Countdown to 2020 IUFB Kickoff: 76 Days (Matthew Bedford)

Written by: Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff is rumbling on as scheduled as the Hoosiers are 76 days away from their opening night kickoff against the Wisconsin Badgers on September 4th at Camp Randall Stadium. Today features one of the players who was a major key to Indiana’s success in 2019 and his continued development will be even more important for 2020 and beyond, offensive lineman Matthew Bedford.

Name – Matthew Bedford

Position – Offensive Line

Year/Hometown – Sophomore from Cordova, Tennessee

Height – 6’6”

Weight – 314 pounds

Bedford came to Indiana with high expectations even if he was one of the youngest players on the team. He joined the team as a mid-year enrollee in January of 2019 at 17-years old. Ideally, the Bedford would have played in four games and redshirted, but a season ending injury to Coy Cronk in week four threw a wrench in those plans. Bedford started in the final eight games of the season and took home Indiana’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year Award at their post-season banquet.

Bedford is a year older and has nine games, including a start in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, under his belt to build on for 2020. Even though he’s just a sophomore, IU offensive line coach Darren Hiller calls Bedford a “great personality guy.”

With the loss of Cronk, Hunter Littlejohn and Simon Stepaniak upfront, the Hoosiers need to rely on the experienced, albeit young, linemen to step into the vacated leadership roles. Bedford is penned in at left tackle for 2020 opposite Caleb Jones and should only be better after being thrown into the fire in 2019.

Bedford is still just a sophomore and there are aspects of his game that still needs to be ironed out. Having all but four spring practices cancelled doesn’t help his development, but Bedford and the rest of the Hoosiers had 15 bowl practices as well. Bedford already has shown what he is capable of, however he still has a long way to go to reach his ceiling. Once he fine tunes his technique and doesn’t have to lean on veteran teammates as often, he can turn into an all-conference performer.