At Iowa State, Coach Dan McCarney dipped into the juco ranks in 1997, signing 18. Some never made it to ISU, but five start for this year's 3-1 team, one of the pleasant surprises in the Big 12. That definitely was a one-time thing. But we needed to get some playmakers and some speed and some depth in here to step this thing up, and it helped us. During his second run at Southern California, Coach John Robinson unearthed a juco wide receiver named Keyshawn Johnson.
Junior colleges are a good idea for a jump start.
But if you rely on them too much, it doesn't bode well. Jucos have contributed this year at Iowa. Outside linebacker Derrick Davison starts and center A.J. Blazek started before Chad Deal's return. But it's safe to say Iowa has never relied on jucos. Ferentz plans to focus on stability and development, starting with the 18 true freshmen on the roster.