One year ago, finding a replacement for Shonn Greene was one of the Hawkeyes’ biggest questions heading into the season.
That’s when Iowa fans knew little to nothing about running back Adam Robinson.
Now, the Hawkeyes have a good problem: They have two — and perhaps three — veteran players competing for the starting job in the backfield.
The question mark that remains is whether sophomore Brandon Wegher will rejoin the Hawkeyes.
On Aug. 14, head coach Kirk Ferentz said the Dakota Dunes, S.D., native “just needs some time to sort some things out” and the team is “cautiously optimistic” Wegher will return.
If Wegher opts to leave the team, Iowa would lose a critical part of its offense from last year. He set a freshman school record with eight rushing touchdowns in 2009.
Without Wegher, the Hawkeye offense will rely on sophomores Robinson and Jewel Hampton.
Though Robinson sits atop the Hawkeye depth chart, Hampton will get an opportunity to play after being sidelined for all of last season with a knee injury.
If anyone knows about taking advantage of opportunities, it’s Robinson.
The Des Moines native embodied the team’s “Next Man In” mentality after Hampton and ex-Hawkeye running back Jeff Brinson went down with injuries before the start of last season.
Robinson successfully stepped into the starting role during his freshman campaign, scoring five touchdowns and leading the rushing attack with 834 yards.
“Once [Robinson] got his opportunity, he made the most of it,” running-back coach Lester Erb said at Iowa media day on Aug. 6. “It’s like anything in life. Once you get your opportunity, you better not let it go by. Adam got his opportunity, he’s a talented guy, grabbed the reins, and it’s going to be up to him.”
Despite not having played in a game since the Outback Bowl in January 2009, Hampton doesn’t show any signs of rust.
The sophomore said he’s healthy and ready to compete for the starting job, and the coaches are taking notice. Ferentz said Hampton is “going full speed and really has been very, very impressive.”
“You never really forget the game of football,” said Hampton, who scored seven touchdowns and ran for 463 yards as Greene’s backup in 2008.
But Hampton will have to wait until the Hawkeyes’ second game of the season, against Iowa State on Sept. 11, to show off his skills. He will serve a one-game suspension because of a public-intoxication charge he received on June 5.
The competition between the two (or three) rushers should make for an exciting camp, but the running backs aren’t showing any animosity toward one another.
Robinson said all three are friends off the field and understand that competing for carries is just part of the game.
“You just have to stay on top of your game,” he said. “You’ve got to limit your mistakes. Every opportunity, you’ve got to take full advantage of it. The competition is high. We’ve got a lot of contenders who can contribute this year.”