Countdown to 2020 IUFB Kickoff: 87 Days Part 1 (Michael Ziemba)

Written by Nathan Comp

The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff has begun! Just over 12 weeks remain until the Hoosiers hope to kickoff the 2020 season at Camp Randall Stadium against the Wisconsin Badgers. Today, we’ll highlight two players: senior defensive lineman Michael Ziemba and fourth-year kicker Jack Cardillo. We begin with Michael Ziemba.

Michael Ziemba (Senior)

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 258 Pounds

Hometown: Sanford, Florida

Position: Defensive Line

After appearing in 22 of 24 games in his freshman and sophomore seasons but not producing huge numbers, Michael Ziemba had a breakout year in 2019. Ziemba bounced between tackle and end positions in his underclassman years but found a comfortable home at end last year. The junior recorded 33 tackles, 20 of which were solo and 6.5 were for a loss. He shared the team lead with two fumble recoveries and finished third on the team in tackles for loss.

"His athleticism is the first thing that strikes at you," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack says. "It jumps off the film. His explosiveness. His ability off the edge has helped the edge of our defense. We're doing some things to take advantage of his speed and tempo. We cut him loose a few times and let him go. We've seen the benefits of that."

His athleticism comes from his history at the tight end position. Coming out of high school, he was actually ranked the 23rd best tight end prospect by ESPN. Some time in the weight room has transitioned him to the defensive side of the ball in college where he is able to showcase his speed and athleticism by rushing the quarterback, instead of catching passes from him.

Ziemba was the defensive player of the week last year in the Northwestern game after tallying his first career fumble recovery and tacking on a TFL to go with it. Off the field, he was an Academic All-Big Ten Selection studying criminal justice.