IU's Linebackers Have Taken the Long Awaited Step Forward in Leadership
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Micah McFadden Image: Indiana University Athletics
Written by Andrew Walker
In any defense, teamwork is crucial. When players work together, magic happens. That goes for any defense. Linebackers, however, are the glue guys. They’re the middle of the pack that has to act like they’re a safety on one play and act like they’re a pass rusher on the next. The mark of an extremely talented defense, among other things, is how successful your linebacker core is.
Defense coordinator Kane Wommack thinks his linebackers are among the best they’ve ever been. “I think the linebackers have just taken that step from vocal leadership that we have all been waiting for a very long time to show up. Since Tegray Scales, we have not had that vocal leadership in the linebacker room. It is not any one player, but when you talk about James Miller, Cam Jones, Micah McFadden, even Thomas Allen and D.K. Bonhomme, their vocal leadership and the way they have just held a standard of detail and urgency” Wommack said.”
The way these linebackers are showing up to work has apparently been something incredibly valuable to the team in these early stages of the season. As Wommack mentioned, the vocal leadership qualities of certain guys is what holds talent together. Talent alone doesn’t win games or snag turnovers. And if your vocal leadership center is at the linebacker position, that’s the glue a defense needs to be something special.
All of these vocal guys are becoming more experienced, more talented, and more athletic. With the likes of Marcelino Ball, Jamar Johnson, Raheem Layne, and some other guys becoming older, this young defense has turned into an experienced, well performing defense that can play four downs over and over again.
“I know we have not had all of the summer time we normally have, but these dudes have come back and they look different. Some of it is a credit to their work in the offseason and some of it is a credit to, you know how it is, as you get older, they look better when they get older. I am not sure the rest of us do. Certainly, as they become juniors and seniors, their bodies are just developing really well and they are playing fast. On top of that, I think those corners, their speed, athleticism and experience, it is a pretty promising backfield right now that we are able to do some multiple things with” Wommack said about how these guys have improved.
The Hoosier defense is primed to be something seriously worth watching. That’s something that not only Tom Allen and Wommack will say. The players themselves believe it too. Linebacker Micah McFadden knows how far they’ve all come. “I think we have grown tremendously. I think we have got a good three-deep that can all play anywhere. We are really communicative out there and everybody is vocal. It is good to see that everybody is kind of learning the defense and coming to fruition. I think we have a good core of guys that are all being great leaders out there and showing the defense, setting the example for everybody. We are looking good.”