**IOWA CITY, Iowa--** There's a proud tradition at defensive line at the University of Iowa. Throughout the years, the Hawkeyes have churned out a ton of NFL caliber guys that have gone on to have long careers at the highest-level. Senior defensive end Max Llewellyn could be the next one up.
The redshirt junior has had flashes of becoming a dominant player and it's not going to be surprising if he takes the next step. In fact, he didn't play varsity football until his junior year. Most schools that were recruiting him saw him as a tight end. Iowa took its time with Llewellyn and wanted him to flip to the defensive side of the ball. It has worked.
As a sophomore, he ended the season with 13 tackles, including 2.5 sacks. The tools were there, but snaps were hard to come by with Iowa's depth. It would have been easy for a potential breakout guy like Llewellyn to hit the portal, especially with the freedom of movement in modern football. That's not his style. He loves what Kelvin Bell and the Hawkeyes have done for him.
"Just the culture here," Llewellyn said why he has stayed at Iowa. "It's something I said a (few) weeks ago, but they're just so unique in the way that it's just strictly business here. Especially KB. KB's one of the only guys that is just unapologetically himself. Just, like, tells it how it is. I mean, he's seriously one of a kind."
Last season, Llewellyn's name became a common one among Hawkeye fans. He took that next step. He ended with 22 tackles, but had 5.5 sacks to his name. His spin move along with the ability to pin his ears back and attack wimpy offensive tackles is something that gave him confidence. This spring has been all about completing his overall game.
He possesses an explosive first-step, violent hands and quick feet. If he can add a violent swim move and improve his pad-level, he'll be a brutal mismatch for Big Ten offensive tackles. Llewellyn loves to get after the quarterback, but knows that he has to do so much more than that.
"I feel like last year I was a pass rush guy, and this year hopefully I'll be able to play every down," Llewellyn said. "Trying to get a little bit of weight on. Trying to hold my spot a little bit better in the run and excel at my role."
Joe Evans, Ethan Hurkett and plenty of other guys have provided Iowa with quality snaps on the edge. Brian Allen Jr is a potential breakout guy this upcoming season as well, but he did miss the spring after having offseason surgery.
For Llewellyn, it has always been about remaining true to the process and focusing on the things he can control. The Hawkeyes and Llewellyn have been a perfect fit of culture, tradition and belief. For the fourth-year junior, it's time to put all the pieces together.
"I've been doing a lot of waiting. I feel like I've been in a position to take that role for quite a while now," Llewellyn said. "I thought I did a good job based on the limited reps I had. I thought I made the most of those opportunities."
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