Thought I would group WRs and TEs together, since there are not that many TEs anymore, but I'm short on time, as the snow is coming, and I need some shut eye, because I'm sure I'll be out working accidents tonight. So, first, I want to start with James Hardy, and just simply say that it was a real pleasure to watch him play and mature as a player and as a person over the past 3 seasons. He came in with loads of potential, but someone that was going to be a 2 sport guy that NEVER had concentrated on football. In 2 seasons, he's improved so much it's scary, and I can not imagine how much he'll improve over the next 2 or 3 years, as he continues to concentrate on football only. From what I can read and gather, he'll go anywhere from 15 to 40 depending on what teams need, but if he can run in that high end 4.4 at his pro day, the sky's the limit in my opinion. He did so much for IU football in terms of it's offensive production it's not even funny. Many times, when KL was in trouble, he'd simply lob the ball up and James would just go get it. In 2006, James caught 51 passes for 722 yards and 10 TDs. In 2007, James caught 79 passes for 1125 yards and 16 TDs. What a season!
Now for the rest of the team!
James Bailey 6'2" 205 senior to be:
James started a lot last season and some this season, but saw his pt cut very much by the emergence of Ray Fisher. James didn't pout, instead, he kept working and found a very nice niche as the primary kick returner and he even returned a kick for a TD. In 2006, James caught 40 passes for 401 yards and 0 TDs. In 2007, he caught 26 passes for 270 yards and 2 TDs and also returned the ball 18 times for 456 yards (25.3) and that TD.
This season, I expect James to provide depth with his size and experience as well as be the top kick returner for the Hoosiers. If Andrew Means would happen to go to baseball, James will have to step into a starting role, but he's got experience there, so I'm not that worried.
Chris Banks 6'2" 180 redshirt junior to be:
Chris hasn't seen much action so far at IU, but that doesn't mean this Ohio HS product isn't talented. In fact, he showed last spring that he's very capable. The only real negative about him is he just can't seem to hold much weight on his frame, but he's working very hard none the less. Banks didn't catch a pass in 2006, and this past season, he didn't either, but he did appear in 3 games at WR and all other games on kickoff coverage. I expect Chris to continue to add depthat WR, but playing time is going to be hard to come by.
Matt Earnest 6'2" 180 redshirt freshman to be:
Matt came to IU from Crown Point HS in northwestern Indiana. During his RS year, he mimiced the opposing team's best WR on the Scout Team. Matt was very impressive in the fall and though he still needs to add some muscle, I expect him to play a little bit this fall in the slot. The staff is very excited about the potential of Matt, and though we may not see it this fall, he's going to really help this team his sophmore season.
Ray Fisher 5'9" 170 redshirt junior to be:
"Big Play" Ray as his teammates call him, really came into his own this season. He ended up 2nd on the team in receptions, and now that Hardy has moved on, he'll assume the #1 postion that KL will look to. Ray is a speed demon (4.29 40) from the football factory of Glennville HS in Cleveland, OH. Ray claims that he beat Ted Ginn regularly in sprints last summer before Ted Jr headed to training camp in Miami.
Ray caught 24 passes for 215 yards in 2006, and he upped that total in 2007, catching 52 passes for 482 yards and 4 TDs. Not to be outdone, he also ran the ball 7 times for 35 yards on reverses. In 2008, I expect Ray to be a huge part of the offense both in the short and long passing games, as the staff finds ways to get him to ball in space so that he can use his speed and quickness.
Jake Kocal 5'10" 180 redshirt junior to be, walk-on:
Jake saw time in the Indiana State game, but didn't catch a pass.
Andrew Means 6' 21o junior to be:
Andrew will play pro ball, but it will probably be on the diamond that Andrew will make his living. However, this past season on the gridiron, Andrew really became a force at WR. He came to IU as a WR, but was really valued as a CF for the baseball team. Andrew doesn't hit for power, but he's a stud defensively and can slap hit, hit for average, and swipe bases very effectively. I talked with a scout friend of mine, and he thinks of Andrew in the mold of Mike Cameron. My friend thinks he'll be drafted somewhere between round 15 and 20, so it's anyone's guess of whether he'll go pro this summer, or come back to school for another season. Of course, it's aways possible that he could play summer pro ball, then return to school in the fall, but we'll see.
In 2006, Andrew played some and caught 20 passes for 263 yards and 1 TD. This past season, he caught 48 passes for 560 yards, which was best for 3rd most on the team. In 2008, I expect Andrew's numbers to continue to go up, if he decides to stay at IU. It would really help this unit if he did stay, but IU has tons of depth here, including at least a couple of kids that could come in and play as true freshmen, so all wouldn't be lost, but it would allow most of the new comers to redshirt if Andrew did stay.
Eddie Miller 6'3" 190 redshirt freshman to be walk on:
Eddie has a chance to contribute down the road as a slot guy. He reminds me a lot of Jake Standeford who was a walkon senior at Purdue this season. I don't expect him to do much this season, but he has very good hands and is a smart player.
Nick Polk 6' 205 redshirt junior to be:
Nick is mostly known as the starting free safety on defense, but he did see action on offense some this season. Last season, as a WR only, he caught 32 passes for 326 yards and 1 TD, which was good enough for 3rd best on the team. However, the coaches obviously saw something in him and moved him to defense full time in the fall, and boy did he produce. He still was able to catch 1 pass this season for 10 yards, and I expect he will continue to see some time on offense, especially if Andrew Means doesn't return.
Collin Taylor 6' 180 redshirt junior to be walk on:
Collin got to see his first game action this season against Indiana State, though he didn't catch any passes. He also saw some action on kick coverage in another couple games as well.
Terrance Turner 6'3" 200 redshirt sophmore to be:
Terrance came to IU as a grayshirt after though a couple of years ago in the same class that brought in WRs Josh Bailey (ended up at LB), Chris Banks, Andrew Means, and Brandon Walker-Roby. However, it's Turner that now offers the most potential and is really on the verge of busting out this season. This season brought a lot of eye popping potential in fall practice , but a knee injury ended his season after only 5 games, he surprisingly he only caught a hand full of passes, though he did see a lot of action in those 5 games.
As some have probably read in Bryan Payton's blog today, Terrance ran during conditioning drills Tuesday and more than held his own. Though the staff will limit him during spring practice, he appears to be well on his way to being ready for fall practice and I feel will be starting by game 1. Terrance is a low end 4.5 kid and has big hands and can jump. I look for him to really break out with about 40 to 50 catches this fall.
Brandon Walker-Roby 5'11" 190 senior to be:
Brandon came to IU as a very promising recruit, and right after his brother, Courtney, left IU will records and as a high draft choice. Brandon even played as a true freshman, but he's never really been able to put it all together and have a breakout year. However, he's another of those unsung leaders of this team and I expect him to be a team captain this season, though he'll be no more than role player on offense. His main problem is his size/speed ratio isn't compatible. By this I mean, he's not a very fast runner, so he has to do his work over the middle, and he's really not big enough to take the punishment of being pounded by LBs and strong safties.
In 2006, Brandon did catch 5 balls for 40 yards, and in 2007, he managed 4 catches for 64 yards. In 2008, I expect much of the same from him. He'll see spot duty on offense, but will be a presence in the lockerroom and off the field.
Of course, IU has really recruited this position for this recruiting class, and they may not be done either. So far, IU has verbals from 4 kids, with a RB that could switch to WR, and another 3-star picking between IU and Memphis.
1. Tandon Doss 6'3" 200 WR from Ben Davis HS in Indianapolis. Runs a low end 4.5 and could see some PT this season, but like all freshmen, the staff would rather RS him.
2. Tyler Adetona 6'1 200 WR from Gainesville HS in Georgia. Runs a middle of the road 4.4 and could be another kid that gets early PT next season.
3. Marquelo Suel 6'3" 180 WR from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was IU's first commit way back in the summer. Marquelo could be moved to FS, but for now, he's a WR with middle of road 4.5 speed.
4. Charles Love III 6'3" 190 WR from Memphis, TN. A fruit of Gerald Brown's labor, this kid is a hidden gem that is probably the less heralded of any of the before mentioned kids, but man, he's got some serious skills. runs a low end 4.4 and has a good vertical and reported soft hands.
5. Shane Covington is signed as a RB, but as I mentioned in a previous blog, he will probably be moved to either WR or CB. He's 6' 180 and reminds the staff of Nick Polk both as a receiver and athletically, as a DB.
Also, IU is in a heated battle with Memphis for Marcus Rucker, a 6'3" 175 WR from Memphis, TN. Marcus was pretty much set to go to KY, but scholarship crunches has eliminated them, and so he's down to IU and Memphis. He's another of Gerald Brown's hidden gems as IU was recruiting him and several of his teammates at Whitehaven HS in Memphis. Now that Gerald is in the NFL, I was concerned we'd lose out on Marcus, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say he'll be a Hoosier.
I've also been assured that IU will take Rucker and Johnson if they have the chance, but I'm believing more and more that Ohrian Johnson will be a Buckeye and Rucker will be a Hoosier.
Well, next time, I'll get the TEs.
God Bless!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Offseason Part 4: Running Backs
Today, a look at the running backs.
Marcus Thigpen 5'9" 190 Senior to be:
Marcus had a very up and down year in terms of health and production. Last season, Marcus was used primarily as a returner and at WR, but the staff wanted to utilize his amazing 4.3 speed, so they wanted to get the ball in his hands much more often, so he was moved to RB full time. Coming to IU he had been a WR, RB, CB, and a returner, but had never been asked to carry the load on offense, and I think this year was a rude awakening for him in terms of the preparation that you need to do in order to take more of pounding in the fall. A look at Marcus's stats from 2006 shows that he ran the ball 98 times for 387 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught 18 passes for 180 yards and 2 TDs, and he made the most impact as a returner with 24 kickoff returns for 723 yards (30 yard avg.) and 3 TDs including 1 for 100 yards.
This season's numbers show him running 138 times for 568 yards and 0 TDs, 21 catches for 181 yards and 3 TDs, and 18 returns for 453 yards (23 yard avg) and 0 TDs. His body simply didn't hold up to the pounding it took to run between the tackles 10 to 15 times a game. He explosiveness was pretty much non-existant, and he was inactive for 1 entire game and played sparingly in a couple of others.
This coming season that staff is really after Marcus to get his mind and body ready for a 13 game season. The staff really likes him at RB and for now, he's the first team guy there. His pro potential makes him a returner who could be a 3rd down back to use that speed to throw too or even run a little. The staff would like to see Marcus add about 5 pounds of upper body muscle and still maintain the quicks. He did perform very well the last couple of games at RB and has a laot of potential there.
Personally the biggest thing at RB right now will be Darius Willis and whether he can come in and win or at least get the majority of the carries this fall. If he can, Marcus will move all over the place on offense and be that versitale player. If Darius can't, we are back to where we were this season with Marcus coming in and others filling in.
Demetrius McCray 5'11" 195 redshirt junior to be:
Demetrius's season was wrecked by injury from the word go, however he was able to play in 3 games which will probably cost the staff the chance to get a medical RS out of him. In 2006, Demetrius showed a lot of promise running 88 times for 361 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught 8 passes for 69 yards and 2 TDs.
This season, he came in as the #2 RB with the idea being he'd get around 10 carries or so a game to spell Marcus. However, he got hurt with a variety of different things and his final numbers show him with 22 carries for 154 yards and 0 TDs and 1 catch for 0 yards. Demetrius appears to be fairly healthy, so I expect a big spring from him. He's more of a complete back than Marcus and is still a good pass catcher out of the backfield. IMO, he would have taken the starting RB job from Marcus by the middle of the season if it wasn't for the injuries. Hopefully things can fall into place for him and he can be utilized this fall as the 2nd string RB.
Bryan Payton 5'9" 210 redshirt junior to be:
Bryan hasn't really had that much of a chance before this season to show what he could do, but this season, with the injuries to Marcus and Demetrius, he was able to show the staff and fans a little of what he could on the field. While he's probably most famous for his internet blog and his deep Christian faith, it's pretty evident that Bryan has a lot of talent, but he's buried on the depth chart. Bryan is a little bit of a bowling ball type of runner. He's not as fast as Marcus or Demetrius, but he's quick enough and certainly strong enough to absorb a hit and keep on going. This past season, with the injuries to the RBs and the lack of beef on the OL, Bryan's style of running was just what this offense needed in a few games.
In 2006, Bryan 15 times for 36 yards and 0TDs and didn't caught any passes in mop up duty in 7 games. This season, his stats were 90 rushes for 381 yards and 4 TDs and 12 receptions for 70 yards and 0 TDs.
This spring I expect Bryan to see a lot of carries and he will be competing once again with Marcus and Demetrius. Bryan is one of my favorite players on this team and he's certainly a leader on and off the field.
Trea Burgess 6'1" 220 redshirt sophmore to be:
Trea is a walk on at IU and due to the injuries to the top 3 RBs, he actually saw some game action and didn't disappoint all that much. He's a bruiser, plain and simple, but he's got some talent to play and he was a nice change of pace here and there last season. This season he ran 18 times for 77 yards and 1 TD and caught 1 pass for 14 yards.
This spring, I expect to see Trea a little heavier and doing spot duty at Fullback. While I'm not sure how much we will use a FB, if we need to, it will either be Dedmond or Burgess or maybe another of the OL guys.
Josiah Sears 6' 250 graduated:
Josiah was another walk on that bled cream and crimson. He was mainly useds as a FB early in his career, but got to carry the ball some the past couple of seasons as IU mainly had scatbacks on their roster. Josiah was truly one of the team leaders this past season, and while his yardage can easily be replaced, his leadership will be difficult.
Josiah was your typical hard-nosed walk on who put forth max effort every play, every practice. This season he racked up 36 carries for 114 yards and 4 TDs (the first of his career at IU) and he also caught 14 passes for 150 yards and 2 TDs. His production this season was much needed in a couple of games and he's another of my favorite players that has every played at IU.
As for Josiah's future, not much has been said, though I would expect him to attempt a pro career as a Fullback.
Zach Davis-Walker 5'8" 180 redshirt freshman to be:
Zach redshirted this season as he came to IU from Plantation, FL. Coach Hep and Coach Lynch have also liked this small scatbacks that can turn the corner and change the game with a long TD run. The problem for IU is that the OL hasn't always provided that opportunity to do that very much and the small scatbacks have struggled.
Last season, while on the scout team, mimicing the other team's top RB and running behind a much bigger OL than the starting OL, Zach showed a ton of potential. He was named scout team offensive player of week several times and the staff believes that he can come in and play some this fall. I will be interested to see how he looks this spring. He'll come in 4th string, but I'm going to bet he moves above that by the end of the spring.
Shawn Winston 5'10" 200 redshirt freshman to be:
Shawn has walked on at IU and redshirted this season. Shawn played his HS ball at South Bend Adams and has many opportunities to play D1 AA football or lower, but chose to come to IU and walk on. Though he hasn't gotten a whole lot of work since he's gotten here, the staff believes that in time, he can earn some. He's pretty quick and fast, so we'll see what he can do this spring and beyond.
Also, RB has obviously been a huge position this recruiting season as IU has potential gotten 4 verbals at this positon, though I'm pretty confident that some will move to other positions. I won't break down these kids too much, as that's for a later blog, but I will predict where they will be come spring ball.
1. Darius Willis-6' 215 and runs a low 4.6 to high end 4.5. Darius is the biggest RB recruit to come to IU in a decade and many believe that he could easily come in and start, and at the very worst, get the majority of the carries by season's end. Obviously, he'll stay at RB.
2. Alex Hunt-6' 200 and runs a high end 4.4. Alex was hurt most of this season, but the 2 games he played in, he did very well. I expect Alex to stay at RB and redshirt next season. Though lightly regarded, he showed in 2006 that he had a ton of potential with several SEC schools looking at him.
3. Shane Covington-6' 180 and runs a very low end 4.5. Shane is very versitale, as he played RB, WR, CB, and returner this season. I truly expect Shane to move to either the defensive side of the ball, probably CB. He was recruited at RB though, but I don't think IU is going to keep 3 guys there, or at least in my opinion, they should not. Shane will be redshirted to gain weight, but I really do think he's a CB for us down the road.
4. Chad Sherer-6' 200 and runs a low end 4.6. Chad was recruited as an OLB, so he will be moving. The only question with him appears to be when he gets here. He was hurt this fall in football and healed up, but did more damage to his knee playing basketball and has now had surgery. There has been talk of a grayshirt possibility, since his knee won't be 100% yet by fall ball, but there is nothing official on that decision yet. Chad had a very good career in HS as a RB, but he's definitly going defense whenever he gets to IU.
I could also name Cortez Smith here, but it's pretty obvious that he's going to come to IU as a DB, though he was intially ranked by Scout and Rivals as a RB. Smith is expect to be either a CB or SS at IU.
IU still has an offer out to Isiash Pead from Columbus, OH. IU hosted him in December and he had a decent time. He wants to be a RB and currently has Pitt as his leader. IU recruited him as a RB, but really did want to switch him to CB, so they can utilize his high end 4.3 speed. My thoughts are he'll end up at either Pitt or Cincinnati. I don't think IU is going to get him.
Next time, I'll take a look at the WR and TEs
GOD BLESS!
Marcus Thigpen 5'9" 190 Senior to be:
Marcus had a very up and down year in terms of health and production. Last season, Marcus was used primarily as a returner and at WR, but the staff wanted to utilize his amazing 4.3 speed, so they wanted to get the ball in his hands much more often, so he was moved to RB full time. Coming to IU he had been a WR, RB, CB, and a returner, but had never been asked to carry the load on offense, and I think this year was a rude awakening for him in terms of the preparation that you need to do in order to take more of pounding in the fall. A look at Marcus's stats from 2006 shows that he ran the ball 98 times for 387 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught 18 passes for 180 yards and 2 TDs, and he made the most impact as a returner with 24 kickoff returns for 723 yards (30 yard avg.) and 3 TDs including 1 for 100 yards.
This season's numbers show him running 138 times for 568 yards and 0 TDs, 21 catches for 181 yards and 3 TDs, and 18 returns for 453 yards (23 yard avg) and 0 TDs. His body simply didn't hold up to the pounding it took to run between the tackles 10 to 15 times a game. He explosiveness was pretty much non-existant, and he was inactive for 1 entire game and played sparingly in a couple of others.
This coming season that staff is really after Marcus to get his mind and body ready for a 13 game season. The staff really likes him at RB and for now, he's the first team guy there. His pro potential makes him a returner who could be a 3rd down back to use that speed to throw too or even run a little. The staff would like to see Marcus add about 5 pounds of upper body muscle and still maintain the quicks. He did perform very well the last couple of games at RB and has a laot of potential there.
Personally the biggest thing at RB right now will be Darius Willis and whether he can come in and win or at least get the majority of the carries this fall. If he can, Marcus will move all over the place on offense and be that versitale player. If Darius can't, we are back to where we were this season with Marcus coming in and others filling in.
Demetrius McCray 5'11" 195 redshirt junior to be:
Demetrius's season was wrecked by injury from the word go, however he was able to play in 3 games which will probably cost the staff the chance to get a medical RS out of him. In 2006, Demetrius showed a lot of promise running 88 times for 361 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught 8 passes for 69 yards and 2 TDs.
This season, he came in as the #2 RB with the idea being he'd get around 10 carries or so a game to spell Marcus. However, he got hurt with a variety of different things and his final numbers show him with 22 carries for 154 yards and 0 TDs and 1 catch for 0 yards. Demetrius appears to be fairly healthy, so I expect a big spring from him. He's more of a complete back than Marcus and is still a good pass catcher out of the backfield. IMO, he would have taken the starting RB job from Marcus by the middle of the season if it wasn't for the injuries. Hopefully things can fall into place for him and he can be utilized this fall as the 2nd string RB.
Bryan Payton 5'9" 210 redshirt junior to be:
Bryan hasn't really had that much of a chance before this season to show what he could do, but this season, with the injuries to Marcus and Demetrius, he was able to show the staff and fans a little of what he could on the field. While he's probably most famous for his internet blog and his deep Christian faith, it's pretty evident that Bryan has a lot of talent, but he's buried on the depth chart. Bryan is a little bit of a bowling ball type of runner. He's not as fast as Marcus or Demetrius, but he's quick enough and certainly strong enough to absorb a hit and keep on going. This past season, with the injuries to the RBs and the lack of beef on the OL, Bryan's style of running was just what this offense needed in a few games.
In 2006, Bryan 15 times for 36 yards and 0TDs and didn't caught any passes in mop up duty in 7 games. This season, his stats were 90 rushes for 381 yards and 4 TDs and 12 receptions for 70 yards and 0 TDs.
This spring I expect Bryan to see a lot of carries and he will be competing once again with Marcus and Demetrius. Bryan is one of my favorite players on this team and he's certainly a leader on and off the field.
Trea Burgess 6'1" 220 redshirt sophmore to be:
Trea is a walk on at IU and due to the injuries to the top 3 RBs, he actually saw some game action and didn't disappoint all that much. He's a bruiser, plain and simple, but he's got some talent to play and he was a nice change of pace here and there last season. This season he ran 18 times for 77 yards and 1 TD and caught 1 pass for 14 yards.
This spring, I expect to see Trea a little heavier and doing spot duty at Fullback. While I'm not sure how much we will use a FB, if we need to, it will either be Dedmond or Burgess or maybe another of the OL guys.
Josiah Sears 6' 250 graduated:
Josiah was another walk on that bled cream and crimson. He was mainly useds as a FB early in his career, but got to carry the ball some the past couple of seasons as IU mainly had scatbacks on their roster. Josiah was truly one of the team leaders this past season, and while his yardage can easily be replaced, his leadership will be difficult.
Josiah was your typical hard-nosed walk on who put forth max effort every play, every practice. This season he racked up 36 carries for 114 yards and 4 TDs (the first of his career at IU) and he also caught 14 passes for 150 yards and 2 TDs. His production this season was much needed in a couple of games and he's another of my favorite players that has every played at IU.
As for Josiah's future, not much has been said, though I would expect him to attempt a pro career as a Fullback.
Zach Davis-Walker 5'8" 180 redshirt freshman to be:
Zach redshirted this season as he came to IU from Plantation, FL. Coach Hep and Coach Lynch have also liked this small scatbacks that can turn the corner and change the game with a long TD run. The problem for IU is that the OL hasn't always provided that opportunity to do that very much and the small scatbacks have struggled.
Last season, while on the scout team, mimicing the other team's top RB and running behind a much bigger OL than the starting OL, Zach showed a ton of potential. He was named scout team offensive player of week several times and the staff believes that he can come in and play some this fall. I will be interested to see how he looks this spring. He'll come in 4th string, but I'm going to bet he moves above that by the end of the spring.
Shawn Winston 5'10" 200 redshirt freshman to be:
Shawn has walked on at IU and redshirted this season. Shawn played his HS ball at South Bend Adams and has many opportunities to play D1 AA football or lower, but chose to come to IU and walk on. Though he hasn't gotten a whole lot of work since he's gotten here, the staff believes that in time, he can earn some. He's pretty quick and fast, so we'll see what he can do this spring and beyond.
Also, RB has obviously been a huge position this recruiting season as IU has potential gotten 4 verbals at this positon, though I'm pretty confident that some will move to other positions. I won't break down these kids too much, as that's for a later blog, but I will predict where they will be come spring ball.
1. Darius Willis-6' 215 and runs a low 4.6 to high end 4.5. Darius is the biggest RB recruit to come to IU in a decade and many believe that he could easily come in and start, and at the very worst, get the majority of the carries by season's end. Obviously, he'll stay at RB.
2. Alex Hunt-6' 200 and runs a high end 4.4. Alex was hurt most of this season, but the 2 games he played in, he did very well. I expect Alex to stay at RB and redshirt next season. Though lightly regarded, he showed in 2006 that he had a ton of potential with several SEC schools looking at him.
3. Shane Covington-6' 180 and runs a very low end 4.5. Shane is very versitale, as he played RB, WR, CB, and returner this season. I truly expect Shane to move to either the defensive side of the ball, probably CB. He was recruited at RB though, but I don't think IU is going to keep 3 guys there, or at least in my opinion, they should not. Shane will be redshirted to gain weight, but I really do think he's a CB for us down the road.
4. Chad Sherer-6' 200 and runs a low end 4.6. Chad was recruited as an OLB, so he will be moving. The only question with him appears to be when he gets here. He was hurt this fall in football and healed up, but did more damage to his knee playing basketball and has now had surgery. There has been talk of a grayshirt possibility, since his knee won't be 100% yet by fall ball, but there is nothing official on that decision yet. Chad had a very good career in HS as a RB, but he's definitly going defense whenever he gets to IU.
I could also name Cortez Smith here, but it's pretty obvious that he's going to come to IU as a DB, though he was intially ranked by Scout and Rivals as a RB. Smith is expect to be either a CB or SS at IU.
IU still has an offer out to Isiash Pead from Columbus, OH. IU hosted him in December and he had a decent time. He wants to be a RB and currently has Pitt as his leader. IU recruited him as a RB, but really did want to switch him to CB, so they can utilize his high end 4.3 speed. My thoughts are he'll end up at either Pitt or Cincinnati. I don't think IU is going to get him.
Next time, I'll take a look at the WR and TEs
GOD BLESS!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Offseason Part 3: Quarterbacks
Tonight I want to start looking at each position, player by player, and break down what was done individually, and as a group. I will also look at incoming recruits and breakdown their impacts as well. Also, if you didn't see my post on Peegs, there no kids coming in this weekend.
Kellen Lewis: 6'1" 180 RS Junior
Kellen was the starter from day 1 this season and started all 13 games. Since IU runs a zone type of spread offense, the QB position has to be able to run the ball, throw the ball, and smart enough to read the defense and be able to decide just what to do, either hand off, run himself, or throw it. It's an offense that desires an athletic QB, but still has to be able to throw it. KL came to IU as a run first, pass second type of player, and he's still learning how to be that passing type of QB.
In 2006, KL started the last part of the season, but still played in 11 games. His numbers were 124 rushes for 441 yards and 5 TDs, and he completed 190 passes in 346 attempts for 2221 yards and 14 TDs with 7 INTs. He accounted for 2662 yards by himself with an average of 242 yards/game.
In 2007, KL ran the ball 147 times for 736 yards and 9 TD, and he completed 265 passes in 442 attempts for 3043 yards and 28 TDs with 10 INTs. He accounted for 3779 yards by himself with an average of 291 yards/game.
KL started out the season like a house a fire, but from the Illinois game on, he really went through a Sophmore slump that continued all the way through the bowl game. KL is immensely talented, but he has to learn to be smart with the ball and use his legs to set up the pass. In games that he would struggle, he would try to set up the run, with the pass, and it just didn't work. There are many reason as to why that was, but for IU to improve on offense and limit the turnovers, especially the fumbles, KL has to improve. There is no doubt in my mind that he will. He's the leader of this team and not much rattles this kid. I fully expect another huge year from him and he'll enter the Spring as the #1 guy.
Ben Chappell: 6'3" 235 RS Sophmore
Ben was IU's 2nd string QB last year and was able to play in 3 games. Unfortunately for Ben, his most memorable performance wasn't a very good one, as he was inserted into the Northwestern game and to everyone surprise, he tried to throw a pass, and it was picked off and returned for a TD.
Ben did have 4 rushes for 2 yards and he completed 1 pass for 14 yards with 0 TDs and that 1 INT. Though Ben is very, very green in terms of in game experience that doesn't mean that the coaches don't like what they see out of him. Ben performed very well in the spring last season and he continued to grasp the offense very well during fall practice. Ben came to IU known for his QB smarts and throwing ability and he's not disappointed there, and Ben has shown the ability to run the ball too. Obviously, he's not the shifty runner than KL is, but he can run the ball and he pack a real punch when he runs into you.
Ben will start the spring as the clear favorite to be 2nd string. Fans should not be as concerned if KL would go down, because Ben can step in and do pretty well.
Blake Powers: 6'4" 235 Senior
Blake lost the starting QB job last year, so he made an attempt to switch to TE. He played that position last spring and into the fall, but the decision was made to switch him back to QB during the season, as the TE position was once again going to be used as a blocking position to help the OL, and that certainly wasn't Blake's strength.
For the season, Blake only played in one game this season, Purdue, but he was able to do a QB sneak and picked up a huge first down for the Hoosiers. That sneak, comprised of picking up 2 whole yards, was all we saw of Blake on the field. But that wasn't really the true impact of Mr. Powers, as we didn't see what he did off the field as a leader that was the true impact of this team and one that will be hard to replace this coming season.
When Blake was replaced as the starter, due to injury, but completely after his return, he never said anything. In fact, he just worked and was a leader and showed his young teammates what it met to be a real leader. He mentored KL last season. This season, he mentored KL and Ben and Teddy. Blake was one of my favorite players when he was starter, but even more when he wasn't. He will be truly missed, and I think he would make a great coach one day.
Teddy Schell: 6'5" 220 RS Freshman
Teddy redshirted this season and spent the fall running the scout team for IU. Teddy came down to IU early last summer and participated in 7 on 7 drills and really did a very good job. In fact, if the OL had shown more, and Blake Powers wasn't summoned back to the QB position, I believe Teddy could have played had their been an injury to KL or Ben. However, it was very good that he got a RS year. He's put on about 10 pounds of muscle and he's working at learning the zone spread. Since he's a true pocket passer, IU would have to change it's offensive approach a little bit if he were to play. He's not a runner, though he could scramble a little in a pinch, but his true strength is his arm. I'm looking forward to see him in Spring ball and showing a bit of what he can do with this offense.
Dustin Hass: 6'1"220 RS Senior (walk-on)
Dustin has never played a down at IU so far, and I highly doubt he ever will, but that doesn't keep him from working hard and doing the things he needs to do. Dustin is very athletic and had offers to play QB in low football division as well as baseball in other divisions, but he chose to walk on and play for IU.
Adam Follett: 6'4 200 True Frosh from Alma, Michigan
Adam will be a true freshman this fall. Adam is a real sleeper, as he runs a 4.7 40 and has a very good arm. This season, he transferred to Alma, so that he could play in a pass first offense. Adam will no doubt redshirt next season, but though this kid is raw, he's really got a live arm and he can run. As he learns the offense, he really has to the potential to be an impact player at IU.
IU has also offered, and hosted on an official visit, Ohrian Johnson. He's a 6'2" QB/athlete from Gulfport, FL. He's a lot like KL in that he's got offers from Tennesse, South Florida, and interest from O$U as an athlete, but IU has made it clear, they want him at QB. Ohrian has stated he doesn't care where he plays and he's in the process of taking his visits and won't make a decision until very near signing day. He really enjoyed his official visit here, and several kids that visited that weekend did commit. Darius Willis has been in touch with him trying to persuade him that IU is the place for him. I think at this point, IU sits pretty well with him, and we will take him if he wants to commit, regardless if anyone else commits or not.
Next time, we'll look at the running backs.
Kellen Lewis: 6'1" 180 RS Junior
Kellen was the starter from day 1 this season and started all 13 games. Since IU runs a zone type of spread offense, the QB position has to be able to run the ball, throw the ball, and smart enough to read the defense and be able to decide just what to do, either hand off, run himself, or throw it. It's an offense that desires an athletic QB, but still has to be able to throw it. KL came to IU as a run first, pass second type of player, and he's still learning how to be that passing type of QB.
In 2006, KL started the last part of the season, but still played in 11 games. His numbers were 124 rushes for 441 yards and 5 TDs, and he completed 190 passes in 346 attempts for 2221 yards and 14 TDs with 7 INTs. He accounted for 2662 yards by himself with an average of 242 yards/game.
In 2007, KL ran the ball 147 times for 736 yards and 9 TD, and he completed 265 passes in 442 attempts for 3043 yards and 28 TDs with 10 INTs. He accounted for 3779 yards by himself with an average of 291 yards/game.
KL started out the season like a house a fire, but from the Illinois game on, he really went through a Sophmore slump that continued all the way through the bowl game. KL is immensely talented, but he has to learn to be smart with the ball and use his legs to set up the pass. In games that he would struggle, he would try to set up the run, with the pass, and it just didn't work. There are many reason as to why that was, but for IU to improve on offense and limit the turnovers, especially the fumbles, KL has to improve. There is no doubt in my mind that he will. He's the leader of this team and not much rattles this kid. I fully expect another huge year from him and he'll enter the Spring as the #1 guy.
Ben Chappell: 6'3" 235 RS Sophmore
Ben was IU's 2nd string QB last year and was able to play in 3 games. Unfortunately for Ben, his most memorable performance wasn't a very good one, as he was inserted into the Northwestern game and to everyone surprise, he tried to throw a pass, and it was picked off and returned for a TD.
Ben did have 4 rushes for 2 yards and he completed 1 pass for 14 yards with 0 TDs and that 1 INT. Though Ben is very, very green in terms of in game experience that doesn't mean that the coaches don't like what they see out of him. Ben performed very well in the spring last season and he continued to grasp the offense very well during fall practice. Ben came to IU known for his QB smarts and throwing ability and he's not disappointed there, and Ben has shown the ability to run the ball too. Obviously, he's not the shifty runner than KL is, but he can run the ball and he pack a real punch when he runs into you.
Ben will start the spring as the clear favorite to be 2nd string. Fans should not be as concerned if KL would go down, because Ben can step in and do pretty well.
Blake Powers: 6'4" 235 Senior
Blake lost the starting QB job last year, so he made an attempt to switch to TE. He played that position last spring and into the fall, but the decision was made to switch him back to QB during the season, as the TE position was once again going to be used as a blocking position to help the OL, and that certainly wasn't Blake's strength.
For the season, Blake only played in one game this season, Purdue, but he was able to do a QB sneak and picked up a huge first down for the Hoosiers. That sneak, comprised of picking up 2 whole yards, was all we saw of Blake on the field. But that wasn't really the true impact of Mr. Powers, as we didn't see what he did off the field as a leader that was the true impact of this team and one that will be hard to replace this coming season.
When Blake was replaced as the starter, due to injury, but completely after his return, he never said anything. In fact, he just worked and was a leader and showed his young teammates what it met to be a real leader. He mentored KL last season. This season, he mentored KL and Ben and Teddy. Blake was one of my favorite players when he was starter, but even more when he wasn't. He will be truly missed, and I think he would make a great coach one day.
Teddy Schell: 6'5" 220 RS Freshman
Teddy redshirted this season and spent the fall running the scout team for IU. Teddy came down to IU early last summer and participated in 7 on 7 drills and really did a very good job. In fact, if the OL had shown more, and Blake Powers wasn't summoned back to the QB position, I believe Teddy could have played had their been an injury to KL or Ben. However, it was very good that he got a RS year. He's put on about 10 pounds of muscle and he's working at learning the zone spread. Since he's a true pocket passer, IU would have to change it's offensive approach a little bit if he were to play. He's not a runner, though he could scramble a little in a pinch, but his true strength is his arm. I'm looking forward to see him in Spring ball and showing a bit of what he can do with this offense.
Dustin Hass: 6'1"220 RS Senior (walk-on)
Dustin has never played a down at IU so far, and I highly doubt he ever will, but that doesn't keep him from working hard and doing the things he needs to do. Dustin is very athletic and had offers to play QB in low football division as well as baseball in other divisions, but he chose to walk on and play for IU.
Adam Follett: 6'4 200 True Frosh from Alma, Michigan
Adam will be a true freshman this fall. Adam is a real sleeper, as he runs a 4.7 40 and has a very good arm. This season, he transferred to Alma, so that he could play in a pass first offense. Adam will no doubt redshirt next season, but though this kid is raw, he's really got a live arm and he can run. As he learns the offense, he really has to the potential to be an impact player at IU.
IU has also offered, and hosted on an official visit, Ohrian Johnson. He's a 6'2" QB/athlete from Gulfport, FL. He's a lot like KL in that he's got offers from Tennesse, South Florida, and interest from O$U as an athlete, but IU has made it clear, they want him at QB. Ohrian has stated he doesn't care where he plays and he's in the process of taking his visits and won't make a decision until very near signing day. He really enjoyed his official visit here, and several kids that visited that weekend did commit. Darius Willis has been in touch with him trying to persuade him that IU is the place for him. I think at this point, IU sits pretty well with him, and we will take him if he wants to commit, regardless if anyone else commits or not.
Next time, we'll look at the running backs.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Offseason Part 2
Before we get to the defensive coaches, I wanted to clear up that Alex Hunt did make his official this weekend. He was the last one of the verbals to come up and I was beginning to wonder if he would follow through with his committment. I know John Decker will be doing an interview soon with him, and it will be interesting to see what he has to say. Also, according to Dutra (RB from Center Grove) father, his son has been offered a preferred walk on chance at IU as an athlete. Dutra is small but runs in the low 4.4 to high 4.3 range. Could be an excellent return guy, much like Lance Bennett. Dutra has offers from Ball State, Indiana State, and Western Kentucky, so we'll see what happens. Probably won't know until after signing day.
Also, I have talked with some very close to Trent Mossbrucker, the kicker from Mooresville, IN who has told several he wants to go to IU. He's back and forth as now Iowa's staff has been showing him much more love and telling him to "honor his committment" and he'll develop more as a person away from home, than right next door. Sounds to me like, he'll probably end up a Hawkeye in the end, but we'll see. If anything does happen, it won't be until signing day at the earliest.
Okay, now for the defensive coaches: At the beginning of the season, I made a post on Peegs that I thought that IU's offense was good enough to win 10 games, but it would be up to the defense to get us to a bowl game, and this season, the defense was good enough to allow the team to win 7 games. However, much improvement is needed for the team to go on to the next step.
While there were many rumors before the start of the season, IU stayed with the 4-3 scheme and went very vanilla in terms of mixing up formations. The coaches were very simplistic with their approach, the DTs would hold the line and the DEs would blitz. The LBs would pursue, and the DBs would play a deep zone, thus allowing underneath stuff, but nothing over the top and the safeties would also purse the ball. This scheme works well with fast players that are not afraid of contact, but for IU, I still don't think they have the type of players in certain positions to really make this defense work. Also, we saw the coaches go with experienced guys, instead of more athletic, greener players. I can completely understand those moves, because the coaches were really playing for their coaching lives.
DL/Co Defensive Coordinator Brian George:
Brian is another of the coaches that came with Coach Hep from Miami of Ohio. What I really like about Brian is that he was an OL coach at Miami before he was their DL coach. You can tell that IU's DL, especially this season, really understands what the opposing OL is trying to do, and that's a direct correlation to being taught the tricks of the trade and knowing some moves that will offset an OL guy. This season, IU's DL guys emerged from basically out of nowhere to record 35.5 sacks. Compare that to those same positions having only 10 the year before. Brian has always been known to have DLs that really generate pressure, and the increase of 25.5 sacks from one year to the next is just insane really.
Brian also oversees the running game defense for IU as Co-defensive coordinator. Last season, the IU defense gave up a 2089 rushing yards to opponets for an average of just under 175 yards a game. They also gave up 101 first downs running the ball. The defense as a whole gave up 394 points last season with a whopping 54 TDs and 7 FGs.
Now, this season, the defense gave up 2076 yars rushing to opponets for an average of just under 160 yards a game. Of course you have to add the fact that IU played an extra game this season, so don't be fooled by the stat that IU only gave up 13 yards less than last season. On the scoring front, IU gave up 370 points with 48 TDs and 13 FGs.
So there was improvement from one year to the next, but it has to get better in my opinion. I've always believed that you have to controll the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively first to win games. In recruiting, IU loaded up with the 7 blocks of limestone on the OL, but didn't really do a lot to the DL until this current class which has seen several verbals that will play DL. I think in another year or two, we'll begin to reap some reward here as far as getting the DL to control the line of scrimmage much, much more.
Cornerbacks/Co Defensive Coordinator Joe Palcic
Another of the assistants that followed Coach Hep over from Miami of Ohio. Joe serves as IU's CB coach as well as the passing defensive coordinator for IU. Joe was a LB at Miami and then became a grad. assistant, before becoming Hep's LB coach, then DB coach. His father, Bob, has been a long time college and NFL assistant for several teams, so Joe has been in and around football for a LONG time.
Last season, IU gave up 2739 yards passing in the 06/07 season with an average of 229 yards/game and 29 TDs in 12 games. This season, the passing defense gave up 3168 yards with an average of 244 yards/game and 21 TDs over 13 games.
Last season, IU gave up more TDs than FGs, but this year, the defense seemed to hold up more in the red zone and give up more FGs and less TDs. What the numbers also show is that IU improved a little bit in the front 7 from one year to the next, but not that much in the passing game. It's a little deceiving I think because teams were behind against IU more and thus had to pass, but with 2 kids that are expected to be NFL draft picks, I think the passing defense really needs to improve for this defense to take the next step.
A lot of people bag on the LBs, and the running game, but it really was the pass defense that didn't show the improvement, which is disappointing, because the DL was creating a ton of pressure and generated all those sacks. For the record, IU generated 42 sacks total, so one can deduct that the pass defense got a ton of help upfront, or it could have been much worse back there. There are a lot of reasons for this I think, but I think scheme wise, IU must be more physical in their CB play, but this season, they really didn't have the personell to do that. I do expect this to change with Phillips starting next season and Jones and Adkins are much more physical players as well, so Joe will have some green kids to work with, but they are players that will allow IU to be more aggressive. As for the safeties, I'll save that for their coach, but across the defensive backfield and our cover LBs, IU has to improve here and that should be a priority this spring and for fall practice.
I should also mention that IU's CBs were able to pick off 11 passes this season and break up 15 passes, which were both increases from the previous season (7 INTs and 14 breakups). However the stat that worries me is the break ups. It shows how non-aggressive the guys were. They played the receivers well and read the eyes of the QB and jumped routes to intercept, but they have to be more aggressive. I'd actually take less INTs and more break ups if it got our players more aggressive. Also, Phillips has shown over the last couple years to post a lot more big plays than Majors. Majors was a lot faster and had much more experience, but he's not even close to as aggressive as Phillips will be.
I should also note that Joe is our main point of contact in the Ohio area as far as recruiting goes. He was very responsible for IU getting into and landing some Cleveland Glennville guys, which is a very good thing.
Linebacker/Special Teams Co Coordianator George Ricumstrict:
Big George was another of the assistants to come from Miami of Ohio. George played at Central Michigan and coached there, as well as t Miami before coming to IU. George started out at CMU as a special teams coach and his teams became very good at blocking kicks as well as returning them for TDs. He immediately impacted IU's special teams in the latter category of kick return average and TDs last season, and got Marcus Thigpen preseason all american honors for several magazines. Though this season wasn't as successful, James Bailey did return a kickoff for a TD and Tracy Porter did very well in punt returns.
The linebackers were under a lot of fan criticism this season, especially the MLB position, and there were some issues in terms of the LBs getting engulfed by blocks and not using the speed to get to the play. When your defense is based on pursuit and gang tackling the ball, your LBs have to be aggressive and make plays. When IU won games, the LBs usually had pretty big games, but the losses, showed that the LBs had to get more bigger, yet faster to really be able to fly around.
IU prefers smaller, faster guys, which is fine, as long as you can get to the ball and tackle it. That will be another point of emphasis for this defense next season. As far as speed goes, IU has that, but they lack tackling technique as well as beating block techniques. Last season, IU's LBs had 247 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 INT. This season IU's LBs posted 349 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 2 INTs. I think this shows the improvement of run support that IU had, but the lack of consistancy in pass defense, especially in the middle of the field. IU's LBs are fast. Johnson runs a 4.5, McClurg is a high end 4.5 guy, and Patterson is a 4.6 guy. All are good in run support, but not so much in pass defense, thus you saw IU use the nickle a lot and use an extra DB, instead of LB. For IU to improve the pass defense, they must find OLBs that can defend the run, as well as the pass.
IU could essentially start 3 new LBs next season with Mayberry in the middle and Carrington and Replogle on the outside. I think IU will improve the passing end with the Justin and Tyler, but I don't know if it will be enough. George really has to get both of his units, LBs and Special teams, to improve this spring.
I should also note the George works Michigan pretty exclusively recruiting wise and was big, along with Matt Canada in IU landing Adam Follett this year, along with Cortez Smith from Detroit.
Safeties/Recruiting Coordinator Mike Yeager:
Mike is yet another of the long list of guys that followed Coach Hep from Miami of Ohio to IU. Mike is young, but in his young life he has really become known around the Big Ten as a solid Safety coach and recruiter. He's really had an impact in both areas for IU, and the coordinator is especially key in making sure every stone is turned over so to speak recruiting wise.
As far as safeties go, Mike really did well last season with Will Meyers and Troy Grosfield. They led IU in tackles last year and though they were not fast, they were really the heart and soul of the defense. Fast forward to this year, and Mike had to break in 2 new starters and tutor a WR to start at FS, and in my opinion, he did extremely well. Austin Thomas is a big time SS in the run game. He's limited in passing situations, but run wise, he's a monster. In fact, he's almost like another OLB out there. Polk is a star in the making and rarely made mistakes last year. He played way off the line, but once he got the play diagnosed, he would just fly to ball. Both safety positions I suspect, will be much more aggressive next season, and of course waiting to snatch any extra PT at SS is Mitchell Evans, who is built a lot like Thomas, but is much better in the pass game, but not quite as good in the run. While Thomas led IU in tackles this season (104), the safeties were much improved from the year before, and I expect them to be even better next season.
Director of Football Operations Harold Mauro:
Harold has been around IU for many years. He's the only person I know of that has been a part of all of IU's bowl games as either a player, assistant, or administrator. He was the starting Center on the 1967 Rose Bowl team and was an assistant for the 1979 Holiday Bowl and a Senior AD during Mallory's bowl games in the 90s. This season, he was in his 3rd year as director of fball operations and it's a perfect role for the guy.
As director of fball operations, Harold is responsible for most day-to-day aspects of the program, including travel and budget management. He is involved in every non-coaching aspect of the program. He's also a very neat guy to talk too and can tell you about the good times, as much as the down times this program has seen over the pas few decades.
One coach that IU doesn't have on either side of the ball per se is a quality control coach, though this season, the grad assistants handled that role. A Quality Control Coach is responsible for breaking down opponent's game film. Usually they are a week or two ahead of the team they are playing. They also can enter and analyze data and try to generate tendicies of opponets on what they like to do. Usually, young grad guys do this with hopes of moving on as a position coach, then to coordinator, and then of course to Head Coaching. Grad assistants can change every year, so it was nice to see former grad assistant Kyle Conner move on to coach the TEs and get a permenant gig at IU.
Bottom line is that IU's defense has to improve across the board for IU to move another step forward and get into bigger bowls and more wins.
God Bless!!
Also, I have talked with some very close to Trent Mossbrucker, the kicker from Mooresville, IN who has told several he wants to go to IU. He's back and forth as now Iowa's staff has been showing him much more love and telling him to "honor his committment" and he'll develop more as a person away from home, than right next door. Sounds to me like, he'll probably end up a Hawkeye in the end, but we'll see. If anything does happen, it won't be until signing day at the earliest.
Okay, now for the defensive coaches: At the beginning of the season, I made a post on Peegs that I thought that IU's offense was good enough to win 10 games, but it would be up to the defense to get us to a bowl game, and this season, the defense was good enough to allow the team to win 7 games. However, much improvement is needed for the team to go on to the next step.
While there were many rumors before the start of the season, IU stayed with the 4-3 scheme and went very vanilla in terms of mixing up formations. The coaches were very simplistic with their approach, the DTs would hold the line and the DEs would blitz. The LBs would pursue, and the DBs would play a deep zone, thus allowing underneath stuff, but nothing over the top and the safeties would also purse the ball. This scheme works well with fast players that are not afraid of contact, but for IU, I still don't think they have the type of players in certain positions to really make this defense work. Also, we saw the coaches go with experienced guys, instead of more athletic, greener players. I can completely understand those moves, because the coaches were really playing for their coaching lives.
DL/Co Defensive Coordinator Brian George:
Brian is another of the coaches that came with Coach Hep from Miami of Ohio. What I really like about Brian is that he was an OL coach at Miami before he was their DL coach. You can tell that IU's DL, especially this season, really understands what the opposing OL is trying to do, and that's a direct correlation to being taught the tricks of the trade and knowing some moves that will offset an OL guy. This season, IU's DL guys emerged from basically out of nowhere to record 35.5 sacks. Compare that to those same positions having only 10 the year before. Brian has always been known to have DLs that really generate pressure, and the increase of 25.5 sacks from one year to the next is just insane really.
Brian also oversees the running game defense for IU as Co-defensive coordinator. Last season, the IU defense gave up a 2089 rushing yards to opponets for an average of just under 175 yards a game. They also gave up 101 first downs running the ball. The defense as a whole gave up 394 points last season with a whopping 54 TDs and 7 FGs.
Now, this season, the defense gave up 2076 yars rushing to opponets for an average of just under 160 yards a game. Of course you have to add the fact that IU played an extra game this season, so don't be fooled by the stat that IU only gave up 13 yards less than last season. On the scoring front, IU gave up 370 points with 48 TDs and 13 FGs.
So there was improvement from one year to the next, but it has to get better in my opinion. I've always believed that you have to controll the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively first to win games. In recruiting, IU loaded up with the 7 blocks of limestone on the OL, but didn't really do a lot to the DL until this current class which has seen several verbals that will play DL. I think in another year or two, we'll begin to reap some reward here as far as getting the DL to control the line of scrimmage much, much more.
Cornerbacks/Co Defensive Coordinator Joe Palcic
Another of the assistants that followed Coach Hep over from Miami of Ohio. Joe serves as IU's CB coach as well as the passing defensive coordinator for IU. Joe was a LB at Miami and then became a grad. assistant, before becoming Hep's LB coach, then DB coach. His father, Bob, has been a long time college and NFL assistant for several teams, so Joe has been in and around football for a LONG time.
Last season, IU gave up 2739 yards passing in the 06/07 season with an average of 229 yards/game and 29 TDs in 12 games. This season, the passing defense gave up 3168 yards with an average of 244 yards/game and 21 TDs over 13 games.
Last season, IU gave up more TDs than FGs, but this year, the defense seemed to hold up more in the red zone and give up more FGs and less TDs. What the numbers also show is that IU improved a little bit in the front 7 from one year to the next, but not that much in the passing game. It's a little deceiving I think because teams were behind against IU more and thus had to pass, but with 2 kids that are expected to be NFL draft picks, I think the passing defense really needs to improve for this defense to take the next step.
A lot of people bag on the LBs, and the running game, but it really was the pass defense that didn't show the improvement, which is disappointing, because the DL was creating a ton of pressure and generated all those sacks. For the record, IU generated 42 sacks total, so one can deduct that the pass defense got a ton of help upfront, or it could have been much worse back there. There are a lot of reasons for this I think, but I think scheme wise, IU must be more physical in their CB play, but this season, they really didn't have the personell to do that. I do expect this to change with Phillips starting next season and Jones and Adkins are much more physical players as well, so Joe will have some green kids to work with, but they are players that will allow IU to be more aggressive. As for the safeties, I'll save that for their coach, but across the defensive backfield and our cover LBs, IU has to improve here and that should be a priority this spring and for fall practice.
I should also mention that IU's CBs were able to pick off 11 passes this season and break up 15 passes, which were both increases from the previous season (7 INTs and 14 breakups). However the stat that worries me is the break ups. It shows how non-aggressive the guys were. They played the receivers well and read the eyes of the QB and jumped routes to intercept, but they have to be more aggressive. I'd actually take less INTs and more break ups if it got our players more aggressive. Also, Phillips has shown over the last couple years to post a lot more big plays than Majors. Majors was a lot faster and had much more experience, but he's not even close to as aggressive as Phillips will be.
I should also note that Joe is our main point of contact in the Ohio area as far as recruiting goes. He was very responsible for IU getting into and landing some Cleveland Glennville guys, which is a very good thing.
Linebacker/Special Teams Co Coordianator George Ricumstrict:
Big George was another of the assistants to come from Miami of Ohio. George played at Central Michigan and coached there, as well as t Miami before coming to IU. George started out at CMU as a special teams coach and his teams became very good at blocking kicks as well as returning them for TDs. He immediately impacted IU's special teams in the latter category of kick return average and TDs last season, and got Marcus Thigpen preseason all american honors for several magazines. Though this season wasn't as successful, James Bailey did return a kickoff for a TD and Tracy Porter did very well in punt returns.
The linebackers were under a lot of fan criticism this season, especially the MLB position, and there were some issues in terms of the LBs getting engulfed by blocks and not using the speed to get to the play. When your defense is based on pursuit and gang tackling the ball, your LBs have to be aggressive and make plays. When IU won games, the LBs usually had pretty big games, but the losses, showed that the LBs had to get more bigger, yet faster to really be able to fly around.
IU prefers smaller, faster guys, which is fine, as long as you can get to the ball and tackle it. That will be another point of emphasis for this defense next season. As far as speed goes, IU has that, but they lack tackling technique as well as beating block techniques. Last season, IU's LBs had 247 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 INT. This season IU's LBs posted 349 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 2 INTs. I think this shows the improvement of run support that IU had, but the lack of consistancy in pass defense, especially in the middle of the field. IU's LBs are fast. Johnson runs a 4.5, McClurg is a high end 4.5 guy, and Patterson is a 4.6 guy. All are good in run support, but not so much in pass defense, thus you saw IU use the nickle a lot and use an extra DB, instead of LB. For IU to improve the pass defense, they must find OLBs that can defend the run, as well as the pass.
IU could essentially start 3 new LBs next season with Mayberry in the middle and Carrington and Replogle on the outside. I think IU will improve the passing end with the Justin and Tyler, but I don't know if it will be enough. George really has to get both of his units, LBs and Special teams, to improve this spring.
I should also note the George works Michigan pretty exclusively recruiting wise and was big, along with Matt Canada in IU landing Adam Follett this year, along with Cortez Smith from Detroit.
Safeties/Recruiting Coordinator Mike Yeager:
Mike is yet another of the long list of guys that followed Coach Hep from Miami of Ohio to IU. Mike is young, but in his young life he has really become known around the Big Ten as a solid Safety coach and recruiter. He's really had an impact in both areas for IU, and the coordinator is especially key in making sure every stone is turned over so to speak recruiting wise.
As far as safeties go, Mike really did well last season with Will Meyers and Troy Grosfield. They led IU in tackles last year and though they were not fast, they were really the heart and soul of the defense. Fast forward to this year, and Mike had to break in 2 new starters and tutor a WR to start at FS, and in my opinion, he did extremely well. Austin Thomas is a big time SS in the run game. He's limited in passing situations, but run wise, he's a monster. In fact, he's almost like another OLB out there. Polk is a star in the making and rarely made mistakes last year. He played way off the line, but once he got the play diagnosed, he would just fly to ball. Both safety positions I suspect, will be much more aggressive next season, and of course waiting to snatch any extra PT at SS is Mitchell Evans, who is built a lot like Thomas, but is much better in the pass game, but not quite as good in the run. While Thomas led IU in tackles this season (104), the safeties were much improved from the year before, and I expect them to be even better next season.
Director of Football Operations Harold Mauro:
Harold has been around IU for many years. He's the only person I know of that has been a part of all of IU's bowl games as either a player, assistant, or administrator. He was the starting Center on the 1967 Rose Bowl team and was an assistant for the 1979 Holiday Bowl and a Senior AD during Mallory's bowl games in the 90s. This season, he was in his 3rd year as director of fball operations and it's a perfect role for the guy.
As director of fball operations, Harold is responsible for most day-to-day aspects of the program, including travel and budget management. He is involved in every non-coaching aspect of the program. He's also a very neat guy to talk too and can tell you about the good times, as much as the down times this program has seen over the pas few decades.
One coach that IU doesn't have on either side of the ball per se is a quality control coach, though this season, the grad assistants handled that role. A Quality Control Coach is responsible for breaking down opponent's game film. Usually they are a week or two ahead of the team they are playing. They also can enter and analyze data and try to generate tendicies of opponets on what they like to do. Usually, young grad guys do this with hopes of moving on as a position coach, then to coordinator, and then of course to Head Coaching. Grad assistants can change every year, so it was nice to see former grad assistant Kyle Conner move on to coach the TEs and get a permenant gig at IU.
Bottom line is that IU's defense has to improve across the board for IU to move another step forward and get into bigger bowls and more wins.
God Bless!!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Offseason Part 1
Thought I would start the offseason by doing some overviews of the coaches and what we saw from them this year and what we can expect in the future, and also a breakdown of what the players did by position this year and what we can expect going into Spring ball. Add in the signing of a new recruiting class and of course who will still come for officials over the next couple of months, and this blog out to be pretty active this offseason. So I thought I would start with the head coach and the offensive coaches first.
First, Bill Lynch:
If you could use one phrase to describe Coach Lynch, mine would be: "Indiana born, Indiana bred, and Indiana until the day he dies". Coach Lynch has been in, and around football in the state of Indiana since he was a player at Chatard HS in Indianapolis in the early 70's. He has been the HC at Butler University, Ball State, DePauw, and now Indiana. He served as the Offensive Coordinator at Ball State, and as QB coach at IU under Bill Mallory. He has an overall HC record of 88 wins and 73 losses with 3 ties. He also was a football and basketball player at Butler University and he was inducted into the Butler Hall of Fame in 2000. He was a litte all american at QB while at Butler as well.
Because of his extensive background of coaching in the state of Indiana, it should be no surprise to anyone that he really has a strong foothold with many, many coaches and programs around the state. Even the President of the Indiana coaches association came out and said some very encouraging things about the association's feelings about Lynch becoming the head man at IU. This should only help cement IU as a contender from many of the top players that the state of Indiana produces, year in, year out.
Coach Lynch is a competitor, and he doesn't back down from anyone. He's certainly a player's/coach, though that should not be misinterpreted as someone that let's the players run the show. He's a lot like Coach Hep, in that he will be a father figure to you. He believes in family and he believes that the classroom should come first, because you are a student, then an athlete. He really tries to make the team just a big family, and I think we all saw that this season, as this team may very well be the closest knit team that I've ever heard of. Of course, all that is good, but in terms of x's and o's, what should we expect from Coach Lynch in the future.
One thing is clear, no one will outwork Bill Lynch. He's a tireless worker who will have his teams concentrate on the foundamentals and doing the little things that make teams successful. He will continue to run the spread at IU and it appears next season that the IU offense will run a lot of zone spread, which really utilizes the QB to make the decision of whether to run or pass, based on what the defense is presenting to you at the line of scrimmage. On defense, he prefers a 4-3 with heavy pursuit to the ball. He also has the DBs playing a deeper zone, which keeps you from being beat over the top. It has a similiar feel of the cover 2, but it's still an attacking/pressuring defense.
Overall, Coach Lynch is a solid HC that lets his assistant teach and coach, but will be very hands on with the players. He will insist on grades first, football second with a heavy emphasis on fundamentals and attacking offense and defense. IU fans should expect high scoring games, solid recruiting, and the continuance of bowl games for the IU program over the next several seasons. Coach Lynch is a solid choice to continue to build this program upward and outward.
Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Matt Canada:
Coach Canada is really an up and coming HC in the making. A former QB at Northern Illinois, he started his coaching career at Northern Illinois, where he spent 6 seasons as RB coach, QB coach, and OC. At IU, he's been QB coach and now has added OC to his responsibilities. Matt's offenses have really been known for 2 things, good QB play and lots of points. At Northern Illinois, his only season at OC saw them up reach the Top 12 in the National Polls as well as #10 in the BCS. Northern Illinois averaged 32 pts/game that season and the QBs enjoyed a rating of 140, which is extremely high. Once Coach Hep came to IU, he immediately tapped Matt to be his QB coach.
In 2004, he came to IU and Matt LoVecchio enjoyed an unbelievable season. IU went from 11th in the Big 10 in passing effeciency to 5th, and from 10th in scoring to 4th. Some of it had to do with a scheme change, but a lot of it was coaching as well. In 2005, IU QBs threw for a school record 24 TD passes. Things have continued to climb forward in 2006 and in 2007, Matt was named the OC at IU which put him in charge of calling plays. While 2007 had it's down moments, IU achieved more wins that it has had since 1993.
Matt is also a very good recruiter and has been working in and around the state of Florida for a couple of years, as well as being one of the main points of contact for any QB that IU is recruiting. Matt was intrumental in IU landing Adam Follet and he's the main guy in the continued recruitment of Ohrian Johnson from Gulfport, FL, and he was in attendance yesterday watching Darius Willis in the Under Armor All Star game. Already, he has IU in the mix for 2009 prospects Morgan Newton and Jordan Luallen.
Many believe that Matt could be the next HC at IU, but for now, he's a young, and up and coming offensive coach that continues to see his teams put up large numbers on offense and his QBs be efficient with the ball. This coming season will be KL's 3rd year under Matt and he's improved every season. Though KL had some fumbling and interception issues toward the end of the season, I believe he and Matt will get those issues worked out and KL will be a very dynamic player that will lead the team back to another bowl game next season.
Assistant HC/Running Back Coach/Special Teams Co-Coordinator Gerald Brown
The elder stateman of the assistant coaches, Gerald has become a very hot name for offensive coordinator positions at other BCS schools. Tennessee has tossed his name around this season, and as his RBs and players continue to blossom at IU, I think it's going to be harder and harder to keep him here. His brother, Kippy Brown, is the new OC for the Detroit Lions of the NFL.
Gerald Brown was the recruiting coordinator for the state of Texas up until last season, when he asked Coach Hep if he could switch over to Tennessee and the Northern part of Georiga. Since the switch, he was cemented IU into the minds of several top players in the state of Tennessee and especially the City of Memphis. This state produces a lot of underrated talent, and this season, IU landed one of the biggest sleepers that I've seen in sometime in Charles Love III from Memphis. I fully expect IU to continue to tap into the state of Tennessee because of Coach brown for years to come. Though I don't have a list, I've heard that IU is on some very highly ranked kids from that state, which is unusual for a non SEC school to get this involved with recruits.
At IU, RBs have averaged, well, until this season, 1,550 yards per season. This season, saw that change, and will be a point of emphasis for the coaches in the spring time. Darius Willis will help, but IU must improve it's OL play in the running game to get the RBs more time.
Offensive Line Coach/Running Game Coordinator Bobby Johnson
Bobby Johnson is quickly becoming on of the best OL coaches in the entire country. His summer camp has attracted huge names to IU over the past couple of years, and this season that camp was instrumental in IU landing as many OL prospects as they did. Coach Johnson came to IU with Coach Hep from Miami of Ohio and he's had several former players make it to the NFL.
This offseason may bring coach Johnson's biggest challenge yet, as he must replace 3 starters on the OL and figure out someway to bring the running game into a consistant attack for this offense. It still amazes me that IU could win the amount of games they did win and put up the offensive numbers that they did, without much of a running game. Like Coach Brown, Coach Johnson will be working a lot this off season with the running game. However, IU is very solid here with Coach Johnson and we should continue to see the new recruits and the 7 blocks of Limestone improve every year.
Wide Receivers Coach Billy Lynch Jr.
Younger Coach Lynch is another of the group of young assistants that IU has on its coaching roster. Another coach that came from Miami of Ohio, he is also a tireless recruiter that is responsible for luring almost 1/2 of last year's class and many from this year's verbals as well. Lynch jr. concentrates in the Midwest and in the state of Indiana. He was present yesterday, along with coach Yeager at the Junior Combine at the Army All Star game, and already has IU in the running for several kids in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois for 2009. Last season, IU's receivers totaled over 2,600 receiving yards and that was good for 4th in school history. This season, again, the WRs posted 2600 receiving yards and this year, Billy has tutored James Hardy into a probable first round draft choice.
While the off season will bring in a new crop of WRs and a huge challenge to find replacements for Hardy, and probably Andrew Means, IU has a strong, young group of WR that are not only talented but bring a lot of athleticism to the table. Coach Lynch Jr. will have a lot to work with this spring and fall, and it will be fun to watch all of these kids develop.
Tight Ends Coach Kyle Conner
Yes, IU does have a TE coach and they do have TEs on the roster. This season, the TEs actually caught 5 passes and they were mainly used as blockers on the right side of the Offensive Line. Kyle was at IU in 2006 as the Offensive Quality Control coach, but move to TE coach for this season. He was instrumental in developing Blake Powers from QB to TE during the offseason and Spring. In fact, Blake remarked that Kyle was great in teaching him what he needed to know so quickly. However, Blake and the staff felt it best that he return to QB after the season started to get more experience behind Lewis.
This offseason he's been responsible for the development of Max Dedmond. With only 3 scholarship TEs on the roster, it appears that IU only views the TE as a position of necessity, not necessarily a position of need. I also expect Dedmond to come in and lead block at times at Full Back. Kyle hasn't really recruited all the much until this season. Kyle is another of the deep group of young assistants that IU has, and will only continue to get better with time.
Well, next time, I'll talk about the Defensive Coaches, as well as the Harold Mauro, the Director of FBall Operations at IU.
God Bless!
First, Bill Lynch:
If you could use one phrase to describe Coach Lynch, mine would be: "Indiana born, Indiana bred, and Indiana until the day he dies". Coach Lynch has been in, and around football in the state of Indiana since he was a player at Chatard HS in Indianapolis in the early 70's. He has been the HC at Butler University, Ball State, DePauw, and now Indiana. He served as the Offensive Coordinator at Ball State, and as QB coach at IU under Bill Mallory. He has an overall HC record of 88 wins and 73 losses with 3 ties. He also was a football and basketball player at Butler University and he was inducted into the Butler Hall of Fame in 2000. He was a litte all american at QB while at Butler as well.
Because of his extensive background of coaching in the state of Indiana, it should be no surprise to anyone that he really has a strong foothold with many, many coaches and programs around the state. Even the President of the Indiana coaches association came out and said some very encouraging things about the association's feelings about Lynch becoming the head man at IU. This should only help cement IU as a contender from many of the top players that the state of Indiana produces, year in, year out.
Coach Lynch is a competitor, and he doesn't back down from anyone. He's certainly a player's/coach, though that should not be misinterpreted as someone that let's the players run the show. He's a lot like Coach Hep, in that he will be a father figure to you. He believes in family and he believes that the classroom should come first, because you are a student, then an athlete. He really tries to make the team just a big family, and I think we all saw that this season, as this team may very well be the closest knit team that I've ever heard of. Of course, all that is good, but in terms of x's and o's, what should we expect from Coach Lynch in the future.
One thing is clear, no one will outwork Bill Lynch. He's a tireless worker who will have his teams concentrate on the foundamentals and doing the little things that make teams successful. He will continue to run the spread at IU and it appears next season that the IU offense will run a lot of zone spread, which really utilizes the QB to make the decision of whether to run or pass, based on what the defense is presenting to you at the line of scrimmage. On defense, he prefers a 4-3 with heavy pursuit to the ball. He also has the DBs playing a deeper zone, which keeps you from being beat over the top. It has a similiar feel of the cover 2, but it's still an attacking/pressuring defense.
Overall, Coach Lynch is a solid HC that lets his assistant teach and coach, but will be very hands on with the players. He will insist on grades first, football second with a heavy emphasis on fundamentals and attacking offense and defense. IU fans should expect high scoring games, solid recruiting, and the continuance of bowl games for the IU program over the next several seasons. Coach Lynch is a solid choice to continue to build this program upward and outward.
Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Matt Canada:
Coach Canada is really an up and coming HC in the making. A former QB at Northern Illinois, he started his coaching career at Northern Illinois, where he spent 6 seasons as RB coach, QB coach, and OC. At IU, he's been QB coach and now has added OC to his responsibilities. Matt's offenses have really been known for 2 things, good QB play and lots of points. At Northern Illinois, his only season at OC saw them up reach the Top 12 in the National Polls as well as #10 in the BCS. Northern Illinois averaged 32 pts/game that season and the QBs enjoyed a rating of 140, which is extremely high. Once Coach Hep came to IU, he immediately tapped Matt to be his QB coach.
In 2004, he came to IU and Matt LoVecchio enjoyed an unbelievable season. IU went from 11th in the Big 10 in passing effeciency to 5th, and from 10th in scoring to 4th. Some of it had to do with a scheme change, but a lot of it was coaching as well. In 2005, IU QBs threw for a school record 24 TD passes. Things have continued to climb forward in 2006 and in 2007, Matt was named the OC at IU which put him in charge of calling plays. While 2007 had it's down moments, IU achieved more wins that it has had since 1993.
Matt is also a very good recruiter and has been working in and around the state of Florida for a couple of years, as well as being one of the main points of contact for any QB that IU is recruiting. Matt was intrumental in IU landing Adam Follet and he's the main guy in the continued recruitment of Ohrian Johnson from Gulfport, FL, and he was in attendance yesterday watching Darius Willis in the Under Armor All Star game. Already, he has IU in the mix for 2009 prospects Morgan Newton and Jordan Luallen.
Many believe that Matt could be the next HC at IU, but for now, he's a young, and up and coming offensive coach that continues to see his teams put up large numbers on offense and his QBs be efficient with the ball. This coming season will be KL's 3rd year under Matt and he's improved every season. Though KL had some fumbling and interception issues toward the end of the season, I believe he and Matt will get those issues worked out and KL will be a very dynamic player that will lead the team back to another bowl game next season.
Assistant HC/Running Back Coach/Special Teams Co-Coordinator Gerald Brown
The elder stateman of the assistant coaches, Gerald has become a very hot name for offensive coordinator positions at other BCS schools. Tennessee has tossed his name around this season, and as his RBs and players continue to blossom at IU, I think it's going to be harder and harder to keep him here. His brother, Kippy Brown, is the new OC for the Detroit Lions of the NFL.
Gerald Brown was the recruiting coordinator for the state of Texas up until last season, when he asked Coach Hep if he could switch over to Tennessee and the Northern part of Georiga. Since the switch, he was cemented IU into the minds of several top players in the state of Tennessee and especially the City of Memphis. This state produces a lot of underrated talent, and this season, IU landed one of the biggest sleepers that I've seen in sometime in Charles Love III from Memphis. I fully expect IU to continue to tap into the state of Tennessee because of Coach brown for years to come. Though I don't have a list, I've heard that IU is on some very highly ranked kids from that state, which is unusual for a non SEC school to get this involved with recruits.
At IU, RBs have averaged, well, until this season, 1,550 yards per season. This season, saw that change, and will be a point of emphasis for the coaches in the spring time. Darius Willis will help, but IU must improve it's OL play in the running game to get the RBs more time.
Offensive Line Coach/Running Game Coordinator Bobby Johnson
Bobby Johnson is quickly becoming on of the best OL coaches in the entire country. His summer camp has attracted huge names to IU over the past couple of years, and this season that camp was instrumental in IU landing as many OL prospects as they did. Coach Johnson came to IU with Coach Hep from Miami of Ohio and he's had several former players make it to the NFL.
This offseason may bring coach Johnson's biggest challenge yet, as he must replace 3 starters on the OL and figure out someway to bring the running game into a consistant attack for this offense. It still amazes me that IU could win the amount of games they did win and put up the offensive numbers that they did, without much of a running game. Like Coach Brown, Coach Johnson will be working a lot this off season with the running game. However, IU is very solid here with Coach Johnson and we should continue to see the new recruits and the 7 blocks of Limestone improve every year.
Wide Receivers Coach Billy Lynch Jr.
Younger Coach Lynch is another of the group of young assistants that IU has on its coaching roster. Another coach that came from Miami of Ohio, he is also a tireless recruiter that is responsible for luring almost 1/2 of last year's class and many from this year's verbals as well. Lynch jr. concentrates in the Midwest and in the state of Indiana. He was present yesterday, along with coach Yeager at the Junior Combine at the Army All Star game, and already has IU in the running for several kids in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois for 2009. Last season, IU's receivers totaled over 2,600 receiving yards and that was good for 4th in school history. This season, again, the WRs posted 2600 receiving yards and this year, Billy has tutored James Hardy into a probable first round draft choice.
While the off season will bring in a new crop of WRs and a huge challenge to find replacements for Hardy, and probably Andrew Means, IU has a strong, young group of WR that are not only talented but bring a lot of athleticism to the table. Coach Lynch Jr. will have a lot to work with this spring and fall, and it will be fun to watch all of these kids develop.
Tight Ends Coach Kyle Conner
Yes, IU does have a TE coach and they do have TEs on the roster. This season, the TEs actually caught 5 passes and they were mainly used as blockers on the right side of the Offensive Line. Kyle was at IU in 2006 as the Offensive Quality Control coach, but move to TE coach for this season. He was instrumental in developing Blake Powers from QB to TE during the offseason and Spring. In fact, Blake remarked that Kyle was great in teaching him what he needed to know so quickly. However, Blake and the staff felt it best that he return to QB after the season started to get more experience behind Lewis.
This offseason he's been responsible for the development of Max Dedmond. With only 3 scholarship TEs on the roster, it appears that IU only views the TE as a position of necessity, not necessarily a position of need. I also expect Dedmond to come in and lead block at times at Full Back. Kyle hasn't really recruited all the much until this season. Kyle is another of the deep group of young assistants that IU has, and will only continue to get better with time.
Well, next time, I'll talk about the Defensive Coaches, as well as the Harold Mauro, the Director of FBall Operations at IU.
God Bless!
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