Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 81 Days (Ty Fryfogle)

Written By Alex Compton (@alexncompton)

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: #81- TY FRYFOGLE

Height: 6’2’’
Weight: 205 pounds
Hometown: Lucedale, Mississippi
Year: Sophomore
Position: Wide Receiver

Indiana is going to need depth at receiver this year if the passing attack is going to take steps forward like it needs to in 2018. Nick Westbrook, Luke Timian, Donavan Hale, and Whop Philyor will be back and should shoulder much of the load production-wise. Beyond those three guys, the competition for snaps is really wide open. Jacolby Hewitt, who we profiled yesterday, enrolled early as a freshman and could see the field early, as well as fellow freshman Miles Marshall, who stands at 6’4”. Walk-ons will factor into the equation as well, so a guy like Fryfogle really has the chance to step up and seize this opportunity for a large amount of playing time. He played in eight games last year for IU, only catching one pass for 13 yards, but was a valuable special teams player as well. 

Fryfogle has good size to play on the outside in Mike DeBord’s offense, and it should be an offense that relies more on the deep ball this year than it did in 2017. If Brandon Dawkins wins the starting QB job, you will definitely need some larger guys playing on the outside, because Dawkins has shown the ability and willingness to stretch the ball deep down the field vertically. Wide ceceivers coach Grant Heard said Fryfogle could just go up and get balls coming out of high school, and guys like that are nice to have in the redzone and on third and long situations. With Simmie Cobbs off to the NFL, the Hoosiers are going to need a few guys that can just win battles on the outside and make big plays. If Fryfogle can get stronger and win some of those battles in camp, you could see his number 81 called early on in the season with some deep routes.