The Indiana Hoosiers started spring football on March 9th and will wrap up camp on April 10th. However the school has announced that no spring game will be held this year. Still, we are taking a look at what were some of the major issues entering camp and if the Hoosiers are any closer to solving them.
Indiana: No Spring Game, Camp Ends April 10th
The Hoosiers jumped on the national stage in 2020 by turning in a 6-2 record, beating Penn State and Michigan in the same year for the first time in program history. Their season unfortunately ended with an Outback Bowl loss to Ole Miss, but with nine players returning on defense and eight returning on offense, IU is poised to show 2020 was no fluke.
Running Game Needs Improvement
The 2020 season saw the Hoosiers finish 114th in the country in rushing offense, averaging 108.6 yards per game. That lack of production from the backfield put a tremendous amount of pressure on the passing game to shoulder the load throughout the year.
Head coach Tom Allen knows this team needs to become more balanced in its attack once again, and this off-season brought back Deland McCullough as the running backs coach and assistant head coach. I have written before about what McCullough brought to the Hoosiers in his previous stay, and if he is able to get the same type of production from the unit this time around, it could see Indiana become a force on the ground.
Entering spring camp, McCullough began his second stint by having to identify players who could replace starting tailback Stevie Scott III, who is off to the NFL draft.
Sophomore James Sampson and freshman Tim Baldwin Jr. are the two backs most have identified as possibly taking over the role left behind by Scott, but others have noted that sophomore David Ellis could also get a look. If the selection is between these three players, it leaves McCullough with a stable of young backs that he can help mold into the players he wants at the position.
As we get close to the end of spring camp though, McCullough has not tipped his hand on who may be separating themselves from the rest, but that would have been somewhat of a surprise if he did after one organized camp.
The battle at the running back position might end up with more of a “back by committee” approach anyway, as McCullough pointed out in a recent press conference that he does have a track record of using multiple guys to get the production he seeks.
Whether the Hoosiers rely on one feature back this year, or go with multiple guys at the position, expect this battle to carry on into fall camp.
A Wrinkle Or Two
Spring camp has been the first exposure to IU’s defense being run by first year coordinator Charlton Warren, who coached the Georgia defensive backs for the past two seasons. Warren took over the role of defensive coordinator after previous coordinator Kane Wommack left for the head coaching job at South Alabama.
Warren has experience coaching defensive backs at six prior schools, and was the co-defensive coordinator at Air Force from 2012 to 2013. In 2012, the Air Force defense finished 65th nationally in total defense giving up 386.46 yards per game, while the 2013 unit finished 72nd giving up 409.38 yards per game.
Warren now will oversee a defense that finished 43rd nationally in total defense, but finished tied at 19th in scoring defense giving up 20.25 points per game. Tom Allen didn’t need to bring someone in to change up the defensive scheme, and they aren’t changing it, but if that person can add something more to the defense then that would possibly make the unit even more dangerous.
Warren has gotten to work on doing just that, with talk about the “Bull” position being the topic of the spring. The Bull is a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker that will be asked to do just about everything on the defense. Rush the passer, check. Drop in zone coverage, check. Hold the edge in the running game, check. Run man coverage with tight ends, check.
Warren has indicated that this isn’t a scheme change from the 4-2-5 that Indiana runs, just another potential piece to the versatility the defense already has.
Work has begun on identifying who will play the new position, with senior Michael Ziemba, junior Alfred Bryant, and sophomore D.K. Bonhomme receiving first crack.
If Indiana is able to properly identify the correct players who can handle the position, then this defense may become even more scary for opposing offenses in the Big Ten.
Replacement At Receiver
With Indiana returning nine players on defense and eight on offense, fans of the Hoosiers should expect to see many familiar faces. However, the Hoosier coaching staff will be looking to see if any young players can show they are ready for playing time, or at least be the next man up on the depth chart.
One area that has presented an opportunity for new faces to emerge is at the receiver position.
IU will be looking to replace Whop Philyor, who lead the team last year in receptions with 54, second in yardage at 495, and third in touchdowns with three.
A potential replacement for Philyor is grad transfer D.J. Matthews, who through multiple reports has been one of the new faces that have impressed in spring camp. Matthews came from Florida State, but sat out the 2020 season while he looked for a new program in the transfer portal.
Indiana is already returning senior Ty Fryfogle, who was last year’s Big Ten Receiver of the Year award winner, and sophomore Miles Marshall on the outside. Identifying the receiver who can best fill the role Philyor left behind will be key to keeping a passing attack that was explosive and kept defenses up at night.