Jovan Swann Brings Veteran Production and Experience to Bloomington

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Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

As a high school star at Center Grove High School in Indiana, Jovan Swann had several suitors for his services. For a while in the recruitment though, it appeared the in-state Indiana Hoosiers would be his choice. However, Swann got an offer from Stanford and could chose to head West to Palo Alto. That is a very understandable decision and he was mostly very good for the Cardinal, starting the majority of his games and ending up with double-digit sacks and nearly 90 tackles. In addition, he earned a degree in human biology from the prestigious academic institution.

However, Swann wanted something different for his final year of eligibility and he quickly knew just the place to finish his college career. It was time to head home. “I ultimately had Indiana in my final three before going to the West Coast. That wasn't just for show. That's because I truly valued the state of Indiana and the support that I have here. To wrap it up here means more than you know. I'm excited to be able to have my family around for games,” Swann told the media in a Zoom teleconference session this week. “Just to be able to come back home and be able to get that support in person, it means the world to me. I'm just excited to give my all to everybody in Indiana.”

Jovan Swann is joining a defensive line that has several young players returning and a new defensive line coach joining the program after Mark Hagen left for the University of Texas. New position coach Kevin Peoples had great things to say about the leadership and quality the graduate transfer added to the group.

“First of all, production,” Peoples said of Swann. “You're talking about somebody that has almost a dozen sacks in his career in a different scheme that might be a bit harder to get sacks out of. He's going to provide a lot of play-making ability. If you just meet and talk with Jovan, he is professional the way he handles himself. He brings a veteran guy that obviously has had success at this level. And then the way he handles himself and what he can bring to the table. Both in showing the younger guys the way in which to study the game, the way in which to handle himself in meetings and the production that will come with it. I'm very excited about what he can bring for us and I think that he is going to have great success coming back to the state of Indiana.”

Swann is likely to play a three-technique in the interior of the line but he definitely has the ability to swing outside and play as a defensive end when the situation calls for it. Kevin Peoples eluded to the scheme at Stanford being a bit harder to get sacks for a defensive lineman and that is something Swann agreed with.

“At the end of the day I wanted to get into a scheme that fit my playing style better. Just more of an attack-react style than a react-attack,” Swann said.

Swann loved what defensive coordinator Kane Wommack told him about the playing style and the attacking mentality he’d be able to play with. “You talk with Coach Wommack and we have that philosophy of Swarm D and that was really what influenced my decision-making process to play with a group of guys that really care. All 11 to the ball. I'm excited to get to that meeting room hopefully when they release us and get working with the dogs.”

Jovan Swann joins players like James Head, Sio Nofoagatoto’a, Michael Ziemba, Alfred Bryant, Demarcus Elliott, Jerome Johnson and others to form a defensive line that has more depth and talent than the Hoosiers have had up front for any season in recent memory. Each player will need to work their hardest to assure the talent and potential turns into a productive group that leads to winning.