The Top Five Defensive Lines Indiana's Offense Will Have to Deal With
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Written By Alex Compton (@Alexncompton)
As we march through the summer and into fall camp, Hoosier Huddle will look at the top five opposing players or position groups they will face in 2017. Only players and position groups from teams on the 2017 IU Football schedule are considered.
Today we’ll take a look at the defensive lines that Indiana will have to battle in what should make for some pretty good match-ups all year long. Big Ten teams are always strong up front on both sides of the ball, and that will definitely be true this year as well. IU will have a solid offensive line to block these lines, but neutralizing these units will likely have a huge impact on IU’s record this year.
1. OHIO STATE
Yes there is a lot riding on the first game of the year, and with good reason. The Buckeyes will head into Bloomington week one with one of the best teams in the country, and there is no doubt that the strongest part of their team is the defensive line. Not only are they star-studded, they are deep as well. A unit led by Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard on the outside with Dre’Mont Jones and Robert Landers in the middle could start for any team in the country, and that doesn’t even touch on their bench. OSU will bring Nick Bosa, Jalyn Holmes, Tracy Sprinkle, and Michael Hill into the game for tons of snaps as well, which is almost unfathomable. They have 8 guys that are legit starters for any other team in the Big Ten and much of the country, so they will be wearing teams down all year long. Don’t be surprised if Danny Friend and Ian Thomas see tons of time as blockers in this game.
2. MICHIGAN
Is it any surprise that two of the top four teams in the Big Ten have the best two lines on defense? Michigan lost a lot up front last year, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be back in a big way this year. More snaps for former top overall recruit Rashan Gary certainly can’t hurt, and Senior Maurice Hurst might be the best interior lineman in the league. Add in guys who seem ready for another step in Bryan Mone and Chase Winovich, and you have a really, really good front four right there. Five star Aubrey Solomon won’t be kept off the field for long, and Carlo Kemp and Reuben Jones are solid edge rushers that can spell a tired body as well. You should also remember that Michigan likes to grind games out, and this really places a lot of pressure on an opposing team’s line over the course of a game. With the bodies to stay fresh longer than most opponents, Michigan’s line appears at #2 on this list.
3. WISCONSIN
Lots of people have the second-best defensive line in the league belonging to the Badgers, but I think Michigan’s depth gives them a slight edge. 3-4 schemes are tough to find in the Big Ten, but Wisconsin should be able to prove that they can be just as effective this year with the amount of talent they have ready to rock in Camp Randall. They will have one of the best defenses in the league, and just like Ohio State and Michigan, it all starts up front. Three seniors will hold down the two end spots (Chikwe Obasih, Alec James, Conor Sheehy) and seasoned junior Olive Sagapolu will be a force inside for the Badgers all year long. The 3-4 will be a different look for IU this year, and it will be tough to handle because the linemen will have to block their strong, strong unit of linebackers that we’ve had on the Top 5 Linebackers list as well. If some of Wisconsin’s supporting cast steps up, I would have no problem slotting them at #2 ahead of Michigan, but only time will tell if that happens or not.
4. MARYLAND
The key with Maryland and their D-Line is amount of experience they have. They will start four seniors, and bring two more in regularly for snaps throughout the entire season. Your projected starters heading in to camp are Chandler Burkett and Jesse Aniebonam will be the ends, while Kingsley Opara (what a name) and Cavon Walker will try and disrupt the interior for the Terps. Like Wisconsin, Maryland also has a solid group of linebackers that should make the job of the D-Line a little bit easier. While the line is solid for Maryland, the run defense has been horrible in years past. The guys up front have proven to be solid pass rushers, but stopping the run will be vital to the success that this D-Line and this Maryland team has in 2017. Defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh has been elevated to co-defensive coordinator, so it will be interesting to see whether or not that has any effect on the performance of the line up front.
5. PENN STATE
Nobody on this line really jumps off of the page at you, but they are deep. Penn State can go six deep at end and six deep inside, which will undoubtedly give them an advantage during a game and during a long season in the Big Ten. Losing vocal and production leaders Garrett Sickels and Evan Schwan hurts James Franklin, but there are enough guys in the fold to take another step and help replace that production. Shane Simmons and Shaka Toney seem ready to take on some more snaps and take a step forward with the spots open now, while Torrence Brown and Shareef Miller bring at least some experience to the outside pass rush crew. On the inside, two seniors will likely start in Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran, while Robert Windsor and his fellow sophomore Kevin Givens have proven to be more than reliable so far in Happy Valley. They are #5 on this list because there are tons of question marks. They need a handful of these guys to take a jump forward and improve in order to be really good, and that’s always just so hard to predict.