Making the Leap: Players Primed to Benefit Most From Bowl Practices
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Coach Mark Hagen coaches up his defensive linemen in fall camp Image: Tom Dienhart BTN.com
Written By: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
Making a bowl game means many things: It is a reward for reaching six victories. It is a symbol of continued progress for a program. Perhaps most importantly, it is an opportunity for a team to practice an additional 15 times. Those practices are incredible developmental chances for young players and they help springboard success for the next season. While every player will undoubtedly benefit from the additional practice, we’ve compiled a list of players that could benefit the most from IU’s preparation for the Foster Farms Bowl.
The Freshman Wide Receivers
One of the biggest beneficiaries from last season’s Pinstripe Bowl preparation was Nick Westbrook. He was mentioned before the game by former coach Kevin Wilson as a player that had stood out in practice and he caught a 23 yard touchdown pass in the bowl game. The success he found during bowl practice propelled his breakout 2016 season as he stepped in for an injured Simmie Cobbs and led the Hoosiers in receiving yards and touchdowns (915 yards and five touchdowns). Mitchell Paige and Ricky Jones are playing their final games as Hoosiers so IU will need some guys to step up at the position in 2017. Tom Allen may decide to change IU’s offensive system before next season but you can bet the passing game will still be a large part of what IU is trying to accomplish and plenty of snaps will be available. Simmie Cobbs and J-Shun Harris will both return for injuries and Luke Timian and Donavan Hale both had successful 2016 seasons. Westbrook, Cobbs and Timian are probably the starters but a trio of freshman wide receivers will have their chances. Taysir Mack, Jonah Morris and Phil Benker are all redshirting but I imagine they’ll factor in heavily in bowl practice and this is a crucial time for them to develop and show they can be factors in 2017. Mack (6’2” from Brooklyn), Morris (6’4” from Akron) and Benker (6’2” from Jacksonville) were all well-regarded recruits and it would be a disappointment if at least a couple of these guys didn’t play important roles next season.
Young Offensive Linemen
Indiana will need to replace one of the best linemen in history and at least two other starters up front as Dan Feeney, Wes Rogers and Jacob Bailey will move on after successful careers. Dimitric Camiel missed nearly all of the 2016 season and it’s possible the right tackle could return for a sixth season but that’s far from a certainty. IU has a lot of talent and depth in the offensive line but the 2017 unit will be retooled and these bowl practices are a good chance for young and inexperienced linemen like Simon Stepaniak, Hunter Littlejohn, Coy Cronk (yes, he started all season but he’s still very young), DaVondre Love, Grayson Stover and Mackenzie Nworah to set themselves up for next season. I expect at least two of the names I listed to be starters when the Hoosiers begin the 2017 season so this is an important period of work for each of them.
Allen Stallings, Omari Stringer and Jerome Johnson
Indiana’s defensive line was a very pleasant surprise under the tutelage of Mark Hagen. That being said, generating more pass rush from the defensive end position would help take this defense from “pretty good” to “very good”. Allen Stallings came to Indiana with a reputation as an underrated recruit with potential. He was a bit undersized at only 226 pounds but his prolific success as a high school wrestler and his speed off the edge could be a real problem for opponents if he can develop a bit. Stallings redshirted the 2016 season but he’ll be getting work as part of the defensive line rotation during bowl preparation. Omari Stringer was a redshirt freshman that appeared in seven games in 2016 after converting from linebacker to rush defensive end. Stringer only had two tackles, including one tackle for loss, this season but his speed was apparent and he could be a good part of the rotation with some development. Brandon Wilson could be thrown into this group of young defensive ends but he appears to be a bit more of a polished product than the former two. The final name listed is defensive tackle Jerome Johnson. He was a late addition to the 2016 recruiting class and the Bassfield, Mississippi native has a lot of potential. Ralph Green is graduating after a very strong senior season so there is playing time available for the 300-pound freshman. IU is bringing in a lot of defensive linemen in the 2017 class so Johnson getting a leg up on the newcomers could help him see the field next season.
Quarterbacks
It is difficult to gauge how much benefit the quarterbacks will get from these extra bowl practices. It’s very possible the offensive system and offensive coordinator will change after the Hoosiers take on the Utah Utes on December 28. If the system changes, I don’t expect the change to be drastic (Tom Allen has publicly said he likes the up-tempo spread attack) but changing signals and calls and concepts would render some of the development done during the bowl practices moot. That being said, Richard Lagow, Austin King and Peyton Ramsey will be working with newly promoted quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson and they will definitely benefit from extra work with a new voice. Lagow is the odds-on favorite to be the starter next season and he needs to improve on his consistency and cut down on the number of interceptions he makes. King and Ramsey will both challenge the incumbent starter and they may be able to improve and impress new head coach Tom Allen enough to cause a quarterback competition in the offseason. Much like the young receivers these guys will be throwing to, the development time can only help.