthony Hitchens

Hitchens came to Iowa as one of the top rushers in Clearview (Lorain, Ohio) High School history. During Hitchens' freshman season in 2010, Iowa was in the midst of one of its famous (infamous?) running back sinkholes, and Hitchens practiced some at the position. In the Insight Bowl that season (a victory over Missouri), Hitchens played some nickel linebacker. Where Garbutt goes remains to be seen, but it's a similar start.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: 'Angelo had a lot of stuff going on recruiting-wise. It went down to the wire with Angelo. We spent a lot of time as an entire staff with multiple home visits with Angelo and his mom. Good size, comes out of Dallas, and you'll see there's a little bit of a trend there with guys we've pulled out of that Dallas metro area. Very athletic. He's someone who can obviously run. He was a high school running back/linebacker, so that was intriguing to us, not necessarily from the running back standpoint moving forward, but someone who's very athletic.”

My take

: His running back highlights are very impressive. Runs with a lean, has burst and showed an ability to make a lateral cut that created big runs. As a linebacker, he hits like a truck. He'll need to work on tackling form (shooting arms and wrapping up). He hit so hard on this prep level that he often didn't need to do that. Love the way he worked through traffic and off the edge. Being defense 100 percent will raise his game.

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Illinois linebacker Jack Hockaday

committed to the Hawkeyes in March 2014. Of course, there were hop-ons, namely Missouri, which made a late charge. Hockaday also had other attractive options, including Nebraska, Duke, Illinois and Indiana.

Hockaday and his family did their homework on Iowa and took at least one unofficial visit. A comfort level grew and that's what came home for the Iowa staff in the end, helping land an athlete who set an Illinois state record with 11,506 yards from scrimmage for his career at Maroa-Forsyth High School.

As a senior, Hockaday recorded 106 tackles, six interceptions and forced seven fumbles. He started all four seasons at Maroa-Forsyth, playing linebacker, quarterback, defensive back and wide receiver.

Despite already having offers, Hockaday ran in some of the Rivals camp circuit. Here's a snippet from an elite 7-on-7 showcase in Michigan in May: 'What Hockaday lacks in size, he makes up for in field awareness. 7-on-7 play can get hectic in the middle with crossing routes meant to mix up the defense, but Hockaday plays with his head on a swivel and reacts quickly.”

Iowa projects him at any linebacker spot, including middle linebacker. 'I know I'm going to have to compete when I get there,” Hockaday told HawkeyeReport.com. 'I'm just going to go in there with the mindset that it's a competition and I've going to have to compete.”

Rivals: 3 stars Scout: 3 stars 247Sports: 3 stars Composite

: 3.00

Depth chart in 2015?

: Possibly. If Hockaday shows a feel for special teams, he could check in there. What's more likely, especially if Iowa coaches are thinking an inside linebacker position, is a year of redshirt to build on his 205-pound frame.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Pat Angerer

Please remember, this is more a starting point, not as much of a predictive destination. When Iowa signed Angerer, he was a 6-1, 200-pounder who lined up and destroyed people wherever his team needed him on defense. He also ran track and was a starter on the soccer team. He wasn't the tallest, but he clearly was an athlete who did a lot for his respective high school teams. Hockaday has more than 11,000 yards of offense that says he did a lot for his team.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: On keeping the recruiting wolves at bay, 'No, Jack was solid with us. You're talking about a great family. They were on board as a family. They were up here multiple, multiple times through the summer and during the season. You classify him as a winner just based on what his program has done (M-F won the state title in 2012 and was runner-up this year) in the years that he's been there. Athletic, tough. There were some people who came in the last weeks who made a sales pitch to him, but he's never wavered. What happened there was some really strong ties in relationships built based on the way we did things in June and July in getting some of these guys up here. I like to say relationships are huge, they were really big in regards to this. When those relationships were made with guys who committed to us, I think that paid off. In Jack's case, there were some other schools interested.”

My take

: His video is a tornado. There's one play where he lines up as linebacker. The opponent's running back shows a flat route, but then bows and takes off up the sideline. Hockaday reacted to the flat and was there. He had enough speed to recover and run step-for-step up the sideline and picked off the pass. Hockaday dominated his prep level. He was the strongest, most decisive player on the field. The competition will obviously take a leap forward for him, but he also put himself out there in Rivals and Core 6 camps, so it won't exactly be him walking out of the flatlands and onto a Big Ten environment.

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The summer camp season usually yields a few commitments for the Hawkeyes. That's when linebacker Justin Jinning

claimed his spot with the Hawkeyes.

Jinning is a 6-2, 210-pounder from The Colony (Texas) High School. As a junior, Jinning earned first-team all-district after leading the team with 73 tackles. As a senior, he had 104 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In track, Jinning earned all-district honors as champion of the 110-meter high hurdles and 300 low hurdles.

Jinning told HR.com that Iowa sees him as an outside linebacker with Kirksey's potential. He had a chance to watch game video with inside linebackers coach Jim Reid last weekend.

'When I talked to coach Reid, we watched a little bit of film and he showed me how my game really matches up well with their style of defense,” Jinning said. 'He showed me how I would be a great fit.”

Iowa threw an offer out when Jinning's only other offer was New Mexico State. Purdue threw out a late offer, but Jinning didn't seriously consider it. The Colony High School had 24 football players sign letters of intent last week.

Rivals: 2 stars Scout: 3 stars 247Sports: 3 stars Composite

: 2.66

Depth chart in 2015?

: Yes. You're going to hear a lot of Kirksey comparisons, and why not? They're the same height and have will have started their Iowa careers with the same build. Kirksey saw time exclusively on special teams during his freshman year. Jinnings is looking for the same opportunity, telling Starlocalmedia.com 'I don't intend on redshirting. It's definitely possibly I could be playing. I'm definitely going to have to work really hard for it and maybe even play some special teams, but I think the chance could be there for me.”

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Christian Kirksey

Hey, shocker, right? Jinning's long arms are similar to Kirksey's. It took Kirksey three years to get into the 230-range, but it paid off with him going in the third round to the Cleveland Browns. Jinnings has the same frame, so expect some growth. Also, the fact that Jinnings is an accomplished hurdler kind of flies under the radar.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: 'You go back to Angelo (Garbutt), you go gack to Emmanuel (Ogwo) and you go back to Justin Jinning, and you're talking about three guys from the Dallas metro area who were here during the summer. They all came up with family members. Again, there's some connection. In Justin's case, you're looking at another linebacker who's strong, athletic. He's got some investment in us, but I wouldn't say it was a down-to-the-wire battle, but he had some choices (Purdue and Texas Tech). It's a good family and I think what we developed over the course of time, it was pretty cut and dry that this was the place he wanted to be.”

My take: Again, another linebacker highlight tape with a lot of plays showing the linebacker running downhill. With Jinning, there's also quite a few shots showing him in pursuit and getting to the runner. He tracked the ball well, showed some speed and finished plays. There is one highlight of him on kick coverage, and he keeps the returner on his inside shoulder and aggressively makes the tackle. Jinning could be the best OLB candidate in this group.

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Nick Wilson

was the best defensive player for West Des Moines Dowling, the back-to-back Class 4A state champion in Iowa. He had 63 tackles last season with three tackles for loss and three interceptions. In the state title game against Cedar Rapids Washington, Wilson had 5.5 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.

Wilson committed to Western Illinois, an FCS school, at one point. Iowa offered on one of the final recruiting weekends in January and Wilson took the offer before he finished his official visit.

'Right now, they are looking at me as more of an outside linebacker rather than a safety,” Wilson told HR.com. 'I'm going to lift and get as big and as fast as I can coming into the summer. [Outside linebackers coach] LeVar Woods will be my coach going into the summer camp. They didn't tell me that I'd be a redshirt for sure. I have every chance to come and play as the next guy.”

Was it hard being patient with Iowa in recruiting? 'It was pretty hard, but I wanted to be a Hawkeye so it was worth the wait. I want to continue my football career at Iowa.”

Wilson is the high school teammate of Dowling QB/Iowa recruit Ryan Boyle.

Rivals: 2 stars Scout: 2 stars 247Sports: 2 stars Composite

: 2.00

Depth chart in 2015?

: Possibly. Wilson needs weightroom and training to earn a spot at linebacker, but Iowa now has four linebackers in this class along with at least two from last year's class (Aaron Mends and Jameer Outsey, both of whom redshirted). So, probably expect at least two true freshmen linebackers to see the field.

Off-the-top-of-my-head Hawkeye comparison

: Tyler Sash

Sash came out of Oskaloosa High School with one more star and one more FBS offer (Iowa State) than Wilson, but the skill sets are similar. Sash was a physical safety who covered and baited prep QBs into bad throws. Wilson did plenty of that at Dowling and showed a knack to tracking ballcarriers out of the backfield.

Iowa recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace

: 'Our numbers before we got into the season probably put him in that 17 and 18 area, and because of roster changes and attrition, your numbers are going to change. Our numbers did change and that's what led to the addition of maybe two more linebackers than what might've been expected going into the season. Nick Wilson was always on our board. We always felt very, very highly of him and his ability. His size, first and foremost. The fact that we're looking at someone who played a good amount in the secondary who we'd be moving down to a linebacker position just based on size, would tell you that he has a lot of athletic ability, runs very well.”

My take

: I don't know what separates the last few recruits from players Iowa hopes to get as walk-ons. I imagine not a whole lot. Wilson cleared that hurdle and knows he was one of the last in the class, so automatic chip on the shoulder. Watch his film and you'll see a smart safety who's consistently in position to make plays in the passing game and against the run. He also shows some leaping ability and body control. They did sneak a highlight of Wilson blocking a punt in there. There will be a learning curve moving inside, but Wilson's play shows a high football IQ. With that and his size, he's starting from a good place.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com