Hoosier Redshirts Ready to Start Making Their Mark

Linebacker Mo Burnam warming up during spring practice Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle

Written By Lauralys Shallow

They have been waiting for this moment, and it is almost here.

Six redshirt freshmen (Thomas Allen and Mo Burnam at linebacker, Juwan Burgess and Bryant Fitzgerald at defensive back, Peyton Hendershot at tight end and Caleb Jones along offensive line) will get to play in their first game as a Hoosier in less than a month, even if it is just the spring game on April 14.

Allen, Burnam, Burgess and Jones chose the redshirt route, but an injury made the decision for Hendershot and the NCAA made the decision for Fitzgerald.

Hendershot played in the first four games of the 2017 season until a season-ending injury sidelined him, and he received a medical redshirt.

After a promising showing at summer workouts and fall camp, Fitzgerald was declared ineligible for the 2017 season last August due to a mistake IU made that gave Fitzgerald misinformation concerning his eligibility requirements. The NCAA rejected IU’s waiver request to restore Fitzgerald’s eligibility and the NCAA denied IU’s appeal to that decision.

Fitzgerald could not play or practice in the 2017 season, and he used last year as his redshirt season given that he was a true freshman.

While the six redshirts had different reasons for sitting out last year, they are all eligible to compete for IU this upcoming season.

At the linebacker spot, Allen 6’3, 237 pounds and Burnam, 6’2, 232 pounds, both said their redshirt season gave them an opportunity to gain the size necessary to play at a high level in the Big Ten Conference.

“You’re playing against grown men,” Thomas Allen said. “Every snap you’re going up against a big-time guy. It’s different. That red shirt year is a big time to focus on yourself, focus on getting bigger, faster and stronger each day.”

Coach Wommack has been stressing the fundamentals, and Burnam said emphasizing the small details is the best thing to do for a linebacker. Weight gain and speed are the two biggest areas of improvement Burnam has noticed, and he credits Coach Ballou and Coach Rhea.

On the same side of the ball, defensive backs Burgess, 6’1 191 pounds and Fitzgerald, 6’0 210 pounds, are ready to get back to doing something that feels so natural to both of them: playing football.

“Football is all I know and when I had it taken away from me, it made me focus more on maturing as a man,” Burgess said.  "Now that I’m out there I can just have fun do what I love.”

Fitzgerald said there was no better feeling than getting to step back on the field. He said strapping on his helmet and putting on the shoulder pads and seeing his teammates to his left and right was a feeling like no other.

While Fitzgerald was shocked and disappointed about being ruled ineligible, he said he was able to get ahead in school work and have time to adjust to the college setting.

On the offensive side of the ball, Hendershot, at 6’4, 243 pounds brings a nice blend of size and athleticism to the tightened position.

Hendershot said the biggest thing he learned during his redshirt season was the importance of blocking. Hendershot watched former starting tightened Ian Thomas last year.

“My big thing from him was if I could get the block, I could be like him,” Hendershot said. “I want to be like him because he can block really (well) even with his size, and he can move really well.”

The tightened group as a whole is playing well, and Hendershot said that redshirt junior Austin Dorris has had a solid spring so far, and he is upping the caliber of competition.

The biggest player on the roster, offensive lineman Caleb Jones, 6’8 360 pounds, could be part of the offensive line rotation.

Jones said everything about his game has improved since high school, but the main thing is the power profile. He said the power profile measures how much power you can put out relative to your size. Jones said as his squat and bench go up, his athletic ability goes up as well.

Jones has only been doing reps at left tackle, which is unusual for a player of his size to have the athletic ability to play left tackle.

The tempo offense was an adjustment fitness wise, but Jones said he knows he is improving because his talent is not fading as the drive gets longer, and he is still able to do his job at the best of his ability.

These six redshirts are going to add tremendous talent and depth on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, and the Cream & Crimson game will be a time for them to showcase how hard they have been working in their prolonged offseason.

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