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Hawkeyes search for versatility as they shuffle players this spring

A big theme for spring football in Iowa City has been position flexibility. Whether it’s tight ends working as fullbacks, or cornerbacks playing safety, i...

A big theme for spring football in Iowa City has been position flexibility. Whether it’s tight ends working as fullbacks, or cornerbacks playing safety, it’s clear this coaching staff has put an emphasis on versatility.

Nate Wieting, Iowa senior tight end: “Coach Brian does a really nice job of teaching whole concepts. He’ll call a certain play and he wants to run that out of two tight end personnel and sometimes three tight end personnel. We really have to be really interchangible with those guys sometimes. We need to get to the point where we need to be able to do that as tight ends and play in different personnels and maybe give defenses different looks.”

Michael Ojemudia, Iowa senior defensive back: “Just kudos to Coach Parker to be adapting more to the new style of offense that are coming nowadays. We’re all like moving around right now, that’s what Coach Parker is doing right now. He’s making us all play a lot of positions. Everybody needs to be at their best, like coming down to camp, because that’s when the spots are going to be finalized.”

Kelton Copeland, Iowa wide receivers coach: “I tell my guys all the time, the more you know and the more value you brings to the offense, that just makes your stock rise. So the more you can do for our offense, that just makes your stock rise. So the more you can do for the offense, the more valuable you are. That’s really reflected, not just in the receiver room, that’s pretty much reflected all throughout the positions.”

The position flexibility should come in handy next fall for the Hawks, especially on defense. Iowa needs to replace seven starters from last year’s squad, including all four in the defensive line. 

For more Hawkeyes coverage, follow @AdamJRossow and @HawkeyeHQ on Twitter and Facebook.

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