It will be crowded at running back for the Iowa Hawkeyes when pre-season practice begins. Jewel Hampton was the heir apparent to Shonn Greene heading into last year but a knee injury during the summer ended his season before it even began. He is expected to be ready for the 2010 season and will join freshmen Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher on the depth chart.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says Hampton showed a lot two years ago and everyone was all ready to anoint him as the next Greene, which Ferentz says was a little much, but says Hampton did show he was a good player and will be in the mix. He likes having depth at the running back spot.
Ferentz says the first goal is to get more than two guys to the game, which he says has been tough. An area of emphasis this spring has been the offensive line. Riley Reiff and Julian Vandervelde return on the interior while Allen Reisner returns at tight end. He says Reisner played when last season when thrust into the role by injury.
Riley Reiff and Julian Vandervelde will anchor the interior, and Ferentz says they both played good footbal last season with Reiff maybe the most consistent, even though he was a freshman.