2024 Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 56 Days (Mike Katic)

Written By Evan Alvarez

Welcome back to the 2024 Hoosier Huddle Countdown! From now until Indiana’s opening day against the FIU Golden Panthers, the Hoosier Huddle staff will feature every player on the Hoosiers football roster for 2024. Today, the featured player as we are 56 days out is #56, Mike Katic.

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: #56 – Mike Katic

Height: 6’ 4”

Weight: 315 pounds

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

High School: Pine-Richland High School

Class/Position: Redshirt Senior+ / Offensive Line

Mike Katic is a Hoosier, through and through. He has been through all the ups and downs of Indiana football: referencing iuhoosiers.com, Katic started four games in Indiana’s historic 2020 season as a redshirt freshman and, minus a few missed games due to injury, started every other game the rest of the way to present day 2024. He’s seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Now, he enters 2024 with a new coaching staff who has a mission to change the narrative of Indiana football. Katic, given his experience, likely is tasked with being a leader in that charge as the starting center of the revamped and well coached Indiana offensive line. 

We’ve spoken at length of Bob Bostad and how integral he is to this Indiana offensive line as one of the best coaches in the country. No doubt, all players are looking to take a leap in 2024, Katic included. Katic has played most of his football career at Indiana at the left guard spot, where, under Bostad, he raised his Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade by 7% year over year. 2022 was a career low 58.2 PFF grade, while 2023 was a career high 62.2 PFF grade. Nationally, this ranked Katic as a top 100 guard in the entire country (77th).

Now moving to the center position, Katic, lauded for his versatility, will look to make another jump. From an iuhoosiers.com article by Pete DiPrimio, Katic talks about the switch to center, saying, “I’m familiar with the position…It’s just a new voice (at quarterback) behind me. There aren’t many adjustments I have to make. I have to get comfortable with the guys around me.” In the same article, Katic talks about how his experience makes it easier to pick up on things compared to if he was an underclassman, further hammering in how important he is to this Hoosiers team in 2024. Look for Katic to make this jump and lead the Hoosiers offensive line, serving as a vital bridge between the passion and love for Indiana of the old regime and the ‘change the culture of Indiana’ mindset of the new regime.

The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff continues with day 55 tomorrow.