Iowa Football 2012: Breaking Down Spring Practice

Iowa didn't have the season it had hoped for last year as it finished with a 7-6 record and ended a three-consecutive-bowl winning streak. Iowa hopes this season will be a lot better as it returns a total of 13 starters, including seven on the offensive side of the ball.

Although there are a few bright spots to like about this Hawkeye team heading into the regular season, there are of course several concerns. Things like who's going to run the ball, how will the offensive line shape up, and can the defensive line get going? These questions will be addressed in the spring.

Iowa kicks off spring ball on March 21 and prepare for the spring game that will be held on April 16. That leaves us with limited time to look at this Midwest team.

Here is the spring breakdown for the Iowa Hawkeyes this season.

Schedule

Iowa kicks off its spring practice on March 21, and the spring game takes place on April 16.

Offensive Depth Chart

Quarterback: James Vandenberg, Jake Rudock

Fullback: Brad Rogers, Jonathan Gimm

Running Back: Jordan Canzeri, De'Andre Johnson

Wide Receiver: Kevonte Martin-Manley, Don Shumpert

Wide Receiver: Keenan Davis, Steven Staggs

Tight End: Zach Derby, C.J. Fiedorowicz

Offensive Tackle: Brandon Scherff, Andrew Donnal

Offensive Guard: Nolan MacMillan, Jordan Walsh

Center: James Ferentz

Offensive Guard: Matt Tobin, Drew Clark

Offensive Tackle: Brett Van Sloten

Defensive and Special Teams Depth Chart

Defensive End: Dominic Alvis, Shane DiBona

Defensive Tackle: Carl Davis, Darian Cooper

Defensive Tackle: Joe Gaglione, Mike Hardy

Defensive End: Steve Bigach, Louis Trinca-Pasat

Weak Side Linebacker: Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens

Middle Linebacker: Quinton Alston, Marcus Collins

Weakside Linebacker: James Morris, Tom Donatell

Cornerback: B.J. Lowery, Jordan Lomax

Cornerback: Micah Hyde, Greg Castillo

Strong Safety: Collin Sleeper, Nico Law

Free Safety: Tanner Miller, Jack Swanson

Kicker: Mike Meyer

Punter: Connor Kornbrath

Best Position Battle

Iowa has a lot of questions to answer this season, but no position is going to be as fun to watch than the defensive line. The Hawkeyes lost four members of the defensive line, which already struggled to get to the quarterback as it is. They finished the year with a total of 21 sacks, which was tied for eighth in the Big Ten.

Phil Parker has recently been promoted to defensive coordinator, and he'll really have his hands full with this unit. There is talent on the defensive line, although production and experience is seriously lacking.

The two players that could seriously change things around on the defensive front are redshirt freshman Darain Cooper and sophomore Carl Davis. Cooper was a 4-star prospect in 2010 and plays the game with a motor that doesn't quit, while having great speed off the ball. Davis is a huge guy at 6'5", 300 pounds, and is extremely athletic for his size.

Steve Bigach is a senior this year and will also need to step up, considering he's done next to nothing the last couple of years. He has to step up and lead this younger group of linemen if there is going to be any improvement from last year.

Iowa also recruited heavily on the defensive line, picking up solid recruits such as Jaleel Johnson and Faith Ekakite.

Iowa needs players to step up on this unit, or it could end up settling for another season of mediocrity.

Big Man on Campus

With a couple of key offensive players leaving the team in running back Marcus Coker and Marvin McNutt, this offense should rely heavily on quarterback James Vandenberg. And why shouldn't they? He was pretty solid last season, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first season as a starter.

He also rushed for three touchdowns.

If he can improve his 58 percent completion percentage this season, there's no question he could be one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten. With several questions surrounding this team heading into the spring, Vandenbergs play gives Hawkeye fans some hope, and that's why he's the big man on campus

Biggest Shoes to Fill

We could talk about the offensive line, but speaking of the offense, somebody has to step up to replace Marvin McNutt's production. He was the top receiver in the Big Ten last season, racking up 82 receptions for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns. He finished his fantastic career with 170 catches for 2,861 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns.

Senior receiver Keenan Davis will be looked at to become the number one receiver considering he had 50 catches and 713 receiving yards last season. He has great size at 6'3", 215 pounds, but has been inconsistent throughout his career. Is he truly ready to take that next step and become the number one receiving option on this team?

Steven Staggs is another big target at 6'3", but he only has five catches in his career. Sophomore Kevonte Martin-Manley had a solid season as a true freshman, finishing the season with 30 receptions for 323 yards and three touchdowns. He has excellent hands and great route running skills to provide another weapon on this offense.

Last season, this offense was ranked No. 59 in passing yards—somebody will have to step up this year to help continue the solid production.

Most Important Questions to Answer

Besides the wide receiver question, offensive line and defensive front, the Hawkeyes must figure out who's going to carry the rock for them. Iowa's running game was ranked 79th in the country last season, but they did have a 1,000 yard rusher in Marcus Cooker.

Well, he's no longer on the team, which of course leaves big questions at this position.

Sophomore Jordan Canzeri should get a lot of quality touches as he rushed for 114 yards last season. He's a real small back at 5'9", 172 pounds, but he has a lot of speed and play-making ability when he gets out in the open field.

Sophomore De'Andre Johnson is another small back at 5'8", 200 pounds, as he shown in limited carries last season, averaging over four yards a touch. He could also see the field a lot more than he did last season.

Other backs that will compete during the spring include senior Jason White and sophomore Damon Bullock. Combined, they have totaled 66 rushing yards and zero touchdowns in their careers.