Indiana Football Positional Preview: Who Fills the Big Shoes at Linebacker in 2018?
/
Kane Wommack enters as IU's LB coach in 2018 Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
The 2018 season is nearly upon us! Training camp has begun and the Hoosiers are preparing for what they hope is a return to a bowl game. One feature of our preview coverage is going in-depth on each position group and today, we look at a group that must replace a pair of terrific starters. The hope is that the improved depth and young talent will help overcome the loss of Tegray Scales and Chris Covington. Today, we look at linebacker.
There is no denying that Tegray Scales and Chris Covington will both be missed. Tom Allen acknowledged the team was now for players to step up and seize those roles. “You love them and they’re game changers for us and our program for sure. Tegray was one of the major catalysts for our turnaround defensively, but they’re gone,” Allen said at IU’s Media Day. “It’s bittersweet, you know. They’re just awesome young men, and I love being around them. But, you know their time has come here, and they’re now playing for two NFL teams, which is great. But that means someone’s got to rise up.”
The Potential Starters
This is a projection of who I will be starting at linebacker when the Hoosiers take the field against the Florida International Panthers on the night of September 1. There are several candidates as a couple of unexpected additions plus talented incoming freshmen have removed depth concerns.
Reakwon Jones- RS JR - 6’2”/236 pounds –
The redshirt junior from Florida has a grand total of nine tackles in two seasons of action and after coming in with some fanfare as a recruit, his career yet to take off. I am counting on all of that changing in 2018. He has the physical tools to be a big-time outside linebacker (or “stinger”) and he’s finally healthy. We’ve heard great things about the work he put in this offseason and Tom Allen confirmed as much on Media Day, “I was really encouraged by Reakwon’s response. He’s a guy that sometimes when you sit in the shadows, some guys sit back there and have a different response to it. He’s had a lot of injuries along the way, and he’s really never been full bore since I’ve been here….to see Reakwon do what he did this off-season just absolutely take ownership of his body, and obviously the benefit of the strength staff and what they brought to the table, he would be the first to tell you he’s benefitted in a huge way and feels really good right now.” I think Jones gets the nod at Stinger and if he can stay healthy, lives up the billing he had coming out of Florida.
Dameon Willis- RS SR – 6’1”/224 pounds –
After going through Senior Day ceremonies in 2017, it appeared Dameon Willis was through with the game of football. However, near the end of Spring practice, the redshirt senior from Ohio opted to return to the squad. He provides a huge boost in leadership and ability and I expect him to get the first crack at starting MIKE linebacker. Willis is a solid presence and tackler and I think that will win out at the beginning of the season.
The Contributors
The Hoosiers loved having Scales and Covington but they relied too much on the frontline starters and those two wore down late in games. No single linebacker will get as many snaps as those two did as the Hoosiers are going to rely on improved depth and the much-hyped strength and conditioning program to improve their late-game performances and help them close contests. These players might not start but I anticipate they will see plenty of the field as members of the linebacker rotation.
T.D. Roof – Sophomore – 5’11/220 pounds –
“Having T.D. being ruled eligible with his transfer was a great, great thing thing, huge boost to our defense. We watched him all spring long. Seeing him every single day, you know, how quick he is and how explosive he is. He’s gained a good several pounds of good weight since he got here,” Allen said of the Georgia Tech transfer. Roof is a coach’s son and he contributed during his freshman season at Georgia Tech. The Hoosiers got great news when he was granted eligibility for the 2018 season and I think he could have a big impact. Roof is a big hitter despite being just 5’11”.
Mo Burnam – RS FR - 6’2”/231 pounds –
Burnam was a highly-regarded player out of Georgia that the Hoosiers redshirted in 2017. He’s a big linebacker at more than 230 pounds and he is expected to be a contributor at MIKE linebacker. I think he enters camp as the third-string middle linebacker but the return of Dameon Willis likely lessens his playing time in 2018. Burnam will have to sit out against FIU.
Thomas Allen – RS FR – 6’3”/236 –
The head coach’s son was solid in the spring and looked like he could have a role as a backup middle linebacker in 2018. That could still be the case but I think he’s behind Dameon Willis, Mike McGinnis and Mo Burnam. There’s still plenty of time for Allen to have a big impact during his career.
Mike McGinnis – RS SR – 6’2”/236 pounds–
After earning JUCO All-American status in 2016, McGinnis never really found his footing in his first season in Bloomington, posting only seven tackles in limited playing time. McGinnis would be the starter at MIKE if there was a game right after Media Day (Allen said as much at Media Day). He was solid in the Spring and is a veteran that was lauded as a leader during the offseason.
Andrew Stamm – RS SO - 6’2”/219-
The lone walk-on for this position group did not see any game action in 2017 and he’ll be hard-pressed to see much in 2018 due to the depth that has come into the program.
The Freshmen
The new redshirt rule allows players to play in up to four games and still retain their redshirt. That means the large group of true freshmen linebackers that have a very bright future will be able to showcase what they can do and allow the coaches to either use them for the whole season or just for four games and then redshirt them.
James Miller – FR – 6’2”/224 pounds –
The athletic and talented newcomer from Florida is perhaps the most naturally talented linebacker on the roster. Tom Allen said of Miller, “I told him I’m not going to promise you a starting job, I have never done that one time. But I promised him the opportunity to compete to play early.” I’d be quite surprised if Miller is not a factor at outside linebacker.
Cam Jones – FR – 6’3”/220 –
A freakish athlete from Memphis, Tennessee, there was talk about Jones playing Husky or even tight end but the Hoosiers staff elected to plug him in at linebacker. He’ll play early but having Willis and Roof at the position makes it less likely that IU will need to rely on him. The future of the IU linebacker position could very possibly be Jones and Miller.
Aaron Casey – FR – 6’2”/224 –
Another well-regarded incoming freshman, this one from Georgia, Casey was ultra-competitive and came in as an outside linebacker/safety that is going to be initially played at outside linebacker. I think he’s behind both Jones and Miller as far as incoming freshmen go but the gap wouldn’t be a big one.
Micah McFadden – FR – 6’2”/225 –
The fourth incoming freshman comes from the same high school Thomas Allen played at, Plant High School. McFadden posted 211 tackles, a program record, as a senior and I think there is a role on the football team for an ultra-productive and steady tackler. He has had a tremendous fall camp and may have played his way into the rotation.