UNI adds RB depth with FBS transfer

[clenz]

I'm not big on FBS transfers, which is well known here, but this is one that I'm cautiously optimistic about.

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q340/unipanthers10/5209681bb04c3preview-620_zps587042cf.jpg?t=1401330335

University of Iowa running back, and Cedar Falls native, Barkley Hill (6' 220lbs) has left the Hawkeye program and has enrolled in classes (confirmed by Coach Farley...though he would say nothing further than that) at UNI.

Hill went to high school a mile from UNI's campus and played his home high school games in the dome. He bounced between a 3 and 4 star (for a very short time) recruit coming out of high school.

He has quite the list of "accolades"

Parade All American...ESPN Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior . . . named Offensive Player of the Year by the Cedar Rapids Gazette . . . candidate for 2011 Ed Thomas Award . . .named first team running back on Des Moines Register Elite all-state team as junior and senior . . . first team all-state by Iowa Newspaper Association as a junior and senior . . . Class 4A all-state team captain as a senior...also three-year letterman in track, competing in sprints, high jump and long jump . . . member of 400-meter relay team that holds school record (42.07)...runs 4.5 40

3 years as a starter at Cedar Falls High he ran for 6,163 yards on 754 (8.2 yards per carry) carries and a Class 4A record 89 touchdowns. As a senior he ran for 2,491 yards and 40 touchdowns, rushed 230 times for 1,795 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior and gained 1,839 yards and scored 23 touchdowns on 238 rushing attempts as a sophomore

He committed to Iowa State as a junior and stopped taking calls from other programs. After his senior season finished he took a visit to Iowa City and got an offer. He then signed with Iowa. During fall camp his true freshman year he was running with the 1s. He then blew his ACL on the final play of the final scrimmage and missed the season. That off season he got picked up for a DUI. This past fall he did not see action at Iowa but coming out of fall camp the Iowa coaches were very high on him. It will be interesting to see if there is a "medical reason" that could be used to get him another year due to missing his true frosh season with a torn ACL. As it stands now he has 3 years left. Tha'ts GREAT news, if he pans out, because DJ is a senior this season and he would add a very explosive back to go with DJ and then after DJ is gone. UNI has depth at RB but the back ups are clearly back ups. Good players that I really like and could really develop, however, quality depth is NEVER a bad thing.

The news for this is very mixed in Cedar Falls for a couple reasons which I've seen described as a "kid with a lot of baggage and character issues":

1. He was a Hawkeye. This can't be overstated no matter how much one may try. There is an extreme hatred in Cedar Falls for all things Iowa (I have it as well). This leads to a large number of fans wanting nothing to do with players that may have worn a black and gold jersey, even if they can help the team.

2. The ACL tear. This is a legit concern but by the time the season hits he is 2 years removed from it. However, because of point #1 this point is going to be way overplayed by UNI fans to the point of many, from what I'm seeing, saying he is injury prone.

3. The DUI...a year and a half later it means he still has terrible judgement and shouldn't be trusted ever...even though that is his only issue with the law. I hate DUIs with a passion, but it's been a year and a half with zero issues after it. He served whatever punishment he was given.

4. He committed to Iowa State, then to Iowa, and now to UNI. This, apparently means, that he is a drama queen and will likely be cancer in the locker room...apparently. He is also, apparently, the only kid to ever commit to a school and then change commitments.

5-100. He was a Hawkeye.


Will he "pan out"? I have no idea. However, for any UNI fan not to see him being here as something with MASSIVE upside is just stupid.

Also interesting to note...UNI's first game of the season? In Iowa City against the Hawkeyes.

[Nickels]

Just keep his drunk ass off the road.

[MplsBison]

Wasn't there another talented RB that transferred out of Iowa City a couple seasons ago? To Stony Brook?

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

This guy is definitely glass half full/half empty. I hate DUI's too. It's about the dumbest and most dangerous crime you can commit.

While I get the in-state jealousy, that really shouldn't matter. Iowa is not a "peer" of UNI. The kid simply went to the bigger, better program. It's also the better school academically. Not hating just the reality without bias....

[clenz]

This guy is definitely glass half full/half empty. I hate DUI's too. It's about the dumbest and most dangerous crime you can commit.

While I get the in-state jealousy, that really shouldn't matter. Iowa is not a "peer" of UNI. The kid simply went to the bigger, better program. It's also the better school academically. Not hating just the reality without bias....

It's not better academically across the board...but whatever.


There Hawkeye hate is real...and to an extent it HAS to exist for UNI to grow a fan base and create it's own identity. I realize there is FBS schools in almost every state there is an FCS school, but they also have pro sports in their states. In Iowa the Hawkeyes and Cyclones ARE the pro sports. They are "the only show in town" to 95% of Iowan's and there is a very strong sense that "Everyone wants to be a Hawkeye/Cyclone...no one actually wants to be a Panther". The animosity is very real.

[SIUSalukiFan]

Wasn't there another talented RB that transferred out of Iowa City a couple seasons ago? To Stony Brook?

Mika'il McCall transferred from Iowa to Southern Illinois 2-3 years ago. Played one year at SIU, had a nice season, was kicked off the team last year and is back as a fullback.

That who you thinking of?

[clenz]

Mika'il McCall transferred from Iowa to Southern Illinois 2-3 years ago. Played one year at SIU, had a nice season, was kicked off the team last year and is back as a fullback.

That who you thinking of?

No...I believe McCall "left" Iowa but his voluntary leaving of the program is rumored to be less than voluntary, FWIW

Marcus Coker transferred to SBU. He ran for 1400 yards at Iowa, ran into a decent amount of legal/academic issues at Iowa and left. He ran for 1000 yards his JR year at SBU...then a killer 193 yards as a senior last season

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

It's not better academically across the board...but whatever.


There Hawkeye hate is real...and to an extent it HAS to exist for UNI to grow a fan base and create it's own identity. I realize there is FBS schools in almost every state there is an FCS school, but they also have pro sports in their states. In Iowa the Hawkeyes and Cyclones ARE the pro sports. They are "the only show in town" to 95% of Iowan's and there is a very strong sense that "Everyone wants to be a Hawkeye/Cyclone...no one actually wants to be a Panther". The animosity is very real.

UNI might have area's of strength but Iowa's still more highly regarded on the whole.

I don't think there should be animosity for kids wanting to attend Iowa or Iowa State . William & Mary might be the only public FCS school that can battle big brother in terms of being a destination school. That's even tough, UVA.....

[dewey]

So if he plays this year does he jump to the number 2 guy behind DJ? Maybe you mentioned it and I missed it but how many years does he have left?

I would look at a guy coming in from a school I don't like as he is here to help us win, period.

Dewey

[clenz]

He has 3 as of now (including this year). His true frosh was lost to an acl and he didn't play last year...There be might be a chance for a medical if he sat for to a "medical"issue as well last season.

He's likely the solid number2 into camp and it's up to him to hold onto that

Sent from my S4 using Tapatalk so if there is typos deal with it.

[UNIFanSince1983]

I like this. I wouldn't say he is a drama queen by any means. He committed to Iowa State and changed his mind went to Iowa. Plenty of kids change their commitment without being "drama queens" As for the DUI. DUI is something that happens. It is stupid, but people get them.

Personally I thought Iowa State or UNI would have always been a better fit for him. He realized there was so much depth at running back and he wasn't going to get a chance and transferred to UNI. I think this really helps depth and will be able to help us for a couple years down the road after DJ is gone this year. If you were in the area and saw him play in high school he has tons of talent. Whether his knee injury changed that is yet to be seen. I can't wait to see him in a Panther uniform. I was impressed with the young guys in the spring game so we will have to see how quickly he picks things up, but I think he should be talented enough to be the solid #2.

BTW Iowa has had numerous running backs transfer and this is just the latest. Here are the ones just from my recent memory:
Marcus Coker - SBU
Mika'il McCall - SIU
Jewel Hampton - SIU
Brandon Wegher - Oklahoma/Morningside
Adam Robinson (dismissed from team) - Minnesota-Duluth

I am sure there are many more, but that is all I can come up with off the top of my head recently.

[clenz]

I like this. I wouldn't say he is a drama queen by any means. He committed to Iowa State and changed his mind went to Iowa. Plenty of kids change their commitment without being "drama queens" As for the DUI. DUI is something that happens. It is stupid, but people get them.

Personally I thought Iowa State or UNI would have always been a better fit for him. He realized there was so much depth at running back and he wasn't going to get a chance and transferred to UNI. I think this really helps depth and will be able to help us for a couple years down the road after DJ is gone this year. If you were in the area and saw him play in high school he has tons of talent. Whether his knee injury changed that is yet to be seen. I can't wait to see him in a Panther uniform. I was impressed with the young guys in the spring game so we will have to see how quickly he picks things up, but I think he should be talented enough to be the solid #2.

BTW Iowa has had numerous running backs transfer and this is just the latest. Here are the ones just from my recent memory:
Marcus Coker - SBU
Mika'il McCall - SIU
Jewel Hampton - SIU
Brandon Wegher - Oklahoma/Morningside
Adam Robinson (dismissed from team) - Minnesota-Duluth

I am sure there are many more, but that is all I can come up with off the top of my head recently.
The AIRBHG - Angry Iowa Running Back Hating God. I

This is a real thing...google it...better yet...

This is from Sept 2012 so it's missing the last two seasons which includes seemingly more countless injuries and transfers from the rest of 2012 and 2013.. Well worth the read as I find Iowa fan depression funny.

http://www.airbhg.com/

It's the reason Iowa always keeps 12 running backs on the roster lately.

Barkley has some SERIOUS talent. He was extremely solid on Iowa State and pushed suitors like Nebraska, Michigan State, Minnesota, Kansas State, etc... away after he committed. He switched to Iowa real late, 18 months after committing to Iowa State. Something tells me there is more to that story, but oh well.

I don't see nearly the baggage that most do. He made a stupid mistake as a freshman, isn't alone in that one. Change commitments - happens thousands of times per year. Oh man, those two things must mean he is a real dirt bag attention whore.

The double standard on the DUI from UNI fans is humorous. Jordan Eglseder, the 7'1 center that anchored UNI's S16 basketball run, got picked up for a DUI during the season his senior year (the S16 season). He missed 3 games, per conduct policy, and was back on the court getting cheered and chanted for his first game back. As I said, it's all because he was a Hawkeye that the issue is.

[clenz]

I don't think there should be animosity for kids wanting to attend Iowa or Iowa State . William & Mary might be the only public FCS school that can battle big brother in terms of being a destination school. That's even tough, UVA.....
There's not animosity for a kid wanting to to to Iowa or Iowa State.

The animosity is that Iowa/Iowa State fans just assume that everyone wants to be a Hawk or a Clone and no one actually wants to be a Panther....they just go there/play there because they didn't get into/weren't good enough for Iowa/ISU.

For years, decades really, UNI sat back and accepted that. Then UNI started outplaying (even if they didn't win the game) Iowa State, then they started beating them, then they starting manhandling them. In the last decade or so UNI has gone from a complete push over for Iowa to Iowa nearly losing to UNI.

UNI has always accepted the role of being third fiddle and little brother. That's starting to change. We all realize that UNI will never be "second" in the state of Iowa, but there's no reason UNI should be degraded like it is by the other two. Dual fans are starting to become evil rather than the 99.9% norm. UNI started to develop it's own identity when it became UNI, rather than the Iowa State Teachers College, in 1969. At that point UNI starting going from a teach college that was 80% women to a rounded university. Yes, teaching is still a major draw at UNI as it's one of the best education programs in the nation but UNI is trying to break the stigma of a teachers college. UNI has developed one of the best accounting/business programs in the nation and is really trying to push being a business university. As that has happened, and as UNI's other programs have really started to blossom it's kind of stuck in the craw of UI and ISU administrators/alums.

When it comes to athletics UNI has always, and honestly for some time yet, been seen as a Division 2 school even though UNI left D2 in 1981. As UNI athletics have grown they've become as successful/more successful than Iowa/Iowa State programs and beaten Iowa/Iowa State with regularity. That REALLY pisses UI/ISU fans off. They refuse to acknowledge UNI as anything other than what UNI was 20-30 years ago.

Well, that has worked until about 10 years ago. There are finally younger generations of UNI fans that are UNI fans first and foremost/only and want nothing to do with ISU/UI. UNI absolutely needs that to survive and to grow athletically and academically. If UNI fans/alums continue to sit back and just go with the status quo because that's how it's always been there will be no growth at UNI...likely the opposite would happen. It's not by accident that the more UNI first/only fans/alums UNI has gotten the better the athletic and academic programs have gotten.

There is animosity and it's needed, to an extent. It's caused UNI to form an identity and go "F you UI/ISU, we are UNI. We are growing. We are getting better. We aren't your little red headed step brother anymore". Competition will either drive you to knew levels of success or cause you to wither away. The UNI fan base isn't huge but those that are in it are fiercely loyal to UNI and will make sure the train stays headed that way.


Again, it's tough to explain unless you live here. Yes, I realize every FCS school except NDSU and Montana (to a lesser extent Montana State and UND) face the same issues. There's something different about it in a state that only 3 million people live in with no professional sports teams (and fans being rather split between which pro teams they follow). The midwest is very similar to the SEC with how the colleges are treated. 99% of peoples apparel/outfits are college (UNI/ISU/UI) shirts, polos, button downs, hats, hoodies, vests, shorts. Typically a person will own a couple non logo polos and button downs for dressier occasions but after that everything they own has a logo. Cups, blankets, bedding sets, painting rooms school colors, etc... It's absolutely nuts. UNI needs to grow that kind of fan to survive. Iowa and Iowa State strive to keep that from happening...that's where the animosity comes from.

[jon1210002]

Long time reader, first-time poster. Being a proud UNI alum, I'm quite happy for Hill coming to UNI. Obviously, a team can't have too much depth. DJ and Hill should be an awesome combo. Maybe it will be enough for the Panthers to FINALLY get a championship. It's not fun having NDSU winning it all these past few seasons.

And I certainly want UNI to win the FCS more than I want to see Iowa win the FBS. I grew up an Iowa fan, but after graduating with a biz degree, and working with Iowa grads, that attitude changed a lot. U of I alumni do, for the most part, look down their noses at UNI. Funny thing is though, I'd hire a UNI grad with a business degree ANY DAY over a grad from Iowa or Iowa State with a similar degree.

[Bisonator]

Hopefully he stays out of trouble and can help UNI. UNI definitely seemed weak at RB after DJ got hurt last year. As with all transfers it's a wait and see game, he's another option anyway.