Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 43 Days (Dameon Willis Jr.)

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Written By Nathan Comp

Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 43 Days (Dameon Willis Jr)

 The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff is over halfway complete. One day over six weeks remains until the Hoosiers kickoff the 2018 season on the road against Florida International University. Today we will highlight a late addition to the 2018 roster, #43 Dameon Willis Jr.

Dameon Willis Jr (Redshirt Senior)

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 230 Pounds

Hometown: Cleveland, OH

Position: Linebacker

Looking forward at the end of last season, the linebacker position was a question mark for Indiana. As spring practices came and went, the position remained in doubt. But on May 30 this summer, the water got a little less murky as it became clearer who could replace the likes of Tegray Scales and Chris Covington. Despite going through senior ceremonies at Indiana’s final home game in 2017 and not participating in spring practices, Coach Allen announced at the annual Huber’s Winery event that redshirt senior linebacker Dameon Willis Jr had opted not to forego his final year of eligibility. Instead, Willis will return this season to bolster a linebacker group that was in desperate need for veteran leadership.

The impact of Willis’ return cannot be understated. Since Allen took the reins of the Hoosier defense in 2016, the unit has substantially improved. Many would attribute this not only to Allen, but also the now-graduated leaders of the defense, Tegray Scales and Chris Covington. Willis’ return should allow for much less of a drop off between the NFL-bound duo and the unproven youth that remained on Indiana’s roster.

Willis brings 35 games of experience, 65 career tackles, and a forced fumble to the table – more experience, by a large margin, than any other linebacker. His large frame, which he hopes gets larger through strength and conditioning training this summer, will prove especially valuable against the bigger teams of the Big Ten East. His two starts last season came against the bigger Michigan and Michigan State squads, in which he logged a career high seven tackles against the Spartans. Outside of the box score, he should serve a leadership role both on and off the field to the younger players, especially incoming freshmen Cam Jones and James Miller.