2022 Hoosier Storylines Heading into the First Practice of Fall Camp

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosier football team reported to fall camp in Bloomington on Sunday evening. This marks the official star of the 2022 football season. After going 2-10 (0-9) in 2021, IU is looking to rebound and prove that last year was just a blip on the radar. While the buzz surrounding the Hoosiers is subdued this year, there are plenty of story lines to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks. Here are the storylines we’ll be watching during fall camp.

1. Have the Hoosiers Learned the Lesson from 2021?

The recently completed Big Ten Media Days revealed more than anyone thought about what happened after the Hoosiers’ 2-10 season. While former IU linebacker Micah McFadden hinted at issues with preseason preparation in 2021, Tom Allen confirmed that there were issues that were addressed soon after the season ended.

Quarterback Jack Tuttle and linebacker Cam Jones came to head coach Tom Allen with a presentation.

“Cam and Jack came to me,” Tom Allen said of the meeting at Big Ten Media Days. “They had a PowerPoint presentation put together. We adjusted it a little bit but that was very powerful. You ask what we’ve been focused on during the spring, there’s qualities that I think make a great football team: the first one is they communicate, the second one is they are player-led. I was fired up, I knew right there that things were going to be different.”

While this may not be super evident in the first practice or two, the signs will be obvious if the accountability is there.

2. Quarterback Battle

On the field there will be plenty of position battles, but none bigger than who will be under center on opening night against Illinois. The battle is between two players Jack Tuttle and Connor Bazelak.

Tuttle has played in 14 games with the Hoosiers, including four starts. He has completed 56-percent of his passes and has thrown for 819 yards and four touchdowns for IU. It is Tuttle’s fourth year in the program and he has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates, that was obvious when he walked into Allen’s offense after last season. Tuttle has been injured often at IU. He played through a separated throwing should in the Outback Bowl in 2020, but was limited to just seven games in 2021 with various foot injuries.

Bazelak was the 2020 SEC Freshman of the Year after completing 67.3-percent of his passes for 2,366 yards and seven touchdowns. As a sophomore, Bazelak threw for 2,548 yards while completing 65.3-percent of his passes. He did throw 17 interceptions in two seasons compared to his 23 touchdowns. Allen and offensive coordinator Walt Bell will not tolerate turnovers.

3. Getting Back to the Defense’s DNA

Tackling, takeaways and effort. That’s the three words Tom Allen used to describe his defensive philosophy when he was hired in 2016 as defensive coordinator. In 2021, the Hoosiers defense crumbled in the second half of the season. They did not get the takeaways early in the year and the tackling and effort dipped late in the year.

The Hoosiers ranked 124th nationally with nine takeaways, that’s just not good enough. The thought is with Allen back calling the defense and a healthy secondary, IU should be closer to their 2020 totals

4. Will the Offensive Line be Functional?

This is the question that has been on everyone’s mind for the last 365 days. Can the offensive line improve from a dreadful 2021? There is reason for optimism here, even if people believe Darren Hiller is the sole problem. It’s a position that IU has actually recruited pretty well recently and those recruits have been in the program for a few years now. Fresh faces could mean different results.

As far as Hiller goes, the time to question why he is back is over. Offensive coordinator was very involved during spring practice with the offensive line. On top of that, Bell should know how to scheme an offense that covers up an underperforming line.

5. What will Walt Bell’s Offense Look Like?

Speaking of Walt Bell, what the offense will look like at IU is a mystery. Based on his past stops, one should look for an uptempo, balanced attack that will utilize the personnel that’s available. He has a history of making the tight end position one of the most used targets in the pass game, which is great because IU has a good one in AJ Barner.

6. How Many Transfers can Make Big Impacts?

The success or failure of the IU season may hinge on the impact that many players from the transfer portal have. IU rebuilt their running backs room with Auburn transfer Shaun Shivers and UNC transfer Josh Henderson, and IU is hoping Shivers will be there feature running back.

At wide receiver the Hoosiers bring in Emery Simmons from UNC and Cam Camper from the JUCO ranks. Camper had a fantastic spring and looks to be a starter, while Simmons had some big performances with the Tar Heels. If both live up to expectations, than that group goes from a question mark, to a strength.

The defense also received some reinforcements from the portal. Defensive linemen JH Tevis (Cal), Patrick Lucas (Ole Miss) and LeDarrius Cox (Ole Miss) add beef and production on the line. Tevis was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 player at California last season. Outside linebacker Myles Jackson (UCLA) should help the bull position and linebackers Bradley Jennings Jr. (Miami FL) and Jared Casey (Kentucky) replenish the depth at those positions.

While the secondary is deep there were some depth pieces brought in. During fall camp last year Jonathan Haynes (Ole Miss) came in, but was injured and rarely played at safety. He should be a factor this season. Brylan Lanier (Alabama) is a wild card. He did not play in a game for the Crimson Tide, but was impressive enough that former IU strength coach David Ballou recommended IU take a look at him. JUCO product Louis Moore also adds good ball skills and athleticism to the safety room.

There are many moving pieces here and they may not all work out. But if they do, IU’s rebound will be much quicker and higher.

The Hoosiers open up fall practice on Tuesday, August 2nd. Media is allowed to attend several practices this fall, so stay tuned to HoosierHuddle.com and follow @Hoosier_Huddle on Twitter as well as subscribe to our YouTube Channel.