This week, Indiana endured its third week of fall camp, including its first intrasquad scrimmage.
“Like most first scrimmages: good, bad and ugly,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said on Monday. “Not quite as many penalties as there normally are, or turnovers, but still a lot to clean up in terms of assignments and getting guys doing what they're supposed to do.”
A few observations from week three:
Iron sharpening iron
It’s difficult to tell whether the offense or the defense is the most successful unit at this time. In large part because it’s only August, of course, but also in part because each side of the line of scrimmage has enjoyed its moments of splendor and an equal amount of moments of inferiority.
“It’s been back and forth,” Cignetti said after practice on Monday, “pretty good competition, they’ve both had their moments… I’d give the defense the edge.”
That may have been true at the time, and perhaps is still true now, but fifth-year linebacker Isiaiah Jones expressed the opposite sentiment as soon as two days later, after a relatively rough practice on Wednesday.
“If anyone was at practice today,” Jones said, “the offense gave us a little bit of a rough time, so I’m pretty upset about that one.”
It’s early. Mistakes and struggles are understandable. It’s not terrible, either way, that the head coach thought the defense had the upper hand while Jones, a key leader of that very same defense, is discontent with the state of his unit in competition with the Indiana offense.
At this time, the Hoosiers have lined up only against themselves, rendering it impossible to properly compare up this team to anyone outside of Bloomington. Perhaps it's possible that both sides of the ball are simply struggling, but it’s more likely that each side is productively pushing the limits of the other.
Iron sharpens iron.
Another deep group of running backs
Last week, it became clear that Indiana’s running backs are as spry as they are strong. This week, the team’s top three running backs all spoke to the media, expressing excitement about one another and the amount of talent distributed throughout the position group.
“We have three deadly weapons in the backfield,” third-year running back Khobie Martin said on Friday. “Everybody can do something, so everybody stays fresh and just leaves defenses tired and not knowing what to do.”
Martin stands beside fifth-year Lee Beebe Jr. and Boston College transfer Turbo Richard in the backfield, as that trio strives to match or exceed the rushing production of last year’s group. Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby, from that group, are now on NFL rosters.
With three running backs who likely could shoulder the majority of the load all on their own if necessary, but with none actually asked to do so, the Hoosiers enjoy a great rotation of rushers.
All three individuals exhibit talent while on the field, and all amplify one other’s strengths.
“Between all of us we have a great bond,” Beebe Jr. said on Friday. “When we’re out there on the field we feed off of each other’s energy and that’s when we do great.”
It’s evident on the practice field, and soon, it may exist in game action as well.
A defensive line in limbo
Earlier this month, a class-wide preliminary injunction granted members of the 2022 high school class who exhausted their four years of eligibility this past spring a fifth year of eligibility under the new five-for-five regulations.
On Friday, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the previous sweeping decision, rendering it powerless. Therefore, members of the 2022 high school class who exhausted their four years of eligibility this past spring, as of this moment, do not receive a free fifth season from the federal government and instead must pursue extended eligibility individually or at the state level.
As a result, for the moment, defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt are no longer eligible for a fifth season. Indiana’s pass rush is fantastic, with or without Daley and Wyatt, but still takes a significant hit if this revised decision holds.
“I could say a lot of things about our defensive line right now, they give me a lot of problems,” fifth-year offensive lineman Carter Smith said on Wednesday. “A lot of big guys on the edge, Chiddi (Obiazor) is tall, strong, fast. Tobi (Osunsanmi) is really fast. (Tyrique Tucker) and Mario (Landino) are very disruptive inside… iron sharpens iron, we make each other better every day, that’s all we can do.”
Even if Daley and Wyatt do not receive permission to compete, the front seven will survive. Perhaps it still will thrive, too, with a treasure trove of talent and a stout offensive line to compete against each and every day.
Either way, at least as of now, Daley and Wyatt are ineligible. In consequence, the status and composition of the defensive line is once again uncertain.
