Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 77 Days (Caleb Jones)

Written By Alex Compton (@Alexncompton)

#77

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kick-off has begun! There are now 77 days until the Indiana Hoosiers kick-off the 2017 season against the Ohio State Buckeyes. That seems like a long way away and I suppose it is, but this countdown will fly by and it will be football season before we know it! Today’s countdown takes a look at #77 Caleb Jones.

Caleb Jones

-Height: 6’8”
-Weight: 370 pounds
-Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
-Position: Offensive Tackle

Stop. I want you to read Caleb Jones’ height and weight again. This freshman from Lawrence North is six foot eight. Six foot eight! Not only that, he’s nearly 400 pounds. Six foot eight, 370 pounds. Freshman. So besides being a big dude, what else do you need to know about Caleb Jones? For starters, former offensive line coach Greg Frey was very happy to add him to the recruiting class. As an in-state kid with obvious size and crazy potential, IU was happy to keep this solid three-star within the border and get him down to Bloomington. Coach Caton will have to get him in a little bit better shape, but that shouldn’t too difficult for a kid that reportedly loves football and getting better.

In high school, Jones mauled guys, as he should have. His biggest challenge in the Big Ten will be dealing with really fast rushers and being able to move well enough in the run game to make a difference. While he could probably play spot snaps this year, I think his best course of action will be to redshirt in 2017 to make sure he is fully ready to start his playing career as a redshirt freshman in 2018. Coy Cronk, Brandon and Tyler Knight and Delroy Baker have a good handle on the tackle positions, so there is no sense in burning the redshirt of a guy who needs time to unlock his true potential anyway. Jones projects as a right tackle for Indiana, but in theory could be a dominant left tackle if he improves his mobility and conditioning. Playing left tackle is a tough job, but being the starting left tackle in the Big Ten is another beast in itself. With all of that said, again, I expect Jones to redshirt this year. His long-term playing prospects look promising especially once Cronk and Knight exhaust their eligibility by graduating or pursuing professional opportunities.

To wrap up the 23rd piece in our 100 day countdown, I’d like to remind you again that Caleb Jones is a large man that will be a big part of the IU offensive line down the road. He technically could play as a true freshman, but with a solid and deep pool of tackles for this year, I think Jones will redshirt and be ready to make some noise in 2018.