Thanks to a bowl game, the break from IU football just hasn't been all that long. What a difference a month of extra practices make. Today was first day of Spring practice, and a lot has already been reported by Peegs and Scout. Also, the new spring roster and depth chart came out, which has brought a lot of questions and lots of comments from fans. With all the "crap" that is going with IU basketball and the coaching search, at least for the first week or so, IU football will probably see a lot more curious fans, because message boards will be buzzing with "inside information" from "realible sources" on the new coach and that gets old for most.
So the first practice started with many absences today with 14 kids out due to injuries, KL suspended, and James Bailey excused for the first week or so to concentrate on some personal issues, which I've been told should be cleared up by the middle of Spring Ball. So for all the fans that have been wanting IU to develop depth, now is the opportune time to do so, as many positions will have back ups as starters and 3rd and 4th stringers as the primary back ups. While I expect there to be sloppiness, I also expect some very spirited practices and competition among the back ups, because many of these kids will not get this many snaps come fall.
As promised for several weeks now, I want to take a good look at the Defensive Line. I don't recall a bigger improvement or maybe the key words should be a bigger surprise than the entire Defensive Line last fall in terms of pressure, depth, and development. The group came into the fall as a young, yet experienced group. Most believed the players would improve, but I don't think too many people would have predicted their impact, especially the amount of sacks the unit as a whole produced. In 2006, the DL produced 10 sacks and 6 QB hurries, but in 2007, this group produced a whooping 36.5 sacks and 8 QB hurries. Of course Greg Middleton had 16 of those sacks, but still that's a montrous improvement. Now, let's see what we return this season.
Fabiene Boone 6'3" 250 DE RS Junior (walk-on) from Evansville, IN
Fabiene came to IU as a 215 walk-on and has saw time each of the past couple of seasons on kick and punt coverage teams and occassional DE time. He played in 9 games last season and 2 tackles, 2 assists, and 1/2 tackle for loss. This season, he's expect to again be a special teams leader and add depth to the DL.
Jeff Boyd 6'3" 305 DT RS FR from Warren Central HS in Indianapolis
Jeff just plain tore up the scout team last season, and he played well enough last fall to earn a team spot, but the coaches really wanted to RS him and give him an opportunity to add some muscle/weight and boy did he ever. He came to IU around 275 and he weighed in this spring at 305, a 30 pound gain. He also hasn't seemed to lose his quickness, nor stamina, as he's performed extremely well in off season conditioning. He and Deonte Mack look to battle it out for the other starting spot opposite of Greg Brown.
Greg Brown 6'3" 300 DT RS SR from Centerville, OH.
Not much more can be said about Greg as he's been the anchor of the DL for 2 years now. He is out for spring ball it appears, but things are really not going to change all that much scheme wise for the DL, so all he'll need to do is catch up conditioning wise. Greg truly became a good anchor last season and seemed to really mature as the leader that was needed as the season went along. Last season, Greg put up 29 solo tackles, 21 assists, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes broken up, 1 QB hurry, and 1 forced fumble.
Keith Burrus 6'3" 285 DT JR from Indianapolis, IN
Keith's twin brother Kevin is also a member of the team and both have really improved since last season getting bigger and stronger to really improve the depth at the DT position. Keith played in 10 games last season and registered 9 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. He will again provide quality, rotational depth for this season, which is a must to keep your key players healthy and fresh entering the 4th quarter.
Kevin Burrus 6'2" 312 DT RS Soph from Indianapolis via Coffeyville Comm. College in Kanas
The bigger of the twins, Keith played in 12 games last season and registered 11 tackles last season. Like his twin, Keith, he'll provide quality depth that will be rotated in throughout the game. At 312 pounds, he's the heaviest DT on the roster, and that will be utilized on the goalline defense for sure.
Fred Jones 6'4" 265 DE RS FR from Tyrone, GA.
Another RS FR that tore it up on the scout team last season, as he and Jeff Boyd really gave the OL fits running the opponets DL schemes. Fred is very quick and during his RS season, he's put on 30 pounds of muscle and weight. IU lost 1 DE from last season, Brian Faires, and Fred will be expected to come in and rotate in as a speed rusher. He's been mentored by Greg Middleton, as both are close to the same side and he'll back up Greg this season.
Jammie Kirlew DE 6'3" 266 RS JR from Orland, FL
Jammie is entering his 2nd full season as starter and last season saw him produce steadily with a monster game against Iowa registering 3 sacks in that game alone. Last season, Jammie put up 57 total tackles, a montrous 12.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 passes broken up, 1 QB hurry, 1 fumble forces, and 1 fumble recovered. As Greg became a major force and offenses were forced to double team him, Jammie saw more and more one on one match ups. This off season, he's put on right around 10 pounds and again will be expect to form the dynamic duo with Middleton.
Deonte Mack DT 6'3" 280 RS Soph from elkhart, IN
Deonte has had a very good off season as his weight is now at 280. He played last season around 260, so he's done the work that he needed to do to play. He's also been a leader during off season conditioning and would have entered the spring in a battle with Jeff Boyd to start opposite Greg Brown, but that battle will have to wait as he's battling a shoulder injury that will limit his contact this spring. It's not a major problem, but the staff wants him healthy for the fall, so he's not going to get all banged up for now. Last season, Mack saw action in 12 games and recorded 18 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. This season, his production should see a major increase, as once again, IU plans to rotate their DL guys regularly.
Greg Middleton DE 6'3" 275 JR from Indianapolis, IN.
I don't think any player from Indiana had a bigger season than this kid did. He was a MONSTER on the DL and it came as a major surprise to most people as well. Many remember, Greg verballed to Purdue, then changed his mind, and IU is now reaping the benefits. With IU's improved DE depth, this should give Greg even fresher legs in the 4th quarter, though he'll see many more double teams, but that will only open up his teammates. Greg also, pulled an Indy Colts trick on 3rd downs and switched to DT, so Marando could come in and rush from the DE spot. Greg put on right at 10 more pounds of muscle this off season and looks to improve on what was a record season for him at DE last season. He posted 50 total tackles, an unheard of 17 tackles for loss, another 16 sacks (school record), 4 passes deflected, 1 QB hurry, 2 fumbles recoverd, and 1 fumble forced. I'm not sure what else he can do for an encore this season, or next even, but I'm excited to see him improve. He's got a chance to work himself into a sure fire first round draft choice in a year or two.
Ryan Marando 6'2" 251 DE from Lakewood, OH.
If Greg's production was the most unexpected, then Ryan's had to be 2nd among the DEs. Ryan had bounced around from TE to DE looking for a position for a couple of season, and then all of sudden, when IU needed another rush DE on 3rd and long situations with Middleton moving inside, up stepped Ryan to fill the spot and boy did he ever produce. Ryan saw action in all 13 games last season and recoreded 20 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 QB hurry, and 1 forced fumble. Ryan will have some competition this spring and fall for that rush specialist spot in the form of Fred Jones, but you can be sure that Ryan will still see action on a rotation basis as yet another rush end.
Eric Thomas 6'4" 265 DT from Cleveland, OH.
Eric came to IU as a 250 DE, but moved inside as was expected. He needs more weight, but he's quick for 265 and in another year or so, he'll contribute. Also, with Mack out, he'll see a lot of time this spring, so we'll see what he's able to do.
Terrance Thomas 6'1" 256 DE Sophmore from Detroit
Terrance came to IU as a walk-on after a short stint in the military. He was an All City pick his senior year of HS and last season posted 5 tackles playing in 11 games via punt and kickoff teams. Will again be looked upon as a special teams demon.
Arik Wolf 6'3" 235 DE RS SR from Bright, IN (East Central HS) walk-on
Arik appears to be the only kid that lost weight from last season. He saw action in 1 game last season (Indiana State) and didn't post any tackles or sacks. He'll again provide depth this season.
Coming this fall:
Larry Black 6'3" 290 DE from Wyoming, OH
Kyle Kozak 6'5" 240 DE from Chatham, Virginia
Mick Mentzer 6'3" 280 DT from Fort Wayne, IN
Nick Sliger 6'3" 290 DT from Cicero, IN
As I mentioned, it appears that Emile Bass, a 6'3" 297 RS JR has switched from DT to OG, and this was just recently, but that is what he was listed at for the spring. With that happening, I expect all the incoming Frosh to be kept on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, Emile posted 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack in 8 games. Will be interesting to see how he does this spring.
Since Austin Starr is a Senior, and IU only has walk-ons Nick Ford (5'9" 203 from LaPorte, IN) and Charlie Klingensmith (6' 170 from Carmel, IN) as his back ups, smart money says that IU will bring in a kicker this season.
On the 28th of this month, Ryan Stokes from Merrellville, IN will be tripping to IU for an unofficial visit. Ryan is 5'8" but don't let the height scare you. This kid has a big time leg. Ray Guy's website rates him as the #6 kicker in the country this coming season and his averages are as follows: 63 yards per kickoff, 3.26 second hang time on kickoffs (Starr is around 3.5), 90% FG average. IU hasn't offered Ryan, but they are recruiting him, and getting him down for the spring will be great for both sides. Ryan has kicked a total of 23 FGs in his career and kicked a 56 yarder at Ohio State's camp last season, so he's got a serious leg. Furthermore, he's kicking in the not so best of conditions, as Merrellville is very close to Chicago, and we all know how bad the weather and footing can be for a kicker in that city. He's a big time prospect and I hope that he can get that offer from IU, and he will come. While I like Nick Ford from LaPorte, Ryan is a step above and has as what appears to be a more accurate leg.
Just ahead of Ryan is Logan Powell a 5'10" 140, from Northrup HS in Fort Wayne. Logan is the #5 ranked kicker according to prokicker.com and lists Notre Dame as his #1 choice, but no offer from them or anyone yet. He doesn't get the distance that Ryan gets on kickoffs, but he has almost 4 second hang time which is very, very good. I don't have any stats on him, but he's also suppose to have an accurate leg as well.
Those appear to be the top 2 prospects in Indiana this season along with a kid from Fishers HS near Carmel, IN, but he doesn't appear to be D1 material at this point. IU did offer Cody Kemps and Nick Freeland as preferred walkons for this coming fall, but Kemps chose to go to Purdue with the same opportunity and Freeland is going D 1AA I believe.
Thought it would be fun to look at kickers, as they are rarely mentioned, but as we know with Austin, they can make or break your season.
Also, just a quick blurb on KL. He is getting treatment and if he can stay clean, he'll be back by Fall practice. Of course, it's all up to him, so we'll see what happens.
Next time, I'll dig into the LBs.
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Ben Chappell and the Offense
Well, it certainly has been interesting the past couple of days around the football program for IU fans. However, the players are doing their best to move forward and thanks to the total collapse of the basketball team, the football team has been able to move forward fairly well without much fanfare.
Thought tonight I'd type a little bit about our new starting QB, Ben Chappell, what he brings to the table, where IU will go, and what they will need to do to be successful, which in this writer's opinion, they can still be.
I've gotten a lot of emails since the last blog and some think this could really destroy the program, and we'll be lucky to be .500, but I hope that we as fans can take a second look and maybe see some advantages that IU has while looking toward the future. While Kellen Lewis was a big part of the offense last season, we need to remember that the offense was basically geared toward him being that big part of it. While we had a very good WR, the rest of the Offense was fairly mediocre, so KL was asked to do an awful lot. If you look at the numbers only, yes, KL made up an awful lot, but that doesn't mean that others can not step up on both sides of the ball and IU still can not be competitive and win games.
First off, the schedule is pretty favorable with 8 home games. For a first time QB, this is a very good thing, so here's one positive. Remember, IU went to a bowl game this season and the TEAM believes they can do it again with players that are 100% committed to being a part of it.
Next, let's see what Ben Chappell brings to the table compared to KL. First off, Ben is a lot bigger. KL was listed at 6'1" 175 pounds which is pretty generous height wise. He ran in the 4.5 range, and while he could throw the ball pretty far, his accuracy was a large issue. He also didn't make very good decisions with the ball in his hands, as was evident at the end of last season.
Now Ben Chappell is 6'3" and 230. He can run a little bit, I think he's a 4.8 guy, but what he lacks in speed, he makes up for in accuracy. Don't let the interception vs Northwestern fool you, Chappell can play, he's just green in terms of experience, but he can make all the throws as scouts would say. He's got very good arm strength and puts zip on the ball.
The great thing about running the "spread" offense is it's really pretty adaptable to the type of QB you have. KL was a running type/zone spread type of QB, so the staff adapted the spread to fit his strengths. The problem I thought, especially with Coach Canada was Matt was a like Ben Chappell in college, more a thrower than a runner, so I'm going to really be interested to see what the offense becomes under Canada now that he has a QB that more mirrors him when he was at Northern Illinois. Now, I'm not knocking Canada's coaching ability, he did a very good job with KL, but KL struggled a lot this season with decision making, but I thought Coach Canada put KL in a position to succeed, but it was hard for the offense to succeed all the time when the OL and running game was mediocre. For IU's offense to succeed this fall, it is going to rest heavily upon the coaches to put in systems to take advantage of Chappell's strengths. By running more a spread/no huddle offense, I think IU will really take advantage of their receivers more. Also, the OL is really intrical in the continued success of this offense. The OL will be MUCH bigger than last season, but believe it or not, I believe they will be much more athletic, but we are still going to have to run the ball and take some pressure off of Chappell. In other words, others are going to have to raise the level of their play for IU to be successful, but you know, I think they will. I think you will see more TE catches, more RB catches out of the backfield, and more 4 WR sets. Really spread the ball around, spread the field, and become more a tradition throwing spread offense, than a running/zone spread. We'll still run some, and I'd expect Chappel might even pitch the ball some, but ulitmately, the OL is going to have to pass block and allow Ben to read the defense and know where to throw the ball. The hardest thing with game experience isn't really the speed of the game, after about a quarter or so, you are used to that. However, it's reading defenses at game speed, learning how defenses will trick you into seeing one scheme and playing another. That's where Ben will lack early. I expect to see some forced throws, some INTs, some poor decisions, especially in conference play, but he's going to have to overcome that, work through it, and learn.
Also, if something like KL's situation is going to happen, I'd much rather it happen before the start of spring practice, than right before the season opener. With Schell being out with injuries, Chappell is really going to get a TON of work, which is exactally what he needs. He needs reps in this offense and now, he's going to get it. Most people that saw him in high school remember he really was a good, passing QB and all he's done is gotten bigger and stronger, and he's really got some ability. I liken him to a poor man's Ben Rothlisberger, because he really puts the same kind of zip on the ball. In all honesty, it's always been my thought, in the back of my mind that as Chappell matured, it was conceivable that IU would put him at QB and move Kellen to WR. I will tell you this, the staff has complete confidence in Ben and they believe he'll bring a lot to the table and allow IU to win ball games, but it will be up to the coaches as well to scheme the offense to fit his strengths, so this spring and summer is going to mean an awful lot of hard work for both Ben and the coaches, as they prepare for the upcoming season.
I hope fans will be patient, though the past few weeks with basketball, has probably burned any chance of fans being patient and understanding while a young QB works through the transition of back up to starter. There's a lot to like in Ben and what he'll bring to the table. There's also a lot to like in what the improved OL will bring to the table, and when the freshmen arrive this fall, and Darius Willis begins his career, they'll be a whole lot to get excited about. I'm also pretty excited about what this team can do, but we are at the bottom of the stairs now, and it's a long climb until November. A lot can happen between now and then, as well as a lot of improvement can take place. Personally, I believe in Coach Lynch, his staff, and his schemes to put the players in the position to succeed. Now, it will be up to the players to learn the schemes and take advantage of what is there for them.
Now, a little bit more on Kellen Lewis and what is going on with him. Kellen has had this problem for a while and was given every opportunity to correct it. He always said he would, but never followed through with those promises. Now, we'll see if he can, on his own. I personally want to thank those that have emailed me with ideas and testimonials about their own struggles in the past. It's certainly not out of the relm of possibility that KL can beat this addiction and improve his life and be a member of the IU football team, but he's got a long road until that happens.
For now, KL is still enrolled at IU. He's talking about entering a program this summer, as to stay eligible to play, he'll have to stay eligible in the classroom and complete the semester. However, I hope that this isn't just words, that he really stays clean, and gets help. I don't care at this point about football, this is about life and KL's ability to live life to the fullest. He's a very good kid, smart, and funny, but he's just made some bad decisions, so now it's up to him. I'm still a big Kellen Lewis fan, always have been, and I'm pulling really hard for him to succeed in getting through all this, again, not for football, but because life can be so short and opportunities like he has don't come around very often. Let's go #15, show everyone just what you are truly made of!!
Also want to congratulate Chris Hagerup for all his hard work and I'm glad he's got the opportunity to show the staff what he can do at QB this spring. Even if it's short-lived, he'll have a shot. Chris has worked extremely hard on his punting and his consistency and fans should not let 1 single worry cross their minds abou the the punting job this fall, Chris will have it well under control!
God Bless and next time, we'll dig into the defensive line!
Thought tonight I'd type a little bit about our new starting QB, Ben Chappell, what he brings to the table, where IU will go, and what they will need to do to be successful, which in this writer's opinion, they can still be.
I've gotten a lot of emails since the last blog and some think this could really destroy the program, and we'll be lucky to be .500, but I hope that we as fans can take a second look and maybe see some advantages that IU has while looking toward the future. While Kellen Lewis was a big part of the offense last season, we need to remember that the offense was basically geared toward him being that big part of it. While we had a very good WR, the rest of the Offense was fairly mediocre, so KL was asked to do an awful lot. If you look at the numbers only, yes, KL made up an awful lot, but that doesn't mean that others can not step up on both sides of the ball and IU still can not be competitive and win games.
First off, the schedule is pretty favorable with 8 home games. For a first time QB, this is a very good thing, so here's one positive. Remember, IU went to a bowl game this season and the TEAM believes they can do it again with players that are 100% committed to being a part of it.
Next, let's see what Ben Chappell brings to the table compared to KL. First off, Ben is a lot bigger. KL was listed at 6'1" 175 pounds which is pretty generous height wise. He ran in the 4.5 range, and while he could throw the ball pretty far, his accuracy was a large issue. He also didn't make very good decisions with the ball in his hands, as was evident at the end of last season.
Now Ben Chappell is 6'3" and 230. He can run a little bit, I think he's a 4.8 guy, but what he lacks in speed, he makes up for in accuracy. Don't let the interception vs Northwestern fool you, Chappell can play, he's just green in terms of experience, but he can make all the throws as scouts would say. He's got very good arm strength and puts zip on the ball.
The great thing about running the "spread" offense is it's really pretty adaptable to the type of QB you have. KL was a running type/zone spread type of QB, so the staff adapted the spread to fit his strengths. The problem I thought, especially with Coach Canada was Matt was a like Ben Chappell in college, more a thrower than a runner, so I'm going to really be interested to see what the offense becomes under Canada now that he has a QB that more mirrors him when he was at Northern Illinois. Now, I'm not knocking Canada's coaching ability, he did a very good job with KL, but KL struggled a lot this season with decision making, but I thought Coach Canada put KL in a position to succeed, but it was hard for the offense to succeed all the time when the OL and running game was mediocre. For IU's offense to succeed this fall, it is going to rest heavily upon the coaches to put in systems to take advantage of Chappell's strengths. By running more a spread/no huddle offense, I think IU will really take advantage of their receivers more. Also, the OL is really intrical in the continued success of this offense. The OL will be MUCH bigger than last season, but believe it or not, I believe they will be much more athletic, but we are still going to have to run the ball and take some pressure off of Chappell. In other words, others are going to have to raise the level of their play for IU to be successful, but you know, I think they will. I think you will see more TE catches, more RB catches out of the backfield, and more 4 WR sets. Really spread the ball around, spread the field, and become more a tradition throwing spread offense, than a running/zone spread. We'll still run some, and I'd expect Chappel might even pitch the ball some, but ulitmately, the OL is going to have to pass block and allow Ben to read the defense and know where to throw the ball. The hardest thing with game experience isn't really the speed of the game, after about a quarter or so, you are used to that. However, it's reading defenses at game speed, learning how defenses will trick you into seeing one scheme and playing another. That's where Ben will lack early. I expect to see some forced throws, some INTs, some poor decisions, especially in conference play, but he's going to have to overcome that, work through it, and learn.
Also, if something like KL's situation is going to happen, I'd much rather it happen before the start of spring practice, than right before the season opener. With Schell being out with injuries, Chappell is really going to get a TON of work, which is exactally what he needs. He needs reps in this offense and now, he's going to get it. Most people that saw him in high school remember he really was a good, passing QB and all he's done is gotten bigger and stronger, and he's really got some ability. I liken him to a poor man's Ben Rothlisberger, because he really puts the same kind of zip on the ball. In all honesty, it's always been my thought, in the back of my mind that as Chappell matured, it was conceivable that IU would put him at QB and move Kellen to WR. I will tell you this, the staff has complete confidence in Ben and they believe he'll bring a lot to the table and allow IU to win ball games, but it will be up to the coaches as well to scheme the offense to fit his strengths, so this spring and summer is going to mean an awful lot of hard work for both Ben and the coaches, as they prepare for the upcoming season.
I hope fans will be patient, though the past few weeks with basketball, has probably burned any chance of fans being patient and understanding while a young QB works through the transition of back up to starter. There's a lot to like in Ben and what he'll bring to the table. There's also a lot to like in what the improved OL will bring to the table, and when the freshmen arrive this fall, and Darius Willis begins his career, they'll be a whole lot to get excited about. I'm also pretty excited about what this team can do, but we are at the bottom of the stairs now, and it's a long climb until November. A lot can happen between now and then, as well as a lot of improvement can take place. Personally, I believe in Coach Lynch, his staff, and his schemes to put the players in the position to succeed. Now, it will be up to the players to learn the schemes and take advantage of what is there for them.
Now, a little bit more on Kellen Lewis and what is going on with him. Kellen has had this problem for a while and was given every opportunity to correct it. He always said he would, but never followed through with those promises. Now, we'll see if he can, on his own. I personally want to thank those that have emailed me with ideas and testimonials about their own struggles in the past. It's certainly not out of the relm of possibility that KL can beat this addiction and improve his life and be a member of the IU football team, but he's got a long road until that happens.
For now, KL is still enrolled at IU. He's talking about entering a program this summer, as to stay eligible to play, he'll have to stay eligible in the classroom and complete the semester. However, I hope that this isn't just words, that he really stays clean, and gets help. I don't care at this point about football, this is about life and KL's ability to live life to the fullest. He's a very good kid, smart, and funny, but he's just made some bad decisions, so now it's up to him. I'm still a big Kellen Lewis fan, always have been, and I'm pulling really hard for him to succeed in getting through all this, again, not for football, but because life can be so short and opportunities like he has don't come around very often. Let's go #15, show everyone just what you are truly made of!!
Also want to congratulate Chris Hagerup for all his hard work and I'm glad he's got the opportunity to show the staff what he can do at QB this spring. Even if it's short-lived, he'll have a shot. Chris has worked extremely hard on his punting and his consistency and fans should not let 1 single worry cross their minds abou the the punting job this fall, Chris will have it well under control!
God Bless and next time, we'll dig into the defensive line!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Kellen Lews, QBs, pro days, and other tidbits
Well, it's never a dull moment at Indiana University these days, as it seems we just can't buy a break. With all the bball stuff going on, the football team made some headlines across the country yesterday with the indefinite suspension of the face the program and starting QB, Kellen Lewis. This blog is going to contain a lot of information on different things, but I'm going to try and be as "PC" as possible with Kellen. I have very credible sources on him and I'm going to be very honest about some stuff, but I want to protect him as well, because this is a personal matter in some respects.
Yesterday, I received the word about Kellen around midmorning that he was indefinitely suspended due to school and practice issues. While I was surprised to hear the news, the picture painted at the time to me was it was fairly minor and KL could work his way back into the good graces of the staff maybe even by the end of spring practice, so I tried to convey that in my email messages and posts on Peegs. This morning, I received more information from 3 very credible sources saying the exact same thing that the news is A LOT worse than just minior stuff. I am now at the point in believing that Kellen Lewis will NEVER play another down of football for this university and he has major issues that he needs to take care of, or his future will be ruined forever.
It always disappoints me when I hear about kids throwing away opportunities, but sometimes kids try new things and before they know it, it's a habit, or addiction, and that becomes the most important thing in their lives, besides school and the sport they are playing. Basically, KL needs to stay clean, get help, and move forward. Can he return? Yes, there's a slim chance that he could, but he's going to have to put a tremendous amount of effort into this, far more effort than he's put into anything in his whole life. For those that read this blog and have overcome addictions of any kind, know how hard it is.
Now, before Moyeswatsboozer begins to throw Coach Lynch under the bus, let me assure you that KL has had chances to get straight, but you can only violate team rules so many times before you get the ax. This suspension should also not be compared to Bassett or Crawford, the issues that KL faces are much, much more serious and the term indefinite will probably be just that.
Now, with KL not around, the QB situation becomes very interesting, especially since Teddy Schell is out this spring following Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow and a hernia operation. That leaves Ben Chappell as the starter and Dustin Haas (walk-on) as his back up. For now, the only move to bolster the depth at QB, has been to move Chris Hagerup to QB. He'll still punt, but he's going to do both, for now. At this point, Evans hasn't switched to QB yet, or at least he's not been going to the QB meetings yet. Evans is being rumored, but it's just a rumor right now. So, for spring practice, as of now, it will be Chappell, Hagerup, and Haas. Teddy is expected to be ready to go by fall ball, and the staff has been pleased with his progress. This fall, we welcome Follett, and I suspect Hagerup and/or Evans or both will go back to their regular positions. At this point, Chappell will start game one, with Schell as his back up, and Haas and Follett will battle it out 3rd string. Also, it will be very important for Follett to get down to IU early this summer and participate in 7 on 7 drills and get ready. He'll be a couple injuries away from playing next year that's for sure.
As for IU's Pro Day that was held this week, once again, Porter and Hardy impressed those in attendance. So far, accoring to nfl draft scout, Porter has ran the fastest pro day time at 4.30. He's also ran the fastest 10-yard time at 1.46. The knock on Porter heading into the Senior Bowl and Combine was that he wasn't very physical and not very strong. Yet, he still cranked out 18 reps on the bench at 225 pounds, so that was very good. Also, this season Tracy seemed tentative to tackle head on, probably due to the broken collarbone he suffered at the end of his junior season. However, he was fearless at the Senior Bowl, and his workouts have put in solidly into the upper portion of the 2nd round.
As for Hardy, his combine and subsequent pro day workouts have put in solidly into the lower portion of the 1st round. At 6'6" 220 with a 37.5" vertical and long arms, soft hands, and oh by the way, a 4.4 time, makes him a freak of nature at WR. He needs to improve his routes and his blocking, but he's been mentioned prominetly between picks 20 and 30 for about a week now. A darkhorse team could be the Cowboys with one of their 2 picks in the first round.
For a kid that walked on at IU at 6' 220 pounds that was too slow for every position he was big enough to play, certainly has changed things around for himself. Currently he's the #1 rated LS in the draft and is being told he will get his name called somewhere during the late 6th or anytime during the 7th round.
Other IU prospects that participated in drills but will more than likely be free agent signings are: Leslie Majors, Josiah Sears, Blake Powers, Charlie Emerson, and John Sandberg. Out of this group, Josiah was the most impressive running a 4.7 40 time and showing good hands at catching the ball and blocking and running. He could make a club via special teams as a situational blocker.
After my last blog, I was informed that Jeff Sanders was going to move back to TE, due to blocking concerns. I have checked into this further and that is the case. Jeff has a good pair of hands and will compete for PT with the rest of the TEs this spring.
Also, wanted to do a quick update on my friend from Rose Hulman that was in the car accident. He is still in a coma, but yawning and moving around a little bit. The accident was 2 weeks ago today. He's being weened off the ventilator and there's talk of him being moved to another facility for acute medical care and rehab. Please keep him and your family in your prayers. You can also track his progress at caringbridge.org (at prompt type in drewchristy). It's an amazing site that will bless your socks off each time you visit.
Hopefully, next time, I'll have more positive news! GOD Bless!!
John
Yesterday, I received the word about Kellen around midmorning that he was indefinitely suspended due to school and practice issues. While I was surprised to hear the news, the picture painted at the time to me was it was fairly minor and KL could work his way back into the good graces of the staff maybe even by the end of spring practice, so I tried to convey that in my email messages and posts on Peegs. This morning, I received more information from 3 very credible sources saying the exact same thing that the news is A LOT worse than just minior stuff. I am now at the point in believing that Kellen Lewis will NEVER play another down of football for this university and he has major issues that he needs to take care of, or his future will be ruined forever.
It always disappoints me when I hear about kids throwing away opportunities, but sometimes kids try new things and before they know it, it's a habit, or addiction, and that becomes the most important thing in their lives, besides school and the sport they are playing. Basically, KL needs to stay clean, get help, and move forward. Can he return? Yes, there's a slim chance that he could, but he's going to have to put a tremendous amount of effort into this, far more effort than he's put into anything in his whole life. For those that read this blog and have overcome addictions of any kind, know how hard it is.
Now, before Moyeswatsboozer begins to throw Coach Lynch under the bus, let me assure you that KL has had chances to get straight, but you can only violate team rules so many times before you get the ax. This suspension should also not be compared to Bassett or Crawford, the issues that KL faces are much, much more serious and the term indefinite will probably be just that.
Now, with KL not around, the QB situation becomes very interesting, especially since Teddy Schell is out this spring following Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow and a hernia operation. That leaves Ben Chappell as the starter and Dustin Haas (walk-on) as his back up. For now, the only move to bolster the depth at QB, has been to move Chris Hagerup to QB. He'll still punt, but he's going to do both, for now. At this point, Evans hasn't switched to QB yet, or at least he's not been going to the QB meetings yet. Evans is being rumored, but it's just a rumor right now. So, for spring practice, as of now, it will be Chappell, Hagerup, and Haas. Teddy is expected to be ready to go by fall ball, and the staff has been pleased with his progress. This fall, we welcome Follett, and I suspect Hagerup and/or Evans or both will go back to their regular positions. At this point, Chappell will start game one, with Schell as his back up, and Haas and Follett will battle it out 3rd string. Also, it will be very important for Follett to get down to IU early this summer and participate in 7 on 7 drills and get ready. He'll be a couple injuries away from playing next year that's for sure.
As for IU's Pro Day that was held this week, once again, Porter and Hardy impressed those in attendance. So far, accoring to nfl draft scout, Porter has ran the fastest pro day time at 4.30. He's also ran the fastest 10-yard time at 1.46. The knock on Porter heading into the Senior Bowl and Combine was that he wasn't very physical and not very strong. Yet, he still cranked out 18 reps on the bench at 225 pounds, so that was very good. Also, this season Tracy seemed tentative to tackle head on, probably due to the broken collarbone he suffered at the end of his junior season. However, he was fearless at the Senior Bowl, and his workouts have put in solidly into the upper portion of the 2nd round.
As for Hardy, his combine and subsequent pro day workouts have put in solidly into the lower portion of the 1st round. At 6'6" 220 with a 37.5" vertical and long arms, soft hands, and oh by the way, a 4.4 time, makes him a freak of nature at WR. He needs to improve his routes and his blocking, but he's been mentioned prominetly between picks 20 and 30 for about a week now. A darkhorse team could be the Cowboys with one of their 2 picks in the first round.
For a kid that walked on at IU at 6' 220 pounds that was too slow for every position he was big enough to play, certainly has changed things around for himself. Currently he's the #1 rated LS in the draft and is being told he will get his name called somewhere during the late 6th or anytime during the 7th round.
Other IU prospects that participated in drills but will more than likely be free agent signings are: Leslie Majors, Josiah Sears, Blake Powers, Charlie Emerson, and John Sandberg. Out of this group, Josiah was the most impressive running a 4.7 40 time and showing good hands at catching the ball and blocking and running. He could make a club via special teams as a situational blocker.
After my last blog, I was informed that Jeff Sanders was going to move back to TE, due to blocking concerns. I have checked into this further and that is the case. Jeff has a good pair of hands and will compete for PT with the rest of the TEs this spring.
Also, wanted to do a quick update on my friend from Rose Hulman that was in the car accident. He is still in a coma, but yawning and moving around a little bit. The accident was 2 weeks ago today. He's being weened off the ventilator and there's talk of him being moved to another facility for acute medical care and rehab. Please keep him and your family in your prayers. You can also track his progress at caringbridge.org (at prompt type in drewchristy). It's an amazing site that will bless your socks off each time you visit.
Hopefully, next time, I'll have more positive news! GOD Bless!!
John
Sunday, March 2, 2008
TEs and OL
WOW! Need to dust out this blog site and get back at it. Been a crazy few weeks, but before I get started with the TEs and OL, I would like to ask that you remember a friend that was involved in an auto accident about 10 days ago. His name is Drew Christy and he is currently in Methodist Hospital in Indy in the Nero-critical care unit. He's been in a coma since the accident, but he's improving. If you'd like to read more about him and his family, please visit www.caringbridge.org (not a link). At the prompt, type in drewchristy and you can access his family's journal. Drew plays fball at Rose Hulman and is truely one of the coolest guys I've ever met.
Okay, now for the TEs. When Coach Hep first took over the IU football program, it appeared in the first season that the TE might be a position that would prosper. M. O'Neil, a TE that had walked on at IU and caught a couple of TD passes his junior season. However, after that, the TE position became a blocking position, rather than an option in the passing game. There are a few reasons for this, but one of the biggest was the condition of the OL and the need to have more blockers, since the spread doesn't employ a fullback on a regular basis. Also, IU really didn't have a pass catching TE, and Coach Hep had stated that a TE was more of a condition, not a position, thus the TEs became pretty much glorified blockers.
Last season, was pretty much the same, as the TEs barely caught passes, but at least they were used a tad bit more than they were the previous year. Coach Lynch has demonstrated in the past that he'll use a TE as a pass catcher a little more, and I know the staff is pretty high on a redshirt frosh that may very well start. Let's take a look at what we have here.
Max Dedmond, 6'5" 245 RS FR
The staff hopes that Matt will come to camp around 250 and ready to compete for the starting job. Max can block pretty well and he has pretty solid hands. He's the best TE that IU has had for years, so I expect him to catch around 15 to 20 balls this coming season, as he'll be used underneath a little more, especially if the OL improves as is expected.
Taylor Donnell 6'3" 225 Junior walk-on
Taylor is a walk-on from Roncalli HS in Indy. While he's never caught a pass, he did play in every game last season on special teams.
Brad Martin 6'4" 230 RS Sophmore
Brad needs weight and the staff wanted to get him into that 245 to 250 slot by spring ball. At last report, he was in the 240 range and working hard to gain weight. If he can get more weight, he'll be another guy that they look to as a pass catcher. He's not much of a blocker at this point, but they are working hard to get to be one. At this point, he's 2nd/3rd string, behind Dedmond and Troy Wagner, but mainly he is Dedmond's back up.
Troy Wagner 6'5" 255 RS Junior
Troy saw action in 9 games last season and did catch 2 passes for 7 yards. Troy is pretty much a blocker, but he can, in a pinch, especially on goalline situations, sneak out and catch a pass. The staff will continue to use him as a blocker first, so in 2 TE situations, he'll be on the field with Dedmond, or Zemetis.
Brian Zematis 6'5" 255 RS Junior
Brian needs to find a position and stick with it, as the staff has moved him from TE to DE and now back to TE as depth concerns trigger the moves. He's strickly a blocker and backs up Wagner as the main blocking TE. The staff wants him to add more weight and try and get into the 265 range. He's actually fairly quick and a pretty good run stuffing DE, but with the emergence of the younger DEs, he's back on this side of the ball. I doubt we'll see him catching passes anytime soon, but we will see him on special teams for sure.
Nick Sexton 6'5" 260 graduated
Nick was the primary TE last season, along with Wagner. Nick was also moved around his entire career, but settled in at TE his last couple of seasons and started every game last year. He did manage to catch 3 passes for 31 yards, but dropped a few when he was wide open. He's truly a blocking TE and wasn't a bad one and was pretty effective in helping the OL compensate for their lack of good run blocking skills.
Since the TE position is so small, I thought I'd include the OL as well.
Brandon Bugg 6' 240 Junior
Brandon will be IU's long snapper this coming season and boy does he have HUGE shoes to fill. Brandon's brother Tim was IU's LS for 3 years and leaves IU as the #1 rated LS in the country and likely will be the only LS drafted this season. As for Brandon, he's had an awesome mentor, so we'll see. The best way to tell if he's effective or not is if we never hear about him. He will need to add a little more musclue to his frame, but I expect him to be just as effective as Tim.
Cody Faulkner 6'5" 300 RS Junior
Cody came to IU as the highest rated OL recruit in his class. He was recruited by many in SEC and his father played at Florida, so fans naturally assumed that since we didn't see him on the field much the past couple of years, he's been a bust. However Cody came to IU as a mauler type of OL that had MUCH to learn about pass blocking. In the 2 years+ that he's been here, he's improved probably the most of anyone in the area of pass blocking. He's expected to start at RG this season and add much needed bulk and agility to that position.
Josh Hager 6'7" 280 RS FR
Josh redshirted this season but he's got a lot of potential at the Tackle position. He came in at 260, so weight was his biggest need. As of last report, he was up to around 280 and staff would love to put 10 more pounds on him to be effective. His position for now is RT, so we'll see what he looks like come spring ball.
Sean Edmundson 6'4" 285 RS Senior
Sean is pretty buried on the depth chart and has been his whole career. This season he'll more than likely be a 2nd string Guard, especially with Kenny Love and Matt Moses having moved on and graduated early. Last season, Sean's biggest pub was a run-in with the law that also involved Adam McClurg and a couple of other individuals. Sean will add depth this season.
Andrew McDonald 6'5" 285 RS FR
Andrew came to IU from a running, option, spread offense that was never really asked to pass block, so this season, as he's added some muscle, he's had to learn all about pass blocking. He is being groomed to replace Saffold at LT. Andy is pretty athletic for a big guy and has caught on to pass blocking pretty well. He'll be 2nd string heading into spring ball, and it will be interesting to see how he does.
Milton Owens 6'2" 280 RS FR walk-on
Milton walked on last season from a small high school in Gary, IN. He's being asked to gain weight in hopes that he'll provide depth at guard.
Alex Perry 6'7" 290 RS Sophmore
Alex came to IU as a 6'7" 250 tackle prospect from Morris, Illinois. After redshirting and gaining close to 25 pounds, he was moved to Center because of depth issues. This spring, he'll enter camp as the #1 center and it should be very interesting to see how he progresses. He's pretty athletic, and the hardest thing for him has been the mental side of the Center position. Since the center makes all the OL blocking scheme calls, it's a huge adjustment having played on the island to come in and play in the middle, but Alex's progression has been greatly enhanced by the pressence of Coach Johnson. Hopefully, this spring will bring Alex the confidence he needs to excell at this position.
Mike Reiter 6'2" 300 RS Junior walk-on
Mike is a walk-on from Chesterfield, MO, and he saw action in all games last season on special teams. Mike is currently 3rd string entering spring ball.
Dan Rutigliano 6'3" 285 RS FR walk-on
Dan came to IU from Cathedral HS in Indianapolis a school known for its winning traditions. Dan has a chance to be more than practice depth as the staff would like to bulk him up a little more and give him a chance at Guard. He's a mauler, so the more he learns and improves in the pass blocking area, the better his chance will be to play. Probably not a guy that will see this season, but by the time he's an upperclassman, he'll have a chance.
Rodger Saffold 6'5" 290 Junior
Rodger has pretty much started at LT since the very beginning of his freshman year. Though he really needed to RS, out of necessity, he's started and Coach Johnson has made him into one of the best LTs in the conference. He's very athletic and as he's gotten stronger, he's become a better run blocker. The staff has had to use a TE on his side a lot to help in run blocking, but toward the end of last season, he really seemed to "get it" in terms of being that up echelon LT. He comes to camp as a guy the staff is really looking to to cement the Line of Scrimmage and be that leader. He's got a chance to really be a top tackle by the time he's done at Indiana, and I'm hoping we really see the full package of Rodger this spring.
Jeff Sanders 6'4" 270 RS Sophmore
Jeff came to IU as a 240 pound TE and stayed there through a redshirt season. However, due to extreme lack of depth at the Center position, he was moved there and at one time backed up Matt Moses as 2nd string last fall and was still only about 260. Obviously, he needs weight, but he's 2nd string at this point and time. He's pretty athletic, but he needs that weight before I'd feel any comfort level about him playing on a regular basis. There's a real chance that Will Matte will come in and be that 2nd string Center by the middle of the season. I would still expect to see Jeff in goalline blocking schemes.
Pete Saxon 6'6" 315 Junior
Pete, much like Rodger, has pretty much been a starter at LG from the beginning of his career. He came to IU as a mauler, run-blocking Guard, so he's had to really learn pass blocking on the fly, and again, I credit Coach Johnson in getting him ready to play. By far, the biggest on the OL the last couple of years, Pete has steadily improved every season and the staff is looking to he and Rodger to really lead the OL this season.
Jarrod Smith 6'4" 300 RS Sophmore
Jarrod came to IU as a Center and one of the better centers recruited out of the midwest. However, during his redshirt season, he was really lost, so the staff moved him to Guard. Slowly but surely, he's beginning to get it, and he's moved up the depth chart ever since. He'll come to camp as a 3rd string guard, but as he progresses, I think he'll be up to 2nd string by the fall.
Mike Stark 6'7" 290 RS Sophmore
Mike will come to camp as the starter at RT. He played some last season, when Emerson went down with an injury and though he was outmatch early on, he really improved and was pretty steady throughout his time. He's a pretty good pass blocker, who has really had to be taught run blocking techniques. Mike offers a lot more as a RT than Emerson, but few will ever have the heart that Charlie showed.
Dennis Ziegler 6'7" 330 RS FR
Dennis is HUGE, in fact, he needs to slim down to play in IU's zone blocking system. If he can get down to 320 or so, he really could challenge Stark on the Right side. For his side, he's really athletic and has good feet, but his conditioning isn't where it needs to be for him to be really effective over sustained drives. He's shown so far in winter conditioning that he's getting better, and I'm anxious to see him in pads to see how he does.
James Brewer 6'8" 350 RS Sophmore
James is even bigger than Dennis, and to play, he's got to get his weight down. Like Dennis, he's athletic for his size, but his conditioning is not good at all. In fact, he was hurt a lot last season with a foot injury and it took forever to heal, in fact, he's still not at 100% and he will be limited this spring as a result. If he could somehow get down to about 315 to 320, he's probably start, but he's got to get the weight down. In fact, at one point last season, I was told he was a lot heavier than 350, though I was never told just how much he weighted. Hopefully, James can find a diet plan that works for him and he can heal up and get that weight down. He's very raw, but he could be the best out of any of these kids, he's got that much ability to work with.
Now, the following people have either left the program:
Tim Bugg-graduation
Charles Emerson-graduation
Kenny Love-early graduation
Matt Moses-early graduation
John Sandberg-graduation
Ben Wyss-graduation
Kyle Thomas-early graduation and he has gotten on with the Bloomington Police Department as a full time street officer. Congrats Kyle, I know I would never mess with you!!!
Okay, next time, I'll dive into the DL.
Okay, now for the TEs. When Coach Hep first took over the IU football program, it appeared in the first season that the TE might be a position that would prosper. M. O'Neil, a TE that had walked on at IU and caught a couple of TD passes his junior season. However, after that, the TE position became a blocking position, rather than an option in the passing game. There are a few reasons for this, but one of the biggest was the condition of the OL and the need to have more blockers, since the spread doesn't employ a fullback on a regular basis. Also, IU really didn't have a pass catching TE, and Coach Hep had stated that a TE was more of a condition, not a position, thus the TEs became pretty much glorified blockers.
Last season, was pretty much the same, as the TEs barely caught passes, but at least they were used a tad bit more than they were the previous year. Coach Lynch has demonstrated in the past that he'll use a TE as a pass catcher a little more, and I know the staff is pretty high on a redshirt frosh that may very well start. Let's take a look at what we have here.
Max Dedmond, 6'5" 245 RS FR
The staff hopes that Matt will come to camp around 250 and ready to compete for the starting job. Max can block pretty well and he has pretty solid hands. He's the best TE that IU has had for years, so I expect him to catch around 15 to 20 balls this coming season, as he'll be used underneath a little more, especially if the OL improves as is expected.
Taylor Donnell 6'3" 225 Junior walk-on
Taylor is a walk-on from Roncalli HS in Indy. While he's never caught a pass, he did play in every game last season on special teams.
Brad Martin 6'4" 230 RS Sophmore
Brad needs weight and the staff wanted to get him into that 245 to 250 slot by spring ball. At last report, he was in the 240 range and working hard to gain weight. If he can get more weight, he'll be another guy that they look to as a pass catcher. He's not much of a blocker at this point, but they are working hard to get to be one. At this point, he's 2nd/3rd string, behind Dedmond and Troy Wagner, but mainly he is Dedmond's back up.
Troy Wagner 6'5" 255 RS Junior
Troy saw action in 9 games last season and did catch 2 passes for 7 yards. Troy is pretty much a blocker, but he can, in a pinch, especially on goalline situations, sneak out and catch a pass. The staff will continue to use him as a blocker first, so in 2 TE situations, he'll be on the field with Dedmond, or Zemetis.
Brian Zematis 6'5" 255 RS Junior
Brian needs to find a position and stick with it, as the staff has moved him from TE to DE and now back to TE as depth concerns trigger the moves. He's strickly a blocker and backs up Wagner as the main blocking TE. The staff wants him to add more weight and try and get into the 265 range. He's actually fairly quick and a pretty good run stuffing DE, but with the emergence of the younger DEs, he's back on this side of the ball. I doubt we'll see him catching passes anytime soon, but we will see him on special teams for sure.
Nick Sexton 6'5" 260 graduated
Nick was the primary TE last season, along with Wagner. Nick was also moved around his entire career, but settled in at TE his last couple of seasons and started every game last year. He did manage to catch 3 passes for 31 yards, but dropped a few when he was wide open. He's truly a blocking TE and wasn't a bad one and was pretty effective in helping the OL compensate for their lack of good run blocking skills.
Since the TE position is so small, I thought I'd include the OL as well.
Brandon Bugg 6' 240 Junior
Brandon will be IU's long snapper this coming season and boy does he have HUGE shoes to fill. Brandon's brother Tim was IU's LS for 3 years and leaves IU as the #1 rated LS in the country and likely will be the only LS drafted this season. As for Brandon, he's had an awesome mentor, so we'll see. The best way to tell if he's effective or not is if we never hear about him. He will need to add a little more musclue to his frame, but I expect him to be just as effective as Tim.
Cody Faulkner 6'5" 300 RS Junior
Cody came to IU as the highest rated OL recruit in his class. He was recruited by many in SEC and his father played at Florida, so fans naturally assumed that since we didn't see him on the field much the past couple of years, he's been a bust. However Cody came to IU as a mauler type of OL that had MUCH to learn about pass blocking. In the 2 years+ that he's been here, he's improved probably the most of anyone in the area of pass blocking. He's expected to start at RG this season and add much needed bulk and agility to that position.
Josh Hager 6'7" 280 RS FR
Josh redshirted this season but he's got a lot of potential at the Tackle position. He came in at 260, so weight was his biggest need. As of last report, he was up to around 280 and staff would love to put 10 more pounds on him to be effective. His position for now is RT, so we'll see what he looks like come spring ball.
Sean Edmundson 6'4" 285 RS Senior
Sean is pretty buried on the depth chart and has been his whole career. This season he'll more than likely be a 2nd string Guard, especially with Kenny Love and Matt Moses having moved on and graduated early. Last season, Sean's biggest pub was a run-in with the law that also involved Adam McClurg and a couple of other individuals. Sean will add depth this season.
Andrew McDonald 6'5" 285 RS FR
Andrew came to IU from a running, option, spread offense that was never really asked to pass block, so this season, as he's added some muscle, he's had to learn all about pass blocking. He is being groomed to replace Saffold at LT. Andy is pretty athletic for a big guy and has caught on to pass blocking pretty well. He'll be 2nd string heading into spring ball, and it will be interesting to see how he does.
Milton Owens 6'2" 280 RS FR walk-on
Milton walked on last season from a small high school in Gary, IN. He's being asked to gain weight in hopes that he'll provide depth at guard.
Alex Perry 6'7" 290 RS Sophmore
Alex came to IU as a 6'7" 250 tackle prospect from Morris, Illinois. After redshirting and gaining close to 25 pounds, he was moved to Center because of depth issues. This spring, he'll enter camp as the #1 center and it should be very interesting to see how he progresses. He's pretty athletic, and the hardest thing for him has been the mental side of the Center position. Since the center makes all the OL blocking scheme calls, it's a huge adjustment having played on the island to come in and play in the middle, but Alex's progression has been greatly enhanced by the pressence of Coach Johnson. Hopefully, this spring will bring Alex the confidence he needs to excell at this position.
Mike Reiter 6'2" 300 RS Junior walk-on
Mike is a walk-on from Chesterfield, MO, and he saw action in all games last season on special teams. Mike is currently 3rd string entering spring ball.
Dan Rutigliano 6'3" 285 RS FR walk-on
Dan came to IU from Cathedral HS in Indianapolis a school known for its winning traditions. Dan has a chance to be more than practice depth as the staff would like to bulk him up a little more and give him a chance at Guard. He's a mauler, so the more he learns and improves in the pass blocking area, the better his chance will be to play. Probably not a guy that will see this season, but by the time he's an upperclassman, he'll have a chance.
Rodger Saffold 6'5" 290 Junior
Rodger has pretty much started at LT since the very beginning of his freshman year. Though he really needed to RS, out of necessity, he's started and Coach Johnson has made him into one of the best LTs in the conference. He's very athletic and as he's gotten stronger, he's become a better run blocker. The staff has had to use a TE on his side a lot to help in run blocking, but toward the end of last season, he really seemed to "get it" in terms of being that up echelon LT. He comes to camp as a guy the staff is really looking to to cement the Line of Scrimmage and be that leader. He's got a chance to really be a top tackle by the time he's done at Indiana, and I'm hoping we really see the full package of Rodger this spring.
Jeff Sanders 6'4" 270 RS Sophmore
Jeff came to IU as a 240 pound TE and stayed there through a redshirt season. However, due to extreme lack of depth at the Center position, he was moved there and at one time backed up Matt Moses as 2nd string last fall and was still only about 260. Obviously, he needs weight, but he's 2nd string at this point and time. He's pretty athletic, but he needs that weight before I'd feel any comfort level about him playing on a regular basis. There's a real chance that Will Matte will come in and be that 2nd string Center by the middle of the season. I would still expect to see Jeff in goalline blocking schemes.
Pete Saxon 6'6" 315 Junior
Pete, much like Rodger, has pretty much been a starter at LG from the beginning of his career. He came to IU as a mauler, run-blocking Guard, so he's had to really learn pass blocking on the fly, and again, I credit Coach Johnson in getting him ready to play. By far, the biggest on the OL the last couple of years, Pete has steadily improved every season and the staff is looking to he and Rodger to really lead the OL this season.
Jarrod Smith 6'4" 300 RS Sophmore
Jarrod came to IU as a Center and one of the better centers recruited out of the midwest. However, during his redshirt season, he was really lost, so the staff moved him to Guard. Slowly but surely, he's beginning to get it, and he's moved up the depth chart ever since. He'll come to camp as a 3rd string guard, but as he progresses, I think he'll be up to 2nd string by the fall.
Mike Stark 6'7" 290 RS Sophmore
Mike will come to camp as the starter at RT. He played some last season, when Emerson went down with an injury and though he was outmatch early on, he really improved and was pretty steady throughout his time. He's a pretty good pass blocker, who has really had to be taught run blocking techniques. Mike offers a lot more as a RT than Emerson, but few will ever have the heart that Charlie showed.
Dennis Ziegler 6'7" 330 RS FR
Dennis is HUGE, in fact, he needs to slim down to play in IU's zone blocking system. If he can get down to 320 or so, he really could challenge Stark on the Right side. For his side, he's really athletic and has good feet, but his conditioning isn't where it needs to be for him to be really effective over sustained drives. He's shown so far in winter conditioning that he's getting better, and I'm anxious to see him in pads to see how he does.
James Brewer 6'8" 350 RS Sophmore
James is even bigger than Dennis, and to play, he's got to get his weight down. Like Dennis, he's athletic for his size, but his conditioning is not good at all. In fact, he was hurt a lot last season with a foot injury and it took forever to heal, in fact, he's still not at 100% and he will be limited this spring as a result. If he could somehow get down to about 315 to 320, he's probably start, but he's got to get the weight down. In fact, at one point last season, I was told he was a lot heavier than 350, though I was never told just how much he weighted. Hopefully, James can find a diet plan that works for him and he can heal up and get that weight down. He's very raw, but he could be the best out of any of these kids, he's got that much ability to work with.
Now, the following people have either left the program:
Tim Bugg-graduation
Charles Emerson-graduation
Kenny Love-early graduation
Matt Moses-early graduation
John Sandberg-graduation
Ben Wyss-graduation
Kyle Thomas-early graduation and he has gotten on with the Bloomington Police Department as a full time street officer. Congrats Kyle, I know I would never mess with you!!!
Okay, next time, I'll dive into the DL.
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