Iowa football: O-line and DB gets shakeup in Rutgers depth chart
By Andrew Wade
The linebacker unit continues to change
The big concern last year was who would take over at each linebacker spot for the Iowa football team, and it honestly never got resolved. Injuries and ineffectiveness caused the Iowa football coaching staff to roll out different trios in every single game and even implement a 4-2-5 that would require one less linebacker on the field.
One year later, and Iowa’s coaching staff is still trying to figure it out.
On the initial depth chart release for the game against Miami (OH), the Hawks listed out LEO/Cash as Barrington Wade and DJ Johnson, and Nick Niemann, last year’s opening-game starter was listed as the backup behind Djimon Colbert at weakside linebacker.
Colbert had a fantastic game Saturday and looks like he could be one of the next great Iowa football linebackers so Niemann likely isn’t getting on the field there, but he did have a solid performance against Miami, collecting 3 tackles, and he is now listed as the starter at LEO.
Next. Five observations from win over Miami. dark
Given the history of this position the last year, this is all likely to change again, but Niemann appears to have played his way back into a starting role depending on what offensive scheme the Hawks are playing that week.