Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 54 Days (Ja'Merez Bowen and Coy Cronk)

Written by Nathan Comp

54 Days (Ja’merez Bowen and Coy Cronk)

The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff has begun. 54 days remain until the Hoosiers kickoff the 2018 season on the road against Florida International University. Today we will highlight the two Hoosiers who wear number 54, Ja’merez Bowen and Coy Cronk.

Ja’merez Bowen (Redshirt Senior)

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 316 Pounds

Hometown: Cleveland, OH

Position: Defensive Tackle

Ja’merez Bowen transferred into the Indiana program after redshirting the 2014 season at the University of Cincinnati. After sitting out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Bowen first saw action on the field in his third season of college football. Although he was recruited as an offensive lineman, Bowen switched sides of the ball when he realized that Indiana was short on defensive lineman and much deeper on offense. The move paid off, as in the past two seasons he has appeared in 15 games and recorded 12 tackles.

Along with numerous other Hoosier defensive linemen, this will be Bowen’s final season playing college football. Bowen will hope to improve upon his past two season’s statistics and has already been praised by Coach Allen for his work in the weight room this offseason. Bowen is one who has benefitted from the hiring of strength coach David Ballou and his emphasis on transferrable skills from the weight room to the field. “Ja'merez Bowen is another one, when you look at his numbers in the weight room that are transferring out onto the field. I was talking with Coach Ballou about him this morning. His power numbers are way up,” Allen said this spring.

Coy Cronk (Junior)

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 302 Pounds

Hometown: Lafayette, IN

Position: Offensive Tackle

Death, taxes, and Coy Cronk at left tackle. Coy Cronk has been a certainty on the Indiana offensive line for the past two seasons, tallying all 25 starts at left tackle since he arrived on campus. Cronk came to Indiana out of Purdue-country at Lafayette Central Catholic High School. Cronk was a four-star recruit, won multiple state championships, and was an All-State selection in Indiana during his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.

Since coming to college, the awards have not slowed for Cronk. During his freshman season, he earned 247 Sports True Freshman All-American honors along with ESPN.com and BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman accolades. He has been a monster protecting the blindside of quarterbacks Richard Lagow and Peyton Ramsey the past two seasons and continues to improve in both his pass and rush blocking abilities. As long as he can remain available, which has been his greatest asset and should only improve with the strength and injury prevention training from Coach Ballou, Cronk will continue to be a reliable anchor for offensive line coach Darren Hiller.