Countdown to Kickoff: 51 Days (Mike Barwick Jr.)

Written by: Alex Compton (@alexncompton)

#51 

There are now 51 days remaining until the Indiana Hoosiers kick-off the 2016 season in Miami against the Florida International Golden Panthers. Join us each day for each part of our 100-day countdown to the opener! Today is the day to focus on Mike Barwick Jr., so here we go!

Mike Barwick Jr.

-Height: 6’0”
-Weight: 300 pounds
-Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
-Position: Defensive Line

The defensive line will look very different this season, both in terms of the scheme and the guys that are lining up on the field. With the departure of some seniors including Nick Mangieri, in addition to Darius Latham leaving for the draft, there are some big holes to fill up front. Rather than just plugging a few guys in, it is more likely that the D-Line will shuffle a really large amount of players in and out instead. With a bunch of snaps up for grabs in the coming season, this summer will be huge for determining which guys end up near the top of the depth chart to kick off the year. One such player is Mike Barwick Jr. 

Barwick Jr. came to Bloomington back in 2014 as the #60 DT according to 247 Sports, and ended up redshirting his first season. Last year as a redshirt freshman, he didn’t see the field, but apparently made really great strides during week-to-week preparation. For his efforts, he was named the scout team player of the week for the games against Ohio State and Penn State. He appears ready to take that next step in year three and begin to start contributing in games, and now just needs to earn the opportunity to do so. He has the size and motor to be successful at this level, and starting him off with a bigger rotation will likely be beneficial. If Barwick and others can combine to provide some run resistance in the interior of the defensive line, it will be a huge boost for the defense that will thrive in playmaking situations. It’s hard to make big plays if the offense can continually pound the ball up the middle, so having a good rotation on the inside will be crucial. 

Barwick Jr. is another guy that could make a splash and turn some heads on defense this season, so be sure to keep a look out for him!

Share any memories or expectations you have of Mike Barwick Jr. as a player in the comments section (or on the message boards) and be sure to come back to Hoosier Huddle each day during our countdown!