Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 97 Days (Tramar Reece and Dan Godsil)

Written By Lauralys Shallow

Countdown to Kickoff: #97- Tramar Reece and Dan Godsil

Tramar Reece

Height: 6’4’”

Weight: 240 pounds

Hometown: Clearwater, FL (Clearwater High School)

Class/Position: Redshirt Freshman/Defensive End

Tramar Reece was a multi-sport athlete in high school, lettering in football all four years and in basketball for three years. Reece was a tremendous athlete coming out of high school, and he’s going to be even faster and stronger after redshirting the 2017 campaign. 

In his senior year, Reece was also making plays on special teams–blocking a field goal and a punt. Reece’s height and speed gave him the ability to make those blocks, and his size and speed should allow him to come off the edge and disrupt the opposing quarterbacks in the fall. Reece had 47 tackles, 13 for loss, 10 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his senior year. He was ranked the No. 76 defensive end in the nation by ESPN.

Reece probably won't crack the starting four, but should be able to be a contributor in the rotation. Reece has speed and he could be a lethal pass rusher for IU as he continues to develop during his collegiate career. Reece is competing with Lance Bryant who also redshirted last season, and he also has great speed. True freshman James Head was a January enrollee and IU sees promise in him. Head has been learning the defense, and he plays hard. There’s also Brandon Wilson, Allen Stallings and Michael Ziemba. I expect Reece to get in the rotation, and it will be exciting to see how he does in his first season eligible to play for the Cream and Crimson.

Dan Godsil

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 219

Hometown: Ottawa, OH (Ottawa-Glandorf High School)

Class/Position: Senior/Long Snapper

While the long snapping position is often overlooked, long snappers play a crucial role in having a successful field goal and punting unit. Being able to hit field goals and pinning opponents back on punts starts with the long snapper in each one of those situations. Entering his fourth season at IU, Dan Godsil brings a ton of experience and talent to the long snapping position.

Godsil has been the long snapper in all 38 games since he arrived at IU in 2015.

In his freshman year, Godsil was the long snapper for punts and made seven tackles, five of them solo. Godsil was first team-all conference selection at linebacker in high school, and he’s not afraid to deliver a hit. Prior to the 2016 season, Godsil received a scholarship for the 2016 season in preseason camp. In his sophomore season, Godsil was the long and short snapper in all 13 games. Godsil earned a scholarship for the 2017 season and played all 12 games as IU’s long and short snapper. Godsil snapped to Big Ten Bakken-Anderson Kicker of the Year Griffin Oakes. Oakes was 16-of-17 in field goals and 38-of 39 extra points.

Godsil is a lock to be the long snapper in 2018 and has earned Phil Steele All-American honors in previous seasons. Godsil’s back up could be redshirt sophomore Jacob Limbach. Limbach transferred from the University of Indianapolis after seeing no game action his freshman year, and he redshirted the 2017 season.