Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 4 Days (Chris Covington)

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By David Sugarman (@David_Sugarman2)

#4

We’ve made our way into game week and we’re now a measly four days away from the biggest opener in Indiana Football history. Until then we’ve got four players to tackle starting with a man that Indiana expects to make a lot of tackles, Chris Covington.

CHRIS COVINGTON (SENIOR)

 

Height: 6’2’’

 

Weight: 230 pounds

 

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

 

Position: Linebacker

 

With last year’s honorable mention All-Big Ten linebacker Marcus Oliver gone, there are some big shoes to fill in the other linebacker spot of Tom Allen’s 4-2-5 scheme. On one side will be one of the Big Ten and nation’s best in Tegray Scales. On the other side will be Chris Covington, a player with talent and promise, but someone who just made his first start of his career eleven games into his junior season.

Despite not starting much, Covington has played a key role as a reserve his first three seasons. A high school quarterback, Covington spent his first season in Bloomington under center and proved to be a mobile man in the pocket with 17 carries for 91 yards. Covington played in five games, but then saw his freshman season come to a close with an ACL injury in a midseason game against Iowa.

Covington moved to the defensive side of the ball and played in eight games his sophomore year. It was 2016 that Covington made his biggest impact. He played in all 13 games and made 29 tackles as well as a forced fumble. Covington played well in big games with five tackles against Ohio State and four with a sack in the Foster Farms Bowl.

Covington isn’t Marcus Oliver, but the fact that they can replace him with an experienced player and a good athlete is a definite plus. We expect Covington to play well in his expanded role, but there will certainly be an adjustment from reserve to full-time starter.

Please share any comments or thoughts in the comments section or in our message board. The countdown continues each and every day so make sure to check Hoosier Huddle daily as we churn towards the 2017 season!