Expect LeShun Daniels Jr. to take Mark Weisman’s carries this season.
By Danny Payne
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Perhaps former Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini summed up the Big Ten’s thoughts on Iowa’s running game the past three years.
“They’ve got that big old [running] back coming back again,” Pelini said at 2014 Big Ten media days. “It seems like he’s been playing college football for 25 years.”
Pelini, of course was referencing former Iowa running back and current Cincinnati Bengal fullback Mark Weisman, who led the Hawkeyes in rushing during the three seasons he started in Iowa City. During his career, the Buffalo Grove, Illinois, native totaled 2,602 yards and 32 touchdowns, one shy of Tavian Banks’ and Sedrick Shaw’s shared program record.
So who takes those carries this season?
If all goes according to plan, LeShun Daniels Jr. and Jordan Canzeri will carry the load. But as Iowa fans know, especially at running back, things don’t always go as planned.
But for at least part of this preview, let’s assume things will stay the course.
Daniels is listed as the starter on the team’s latest depth chart, and he is a bruiser with some speed. Listed at 6-foot, 225 pounds, he dropped roughly 10 pounds during the off-season. His carries have been limited during his two seasons in a Hawkeye uniform because of injury and Weisman, but he has looked solid with the ball in his hands.
“Accountability and trust is absolutely crucial, and we feel that way about LeShun,” running backs coach Chris White said. “…LeShun needs to take Mark’s carries, and Jordan as well. We want LeShun to be the guy that took Mark’s carries — he’s more of a natural back than Mark was.”
Canzeri, on the other hand, is the lightning to Daniels’ thunder, if you will. He’s never been able to stay totally healthy, but he did manage to rattle off 494 yards on the ground and 9 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. Expect Canzeri to play more of a third-down-back role than a feature-back role this year.
“Jordan Canzeri has really had a really good spring and a really good summer,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “He’s doing things like you’d hope a senior would. We’re excited about that, and I’m confident both of them are going to play really well for us.”
Behind the clear 1-2 punch lies a combination of converted wide receiver Derrick Mitchell Jr. and Akrum Wadley. Although things could change from now until the Sept. 5 opener, Mitchell has the lead for the No. 3 back over Wadley.
Since playing scout-team running back last year and impressing coaches in practice, Mitchell has worked his way up the running-back ladder and looked like he belonged in the limited action open to the public.
Wadley rushed for more than 100 yards when Iowa eviscerated Northwestern in Kinnick Stadium last year, but he had problems with ball security as the year progressed.
“If they come out, the guy that goes in next will get the job done just as well,” Canzeri said. “Just the fact we have up to four backs like that is great for our offense and great for all of us.”
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