Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers offense in 2021 was one of the worst units in the country. They were near the bottom in nearly every meaningful statistical category and while it is unfair and inaccurate to point the finger of blame at a single position group (in truth, every single unit outside of maybe tight end was poor), the offensive line was undoubtedly partially at fault. Heading into the season there was cautious optimism that things would be a little better than they had been in 2020 as multiple starters returned and a transfer from Michigan was brought in. It was quickly apparent though that the line had frustratingly and critically regressed. As things stand now, any improvement in the offensive line must come from within as no transfers have been added and position coach Darren Hiller is still in charge of the group.

Departures

Caleb Jones, a multi-year starter at tackle for Indiana has departed and is attempting to get to the NFL. His size is certainly intriguing but he never really put it together for IU and struggled to stay in football shape. Dylan Powell has not officially announced his intentions but he is expected to be done with football after five seasons. That means the Hoosiers lose a pair of starters.

Returnees

There are a whole lot of players to list as this is one of the largest (number wise and physical size wise) groups on the team. We’ll begin with returning starters: Matthew Bedford has the ability to play guard or tackle and it will be interesting to see if new offensive coordinator Walt Bell has an opinion on where to get the most out of him. Luke Haggard is expected to return and he would slot into one of the tackle positions. Mike Katic and Zach Carpenter are both returning and have experience starting on the interior of the line. As of today, I would expect Zach Carpenter to be the starting center for game number one.

The next group of players would be individuals that really need to start stepping up and becoming quality players for this unit to improve: Kahlil Benson is a player that many were very excited about coming out of high school and after an injury in fall camp of the 2020 season, this will be his third campaign in Bloomington. He’s 6’6” and the ideal size for a tackle. Joshua Sales is from Brownsburg and he redshirted his first season in college in 2021. Another tackle prospect, Sales was a four-star recruit and should push for time this fall. Aidan Rafferty is now a redshirt senior, Cameron Knight is a redshirt sophomore, Tim Weaver is a redshirt junior, Randy Holtz is a redshirt sophomore and a massive man, Brady Feeney is entering his third season in the program. Vinny Fiacable will be in his second season, Luke Wiginton in his third. As you can see, IU has a lot of players with the right size and players that had talent coming out of high school. So far, precious few of them have contributed positively in college. One of the major frustrations with last season was that even when the offensive line was performing terribly, very few players saw the field and were given a chance. In total, IU should be returning 15 scholarship players and it is absolutely crucial for the success of the program that a few of those 15 that have not seen the field, step up and become quality Big Ten linemen in 2022.

Newcomers

While it might not mean anything for the 2022 season, IU brought in a trio of highly-thought of prospects in the 2022 recruiting class. DJ Moore, Bray Lynch and Carter Smith are three of the highest rated offensive line prospects to ever choose IU. DJ Moore is a very large individual that can play guard or tackle. He’s a mauler and when he gets his hands on a defensive lineman, he almost always wins the battle. Moore projects as a guard and it’s possible he could factor into the rotation as early as this season, particularly in run-specific downs and formations. Bray Lynch played left tackle for one of the best programs in the talent-rich state of Texas. He had several division one players on his team and went against division one pass rushers nearly every game, more than holding his own. Lynch was seen as a real leader and it will be interesting to see how long it takes him to see the field, my guess would be 2023. Carter Smith is perhaps the most athletically impressive offensive lineman on IU’s roster. He moves really well and was a terrific volleyball player in Ohio. Smith needs to put on some weight before he can factor in at tackle.

Final Group Projections for 2022

Eighteen Scholarship Offensive Linemen

· Matthew Bedford

· Luke Haggard

· Mike Katic

· Zach Carpenter

· Tim Weaver

· Josh Sales

· Vinny Fiacable

· Brady Feeney

· Chris Bradberry

· Cameron Knight

· Kahlil Benson

· Luke Wiginton

· Nick Marozas

· Aidan Rafferty

· Randy Holtz

· DJ Moore

· Carter Smith

· Bray Lynch

Five Walk-on Scholarship Players

· Luke Lane

· Ricky Tamis

· Andy Buttrell

· Peter Schulz

· Charlie O’Connor

The Huddle

State of the Room- IUFB Offensive Line

Hoosier Huddle