Iowa Hawkeye recruit A.J. Derby is a large man, especially for a quarterback, standing at 6-foot-4-inches and weighing in at 218 pounds.

Take a glance and it might be thought the Iowa City High School prep belongs in the tight end position or as a monster linebacker on defense.

Derby’s position of choice, however, is quarterback and it could work for the Hawkeyes. He ranks in at 17th nationally at the quarterback position.

Iowa is lucky to have picked up Derby, who received a score of 80 from ESPN. That grade projects Derby as a three-to-four year starter at a major division one program.

Many schools showed keen interest in Derby including Florida, LSU, Oklahoma and plenty more. Iowa was lucky enough to pick up a verbal commitment. The Hawks should be excited.

Derby is an athlete. Many scouts have speculated that he should play linebacker or tight end. Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every said he believes Derby could become an All-American tight end if he chooses to switch positions.

Derby has made it very clear, for the time being, that he wants to remain a quarterback but he’s a little tough to evaluate.

His throwing accuracy is questionable but his power is impeccable.

Derby has the speed, strength and agility to compete anywhere he wants to on the field but his size and overall athleticism make him a Blue Chip prospect according to Rivals.com.

If Iowa allows Derby to remain in his current QB position, which I believe they should (he isn’t 17th in the nation for no reason), he could definitely be an extremely dangerous dual-threat leader.

Brad Banks, anyone?

I don’t want to set the bar too high, nor do I want to be the only judge of Derby’s talents.

Decide for yourself.

Take a look at Derby. He’s in red for those who may not be familiar with Iowa prep football teams.

The Iowa Hawkeyes aren’t lacking talent at the running back position.

With the commitment of DeMatha High School’s (Hyattsville, MD) Marcus Coker, Iowa’s backfield has only gotten stronger. The 6-foot-1, 231 pound back is a leader of the pack for MaxPreps’ National Player of the Year Award.

Coker’s strengths include the ability to reach top speed in the blink of an eye, raw strength, soft hands and he’s even a good blocker. Coker is clearly an all-around back.

On the season, Coker has carried the ball 114 times for 1279 yards and 17 touchdowns. He suffered a scare last week against St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) when he pulled a groin but he isn’t expected to miss any time.

So, what can the Hawkeyes expect out of Marcus Coker?

On paper, Marcus Coker appears to be one of the most highly touted running back recruits for Iowa to pick up in some time.

Watch a video on Coker and it’s easy to draw comparisons to another recent Iowa star by the name of Greene.

It will be interesting to see how Coker develops and how soon he sees the field, considering he is behind several other capable backs.

Perhaps a redshirt is in order?

Take a look at what number 34 can do: