2023 Position Preview: Can the Offensive Line be Better Under Bostad?

Image: Indiana Athletics

Written by: Ethan Roberts (@usaEthanRoberts)

The offensive line unit possesses the most important task in football. They are responsible for protecting the quarterback in the passing game and setting up holes for the running back to run through on rushing plays. The Hoosiers offensive line struggled in 2022. They managed to record 1,330 rushing yards as well as 2,609 passing yards, which doesn’t compete in the Big Ten. Their line gave up 38 sacks and had a net loss of 294 yards. Both of those ranking bottom two in the Big Ten. Last December the Hoosiers hired long-time Wisconsin assistant Bob Bostad as their new offensive line coach and made a handful of changes to their line for the 2023 campaign.

The Projected Starters

Left Tackle Carter Smith – Redshirt Freshman

Smith is a former four-star prospect that was ranked in the top twenty at his position nationally according to 247Sports. He appeared in two games last season as a freshman and won two scout team players of the week awards for the Hoosiers against Michigan and Penn State. The Hoosiers have high hopes for the class of 2022 athlete, as he is projected to start at the most important position on the offensive line. He is currently listed at 6’5” and is 305 pounds.

Left Guard Mike Katic – Redshirt Senior

Katic has had a long and bumpy road in his collegiate career. He redshirted his freshman year in 2019 and won scout team player of the week twice against Michigan State and Penn State. In 2020 he got his first chance to start at left guard, starting in four games and appearing in six. He played a prominent role in the COVID season where the Hoosiers went on the magical run that included their first win against Michigan since the 1980’s. He won IU’s offensive newcomer of the year. In 2021 he faced an injury that kept him out for three games but started the rest of the season.

Last season he started all twelve games and moved to the center spot in October. While showing bright moments last season, the entire offensive line was to blame for their poor performance. Katic now stands at 6’4” and is 315 pounds. He is projected to be moved back to left guard for his final season of eligibility.

Center- Zach Carpenter – Redshirt Senior/ Transfer from Michigan

Carpenter was a dominant high school football player that committed to Michigan in 2019. He didn’t get the playing time he was looking for at Michigan despite earning offensive scout team player of the week against Notre Dame and transferred to the Hoosiers prior following the conclusion to the 2020 season.

In 2021 he started at right guard in three games after making his debut against Idaho. He battled an injury early in the 2022 season, but managed to start in ten of the twelve games. Carpenter is listed at 6’5” and weighs 305. Coach Bostad will hope to utilize Carpenter’s experience to solidify the offensive line. He’s projected to start at center in 2023 for the Hoosiers.

Right Guard Kahlil Benson – Redshirt Junior

Benson suffered an ACL injury in fall camp of 2020 and was forced to redshirt that season. He also didn’t see any action in 2021. However, in 2022, he debuted for the Hoosiers and tallied five starts, also appearing in all twelve games. He rotated with Tim Weaver at right guard during the season and helped Jaylin Lucas rush for his first 100 plus yard game. Benson is listed at a monstrous 6’6” and 325 pounds. He is an absolute mauler in the run game and will look to improve his pass blocking, along with the rest of the unit prior to the 2023 season. He is projected to start at right guard this year for the Hoosiers.

Right Tackle Matthew Bedford – Redshirt Senior

Bedford is the most decorated player on the offensive line for the Hoosiers. In his freshman season he started in eight games at left tackle and won IU’s newcomer of the year award. He moved over to right tackle during the COVID season where the offensive line led the Big Ten in fewest allowed sacks per game. In 2021 he started in three different positions on the line. He was an honorable mention that season for the All-Big Ten team. Last season Bedford only appeared in one game, missing the rest of the season with a knee injury. He will hope to bounce back and return to All-Conference form in 2023. He is currently listed at 6’6” and weighs 305. He is projected to start at right tackle for the 2023 season.

Next Men Up

Joshua Sales Jr. – OT – Redshirt Sophomore

Sales is a former three-star prospect out of Brownsburg, Indiana that was ranked as the 5th overall player in the state of Indiana. He is an absolute mauler in the run game that is currently developing behind a stud in Matthew Bedford. Sales will hope to start at right tackle in 2024 and even play a prominent role in 2022 as a swing tackle in case of injuries from the starting tackles.

Noah Bolticoff – OG – Redshirt Sophomore/Transfer from TCU

Bolticoff is a former three-star prospect out of Rose Hill, Kansas. He transferred to the Hoosiers in the spring and can play multiple positions on the line. He is an agile lineman that can get to the second level which should bolster the Hoosiers’ run game significantly compared to last season. He has a chance to start for the Hoosiers at guard but will likely sit behind to upperclassmen to learn and develop and will be prepared to start in 2024.

Will Larkins – C – Freshman

Larkins is a true freshman that is a former three-star recruit out of Hollywood, Florida. He is listed at 6’4” and weighs around 300 pounds. Larkins enrolled at IU in January and will sit behind Zach Carpenter to start the 2023 season.

Max Longman – OG – Redshirt Senior/Transfer from UMass

Longman appeared in 25 games for UMass before transferring to the Hoosiers following the end of the 2022 season. He adds a notable amount of experience and will try to translate his skills to the power five schedule. He is listed at 6’4” and weighs 315 pounds. He is projected to sit behind Kahlil Benson.

Bray Lynch – OT – Redshirt Freshman

Lynch recorded four appearances and maintained redshirt eligibility last season. He is a former three-star out of Austin, Texas. Lynch, a track and field athlete in high school, hopes to develop this year behind Matthew Bedford. He is listed at 6’5” and weighs just short of 300 pounds.

Depth Pieces

Max Williams – OT – Redshirt Freshman

Williams is a former two-star prospect out of Lebanon, Indiana. He has a long way to go in terms of development but will hope to use camp and practice to learn behind the upperclassmen and more developed athletes of his position. If he doesn’t win a starting job in the spring of 2024 there is a chance that he transfers to a school that can offer him a chance at sufficient playing time.

Vinny Fiacable – OG – Redshirt Sophomore

Fiacable, listed at 6’4” 305, is a former three-star prospect from Indiana. He appeared in a few games last season but hasn’t seen the field apart from those games. He has the ability to play multiple positions and if needed can play guard to the level of a power five lineman with his size and agility. He will likely transfer following the end of the 2023 season if there aren’t signs of him getting the starting role in 2024.

Jack Greer – C – Redshirt Freshman

Greer is a former two-star prospect out of Fishers, Indiana. He is listed at 6’3” and weighs 305 pounds. He has a lot of room to go in development and will hope to learn behind Zach Carpenter and compete with Will Larkins for the starting job for their class. If the Hoosiers decide to go with Will Larkins from 2024 and onwards, there is the assumption that Greer would try to move over to guard or transfer to another school that can offer him adequate playing time.

DJ Moore – OG – Redshirt Freshman

Moore is a former three-star prospect from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is listed at 6’5” and weighs 312 pounds. He is projected to crack into the Hoosiers starting lineup in his career. He is a front seven wrecker in the run game and plays to dominate his opponent. He is currently listed as a third string guard but will likely jump into the backup role by the end of the season. The expectation for Moore is to start in 2024 or 2025.

Cooper Jones – OT – Redshirt Sophomore

Jones appeared in seven games for the Hoosiers in 2022 and is now projected to be a depth piece for the 2023 season. He is listed at 6’6” and weighs 310 pounds. The hope for Jones is that he sees the field in 2023 and competes for the starting right tackle role for the 2024 season. If he doesn’t get adequate playing time, he may be one of three potential targets for the transfer portal in this group.

Tyler ‘Bubba’ Jefferies- Freshman

Jefferies is another true freshman with high upside. In a perfect world he gets a year to develop under offensive line coach Bob Bostad. He was not in for spring practice, so this is his first taste of college football. It is extremely difficult for true freshmen to have a impact on the offensive, but Jefferies could be a huge factor down to road.

Final Assessment

The entire 2023 performance from the offensive line will be determined by newly hired offensive line coach Bob Bostad. The former Wisconsin assistant has high expectations within the building and believes he can turn a lackluster 2022 position group into a competent power five squad. The new induction of transfers Longman, Bolticoff and Carpenter can help negate some of the average recruiting done by the previous coach. It’s too early into camp to tell what to expect from this position group, but it wouldn’t be wise to count out Bostad, as Wisconsin is notoriously elite at recruiting and developing offensive linemen. There is an avenue where IU turns their worst offensive line in the Big Ten to an average line in just one offseason.