2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 58 Days (Chris Bradberry)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The 2021 Countdown to Kickoff is churning along and will soon be half over. Much of the past few weeks has been spent getting to know members of the offensive and defensive line. Today is no different as our countdown profile piece is Chris Bradberry, an offensive lineman in his second year with the program.

Name: Chris Bradberry

Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, California (Riverside Community College)

Position: Offensive Line

Year: Junior

Height/Weight: 6’6”/306 pounds

The Indiana Hoosiers coaching staff is hoping the offensive line develops into a strength for the squad in 2021. They have tackles Caleb Jones and Luke Haggard back along with interior lineman Dylan Powell and a healthy Matthew Bedford. Several players will be competing for the final starting spot and a place in the rotation. Guys like Mike Katic, Aidan Rafferty, Kahlil Benson, Tim Weaver, Luke Wiginton and newcomer Zach Carpenter. One player that is hoping to earn a spot in the two-deep is Chris Bradberry.

Much like fellow lineman Luke Haggard, Bradberry came to Indiana prior to the 2020 season as a transfer from a junior college in California. Bradberry played at Riverside City College in Riverside, California in both 2018 and 2019. He helped the Riverside City Tigers to their first state championship in 30 years as they averaged nearly 50 points per game. Prior to that, Bradberry had redshirted the 2017 season at San Jose State University after a strong high school career at Etiwanda High School.

Bradberry came to Indiana University before the 2020 season and despite a bit of a late arrival, he impressed position coach Darren Hiller. “Bradberry is a guy that got here a little bit later, but he is doing a nice job. The good thing is that he was a redshirt at San Jose State and then was two years in junior college, so he is a little bit older,” Hiller said in October of 2020. “He still has a long way to go in terms of a knowledge base and a physicality standpoint.”

Luke Haggard was able to work his way onto the field but Bradberry did not see any game action in 2020. Now with more than one year in the program under his belt, the junior will attempt to earn his way into the rotation as a tackle in 2021.

The countdown continues with a new profile each and every day so come back to hoosierhuddle.com daily!