2021 Countdown to Kickoff: 94 Days Part II (Demarcus Elliott)

Written by Amanda Pavelka (@amandapavelka3) 

It has been 151 days we have lived without Hoosier football, and there are only 94 more to go. In his 5th year as head coach of IU football, Tom Allen and the Hoosiers will head to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes on September 4th. On this double feature day, second up is Demarcus Elliott. 

Name: Demarcus Elliott

Position: Defensive Lineman (Senior)

Hometown: Garden City, Kansas (Garden City HS) 

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 307 pounds

Transferring to Indiana University from Garden City Community College lit a spark for now senior Demarcus Elliott. After helping his Garden City to the 2018 NJCAA National Championship game, he moved to Bloomington where he was recruited to make an instant impact. 

Elliott had a very productive 2019 season, where he played in all 13 games, including 12 starts at defensive tackle for IU. He racked up 35 total tackles and his 27 solo tackles ranked first among the defensive line. He had three sacks and five tackles for loss and forced one fumble.

In 2020, the Kansas native started in six of his seven games played at tackle. He had 14 stops, nine solo, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry, which was versus Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl. 

Elliott is one of three veteran defensive linemen expected to lead defense for the Hoosiers this year. He knows his expectations are high being a senior this season, and with the loss of Jerome Johnson to the NFL Draft. Elliott will battle for the opportunity to start on the interior of the defensive line. Until fall camp, you can find him taking full advantage of the weight room. 

Indiana head coach Tom Allen wants Elliott to be more versatile along the defensive line in 2021. "With Demarcus, I am trying to make him more versatile upfront and play multiple positions," he says. "I thought he's a step quicker and is really strong in his consistency every day. He has always been that way as such a consistent guy, so that has continued in his leadership role."

"We want him to be more versatile and play that three-technique spot (tackle) and to be able to play in the nose," Allen added. "That is not something we have had him do in the past. It is not the same position. There are different things involved in it. There are different techniques involved and the block reactions are different."

Spring practice was huge for Elliott’s development as IU missed out on that chance in 2020. He gained valuable reps and should be moved around on the defensive line.