Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 30 Days (Chase Dutra)

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

#30

We are now just 30 days away from packing up the car with a cooler, grill and some chairs and heading down to Bloomington to tailgate and watch the Hoosiers kickoff the season against the Buckeyes. Today we look at fifth year senior safety Chase Dutra.

Chase Dutra(Redshirt Senior)

-Height: 6’1”

-Weight: 212 pounds

-Hometown: Brownsburg, Indiana

-Position: Safety

Chase Dutra has played a ton of football in an Indiana Hoosier uniform and 2017 will be the last season he suits up for the Cream and Crimson. The Brownsburg, Indiana native has played in 30 career games after redshirting the 2013 season where he won Scout Team Player of the Week for his efforts in the preparation leading into the game against Michigan State.

During Dutra’s redshirt freshman season he played in all 12 games and made 34 tackles including two for loss. He became a steady and reliable contributor in the passing game as well as he defended eight total passes, picking off three of them. Dutra also took home Defensive Player of the Week twice.

Expectations were high for Dutra heading into the 2015 season after a fabulous freshman campaign, but injuries hampered his impact on the field as he only played in eight of a possible 13 games. When Dutra was on the field, he was extremely productive as he made 61 tackles, four TFLs and forced two fumbles.

After losing his starting spot to Tony Fields, Dutra became a super-sub and special teams stand out in 2016 as he played in 10 of 13 games. Dutra made 46 tackles, forced a fumble and blocked a punt for the Hoosiers last season.

In 2017 Dutra will again play the role of Super Sub. He provides great depth in the secondary and is the leader the Hoosiers will need to make marked improvements on the special teams units. He should be the first safety off the bench in Fields or Jonathan Crawford needs a rest. It may not be an 80-tackle year for Dutra, but don’t be surprised if he is one of the keys to success on this defense.