2022 Spring IUFB Position Battles: Offensive Line

Image: Zach Greene, Hoosier Huddle

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.

This is a refrain from an earlier Hoosier Huddle piece and this article must be prefaced with the disclaimer that since no one can see spring practice and there is a new offensive coordinator that is “heavily involved with the offensive line”, this article is a whole lot of speculation. In my honest opinion, every single position along the offensive line should be up for grabs and one of Walt Bell’s most important tasks is implementing a system that accentuates what this group does well and minimizes the use of what they struggle at.

Indiana head coach Tom Allen has stressed that IU is attempting to find a way to get their five best linemen on the field for the 2022 season. Obviously, that makes a lot of sense and seems like a bit of a no-brainer. The question becomes, who are those five guys and how would they lineup? This is not who I would like to see as the five starters but my guess on what the starters would be as of now is as follows:

Luke Haggard – The super senior is returning for his final season and he should slide into one of the tackle positions once again. Haggard was not an All-Big Ten performer in 2021 but he was not a liability and he moves pretty well which could bode well for outside speed runs in Walt Bell’s system.

Matthew Bedford – There have been indications the coaches believe Bedford can work as a tackle and the senior from Tennessee has experience playing on the outside. I would personally prefer to see Bedford focus on playing guard. While not the heaviest individual, he graded out well in run blocking while struggling mightily in pass protection. I would expect though that if the season started next week, IU would be starting Haggard and Bedford at tackle.

Zach Carpenter – Carpenter transferred in from Michigan prior to the 2021 season and the expectation from the outside would be that he’d see a lot of the field. He ended up only playing in five games, starting in three contests at right guard. He’s definitely an interior lineman and the thought here is he can work as the starting center.

Mike Katic – The returning starter at left guard, at least when he was healthy, Mike Katic figures to take that position once again. The redshirt junior started nine games last season at left guard and missed three contests with injury. The issue with Katic is that he was poor for nearly each game he was in there. After a solid 2020 season, last year was rough.

Tim Weaver – Right guard is a complete and total toss-up but I’ll take Tim Weaver to get the first crack at it because he did appear in all 12 games and had one start at the position in question. He has the size you like in a guard at 6’6” and nearly 320 pounds.

I am typically an optimist but to be blunt, I don’t think that group of five is going to lead to much offensive success in Bloomington. I think the tackles are okay and the interior leaves a whole lot to be desired. Now, those players might fit much better with Walt Bell’s system and they could end up showing dramatic improvement and development from 2021 to 2022. Expecting that though seems unrealistic and there’s simply no amount of scheming that completely make up for a porous offensive line. So, who are some candidates to challenge for spots in the rotation this spring?

Kahlil Benson has to be considered one of the players that could step up. He was a coveted recruit out of Mississippi and has struggled with injuries so far in his young career. At 6’6” and with good length, Benson looks like a good tackle but he has yet to see any game action. It’s time to start living up to his pedigree. Another tackle prospect is Joshua Sales from Brownsburg. Another player with great size and a good ranking out of high school, Sales redshirted the 2021 season and appeared in one game (Idaho). Randy Holtz is a massive individual but he’s out for spring practice with an injury. That likely puts him behind the pace for taking any of these potentially available snaps. This next one is likely a long shot for the 2022 season and I believe IU is expecting and wanting to redshirt him but true freshman Carter Smith is extremely athletic and has a very good frame. If the Hoosiers get desperate or if Smith really impresses during the spring, it’s possible he plays his way into some snaps. Moving inside, things get even more dicey. Cameron Knight, Vinny Fiacable and Luke Wiginton all could be options but none of them have shown anything on the field to indicate they are ready to contribute.

The Hoosiers are particularly unproven at guard and center and I really think we could see the Hoosiers go portal shopping for interior linemen after spring practice. I would expect another round of players will transfer from other programs once spring ball ends and it’s possible IU finds a contributor or two during that time. In addition, the Hoosiers will add DJ “Demon” Moore from Fort Wayne Snider and Bray Lynch from Texas in the summer. Moore is physically ready for the Big Ten and he could be a mauler in the run game right away at guard. The question is whether or not Moore could pass block well enough as a freshman to be relied upon in 2022.

Every position along the offensive line and in the two-deep should be up for evaluation and it will be fascinating to see how this unit gels. If they don’t perform better in 2022, the offense will have a difficult time producing well enough for IU to return to a bowl game, no matter how improved the skill position players are.