Indiana Football's Top Five Sleepers Heading into Spring Practice

Miles Marshall (13) is ready to step into the spotlight. Image: Amanda Pavelka Hoosier Huddle

Written by Nathan Comp

We always hear about the stars returning to the program, but what about the guys that go under the radar? This list will highlight five players that we think you may not know much about now – but soon could become a household name in Hoosier football fan’s homes.

Tim Baldwin Jr, Running Back

The running back room has a strong top two with Stevie Scott and Sampson James both having productive years early in their respective careers. But with Ronnie Walker’s recent announcement of his intent to transfer and Baldwin’s early enrollment, he suddenly has a clear path to the third spot on the depth chart. The Virginia native carried the ball 233 times for 1604 yards and 25 touchdowns in his senior season. His film shows the versatility of being a bruiser between the tackles, and the speed to bust runs to the outside.

Running Backs Coach Mike Hart said of Baldwin: “He's exactly what we want. He's a big, strong, fast back and he has great feet and great agility. So we're just excited to get him in the program, and can't wait to do it.”

Charles Campbell, Kicker

The U.S. Army All-American came to Indiana in the 2018 recruiting class with aspirations of starting from the get-go and the pedigree to back it up… but after two competitive fall camps with Logan Justus, Campbell found himself one spot short on the depth chart his first two seasons with the Hoosiers. Justus has now graduated, and it is Charles Campbell’s time to take over the full-time kicking responsibilities.

Despite losing the position battle, Campbell did see some playing time last year. In fact, Campbell was named the special teams player of the week in the Bucket Game after coming off the bench when Justus was struggling and nailing a 41-yard victory-sealing kick. He is two of two on field goals and one of one in extra point attempts in his two games as a Hoosier.

Dylan Powell, Offensive Line

To replace the hole left by the surprise transfer of fifth-year senior Coy Cronk, Indiana found Stanford graduate transfer Dylan Powell. Offensive line was a priority throughout the 2020 recruiting class, highlighted by the seven lineman Allen signed. But with Powell having prior experience and fitting perfectly into the vacant guard position, Hoosier fans can expect Powell to slide in and have an immediate impact.

“We said it would be nice to have an older guy,” said Coach Allen. “I think he gives us a chance to kind of fill some of those holes you have in the upper part of our class that I feel like over time have kind of been created with some injuries and caused guys not to be able to finish.”

Offensive Line coach Darren Hiller continued saying, “…a lot like a year ago when we had Nick Linder, he's an interior guy. He’s a guy that we feel like with some of the graduation inside and all that, he can come in and factor into the mix for us and fulfill some needs and obviously add a number to the older classes. So it's good to have him here and he's multiple position guy interiorly.”

Miles Marshall, Wide Receiver

Big-bodied outside receivers Donovan Hale and Nick Westbrook have moved on to the next level, and the Indiana offense will look to pair a new body with Whop Philyor in the slot. A likely candidate for this role is Miles Marshall, a 6’4” 210-pound receiver that showed brief flashes of what is to come this past year. The class of 2018 recruit redshirted his first season before seeing action in 2019. He caught 16 balls for 196 yards and scored a touchdown in September’s game against Eastern Illinois. His career best game came in the last regular season game of the year at Purdue, where Marshall tallied four catches for 49 yards in a victorious effort.

Damarjhe Lewis, Defensive Line

The 2020 Indiana defensive line will certainly be something to watch as a defining factor for how the season ultimately goes. The line finished the year with its best performance in the losing effort in Jacksonville at the Gator Bowl, but since then has had the typical end-of-year turnover coupled with the loss of defensive line coach Mark Hagen to Texas. Kevin Peoples is the man that will take over the line for the Hoosiers, and it’s time to get to work.

There are a number of options for who could be the sleeper among the defensive line, but Damarjhe Lewis may just be the one who stands out among the rest. Lewis was originally committed to Auburn before flipping his commitment to the Hoosiers in November. He’s known for his ability to generate pressure on the quarterback from the middle of the line and will likely play as a three-tech defensive tackle under Allen. He already has the body of an SEC player and plays with a tenacious energy.

“He's 6'3, 290 some pounds out of high school. Athletic, high energy, disruptive. We always talk about twitch, explosiveness, just pop that these guys play with. He has that. They're hard to find, those are guys that are valuable guys. Another one that just brings a lot of energy. I think he's going to bring a lot of juice to that room. He's going to practice hard, play hard. He has a really good personality about him. He's explosive. That to me is what you need,” said Coach Allen.