Countdown to 2019 IUFB Kickoff: 59 Days (Gavin McCabe)

Written by T.J. Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

2019 Countdown - #59

Name – Gavin McCabe

Position – Defensive Lineman (Redshirt Freshman)

Hometown – Oak Lawn, Illinois (Marist High School)

Height – 6’4”

Weight – 280 pounds

The 2019 Hoosier Huddle Countdown has chugged along into the 50s. Just 59 days from now, the Indiana Hoosiers will battle the Ball State Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium to kick-off the 2019 season and their quest to return to a bowl game. Today’s countdown feature focuses on a redshirt freshman that plays a position of need for Indiana, defensive lineman Gavin McCabe.

Illinois has not been an area that Tom Allen and his staff had hit hard in their first recruiting class but the 2018 class was a different story. The Hoosiers brought in four players from the Land of Lincoln: Matt Bjorson, Nick Marozas, TJ Ivy and Ivy’s Marist High School teammate, Gavin McCabe. A 6’4” defensive lineman that dominated as a senior for Marist, earning first team all-state and was named the East Suburban Catholic Conference Defensive Most Valuable Player. He was a team captain and finished his career with 136 tackles and 14 sacks. McCabe had offers from Arkansas, Purdue, Illinois and Iowa State but he chose to head to Bloomington to be a Hoosier.

“Honestly, it came down to my chance to play in the Big Ten for a great school and program at Indiana,” McCabe said after signing with Indiana. “It was really hard to sort out all of my options and offers but I had a lot of help and good advice along the way from my parents and coaches.”

McCabe is up to 280 pounds after redshirting the 2018 season. He was named a two-time scout team player of the week and is a player that could help IU at a position of need. While Indiana has a number of defensive ends (Allen Stallings, James Head, Tramar Reece, Madison Norris, Alfred Bryant, Michael Ziemba and Gavin Everett to name a few) that should provide adequate depth at that position, the Hoosiers will need some depth players to step up and help on the interior. Incoming freshman like Sio Nofoagototo’a, Antonie Whitner and C.J. Person (expected to redshirt) and JUCO transfer Demarcus Elliott will help and McCabe joins fellow redshirt freshman Shamar Jones as the most likely candidates to provide quality snaps after Juan Harris and Jerome Johnson. Depth in the trenches is absolutely critical so the Hoosiers need all hands on deck along the defensive line.

  HUTCH’S TRIVIA QUESTION

In honor of the late Terry Hutchens, we are including a daily IUFB trivia question from his book So You Think You Know Indiana University Football. Hutch is dearly missed and this is our way of keeping his memory with us this season. Please leave your answers in the comments section.

What is the number of coaches in Indiana football history who have earned Big Ten Coach of the Year Honors?

Yesterday’s Answer: Bill Lynch

 (check back tomorrow for the answer)

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown continues each day so check back daily!