2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 67 Days Part II (Christian Love)

Written by Evan Orris

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues! There are just 67 days until Indiana’s first game of the season against the No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes. Today, we will be profiling two players. Defensive Lineman Christian Love and offensive lineman Khalil Benson.

Christian Love

Detroit, Mich.

Defensive Lineman

Redshirt Junior

6’0”/ 288 LBS

The path for playing time for any walk-on is a tough road to follow. Christian Love has found this out during his IU career. Throughout his first three seasons in Bloomington, Ind., Love has not received any playing time. However, he has shown that he could still be a pivotal role in game day preparation by being a three-time scout team player of the week.  

Coming out of Detroit Country Day School in Detroit, Mich., Love was not nationally ranked and was a zero-star recruit per 247sports.com. He began to put schools on notice after his senior season in which he had 62 tackles, 26 for losses and eight sacks. He was rewarded with first-team all-state, first-team all-metro and Oakland County Dream Team selections.

Love was also a two-sport athlete and excelled not just in football but also basketball. Because of his focus on both, Love’s football development was not where it was to compete at the collegiate level. As a result, Love redshirted his freshman year. Love has finally built-up his knowledge of the playbook and could be in-line for a rotational role along the defensive line with other members. And, even if he doesn’t receive any additional playing time, Love will showcase the leadership that he had in high school (Love was team captain his senior year of high school), and do what is best for the team by being a scout team player in practice.