Spring Practice 2018 Position Preview: Offensive Line
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Indiana's offensive line should get a boost from transfer Nick Linder Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written By Lauralys Shallow
To win in the Big Ten Conference, you have to dominate in the trenches. When a team controls the line of scrimmage, it dictates the play. A strong offensive line allows the running game to get going, which opens up play action because the defense has to respect the run, which gives receivers a chance to make plays on deeper balls down the field. Without a successful run game, the IU offense will be one dimensional. Remember the 2016 season under former head coach Kevin Wilson when IU’s biggest weakness was their run game…and that was with Devine Redding as running back and Dan Feeney playing guard and tackle for most of the year. IU head coach Tom Allen’s debut season had no seniors and limited experience on his offensive line unit. In Allen’s second season, IU needs to establish a consistent and dominant offensive line.
The good news: the Hoosiers are not losing any key linemen. Danny Friend graduated, and 2017 was his first season at offensive lineman, starting as tight end the previous season. Friend saw nine games and earned the team’s Ted Verlihay “Mental Attitude” Award in his final season.
IU finished third in passing offense in the B1G and 35th nationally (265.7 yards per game ) and sixth in scoring offense (26.8 ppg) and total offense (395.8 ypg) in 2017.
Nick Linder
Graduate transfer Linder sat out last season in order to heal from injury before transferring from the University of Miami. The 6’3 300-pound lineman started all 13 games at center for Miami in 2015, and he started eight games until he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for the rest of the 2016 season. As the man in the middle, Linder will need to help control interior so his quarterback can step up in the pocket and make the most accurate throws possible.
Wes Martin
Martin brings the most consistency to this offensive line, starting 25 consecutive games at left guard and 31 overall. Martin started 13 games in 2016 and 12 games in 2017. The redshirt junior was a team captain, and he earned the team’s Chris Dal Sasso Award (Outstanding Lineman) last season. To be a strong offensive line, the Hoosiers linemen must have cohesiveness, and Martin will play a major role in developing that cohesion.
Coy Cronk
Since his arrival at Indiana, Cronk has started 25 consecutive games at left tackle. In his freshman year, he started all 13 games, and that was an Indiana true freshman record for an offensive lineman. He received the 247Sports True Freshman All-American honors and ESPN.com and BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman in 2016. In his sophomore season, the 6’5, 305-pound guard started all 12 games. In his junior season, Cronk will bring invaluable experience to the offensive line.
Brandon Knight
Knight was named IU’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year in the 2015 season. After playing in eight games and starting six of them, Knight was sidelined for the remainder of the 2016 season due to injury. In his junior season, the 6’5 305-pound tackle played in the final 10 contests, making starts in eight of them. IU would like to see him play in all of its games the upcoming season because Kinght adds talent and depth to the line.
Simon Stepaniak
After redshirting his 2015 season, Stepaniak started two games his freshman year and played in 12 games. During the 2017 season, the 6’4 305-pound guard saw more starts but less games due to injury. Stepaniak started all six games he played in at right guard. His presence on the field will be big for IU given that Stepaniak remains healthy next season.
Other Notables
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After redshirting the 2015 season, Hunter Littlejohn made his collegiate debut in a win at Rutgers during the 2016 season. Littlejohn only saw action in that lone game last season. In the 2017 season, the 6’3 305-pound lineman started all 12 games at center. Sophomore Harry Crider, redshirt freshmen Mackenzie Nworah and Grayson Stover, along with redshirt sophomore DeVondre Love and redshirt junior Delroy Baker put in reps for IU last season. Nworah started the other six games Stepaniak missed at right guard. Love played in the final 11 games. Baker played in ten games at right tackle and right guard, starting in four of them. Stover and Crider both played in eight games. Crider’s first game as center in an IU uniform was in the season opener against No. 2 Ohio State.
Four more players will be eligible for the Hoosiers on the offensive line for next season. Ryan Smith, Dominic Altimari and Brit Beery, and Caleb Jones redshirted the 2017 season. Jones is 6’8 and 370 pounds, and he’s going to be the key to having a strong offensive line. Each of these players will add depth to IU’s offensive line. While they are young, if they stay healthy they will start to have more crucial roles in the offensive line as their careers progress.
The past two seasons especially, the offensive line has been more of a weakness than a strength for IU. With more consistency and cohesiveness as a unit, the offensive line will improve and IU’s offensive production will improve as a byproduct.