Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 97 Days (Dan Godsil)

Written By David Sugarman

#97

 You’ll never hear fans go wild when the long snapper does his job well, but rest assured that they’ll be vocal when he does it poorly. Today at spot #97 in our countdown we talk about starting long snapper Dan Godsil. An important piece considering the Hoosiers need to make major improvements in the special teams department in 2017.

Dan Godsil

- Height: 6’4”

- Weight: 230

- Hometown: Ottawa, Ohio

- Position: Long Snapper

It’s no secret Indiana’s special teams were not up to par last season. After being named Big Ten Kicker of the Year in 2015, Griffin Oakes missed 10 field goals in 2016. Punter Joseph Gedeon was inconsistent and Indiana’s special teams blunders nearly cost them several games. A long snapper may not be able to fix many if any of those issues, but for a program’s special teams unit to be good, every cog in the machine has to be doing their job. For Oakes and Gedeon to do their job, first Godsil must do his.

The Ottawa-Glandorf High School graduate earned a scholarship in 2016 preseason camp and saw the field every game in 2016-17 as both a long and short snapper. A versatile athlete, Godsil played linebacker for head coach Ken Schriner in high school in addition to lettering in track and field. The long snapper position runs in the family as well, his father David was a long snapper as well as a defensive tackle for the University of Dayton.

With Godsil about to be a junior and having appeared in every single game the last two years, the Hoosiers will rely on his experience to help the anchor the kicking and punting game. There’s no doubt that Oakes and Gedeon have to make some big strides this Summer. Gedeon, who showed flashes of greatness last season and Oakes who needs to get his groove from 2015 back, but without Godsil setting a solid foundation their improvement won’t mean nearly as much. Godsil made his one word for 2016 consistent. If he’s consistent there’s a much better chance the rest of special teams can be the same. An experienced player on a unit that needs it, if you don’t hear Godsil’s name often in 2016, then he’s doing a good job.

Share your thoughts or expectations for Dan Godsil, what you think his role will be and the rest of the IU special teams in our comments section (or on the message boards) and be sure to come back to Hoosier Huddle each day during our countdown!