The 1998 Football Preview
8/31/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
The 1998 Football Preview
Excitement. Optimism. Youth. Opportunity. Inexperience. All five words can certainly be found in any article previewing Indiana University's football team in 1998. With just five players on the 1998 roster who will be in their final year of eligibility this fall, and with increased competition at every position, the future looks bright for second-year head coach Cam Cameron's charges.
"The number one thing that we brought out of spring practice is that we now have competition at virtually every position," said Cameron. "Competition is what we need. We need it so guys are pushed and forced to get better every day. At the same time, once we decide which way we are going with a starter and a backup, or maybe even a two-player rotation at one position, we should be able to develop some depth.
"You're looking at a team with only five players in their final year of eligibility," said Cameron. "So, obviously the negative is inexperience. But, the positives far outweigh the negatives. It's going to give us energy. These guys are extremely coachable and they do everything that we ask them to do. I think they'll make up for that inexperience with more speed than we had this past year. I think this group will only get better. If we can have any luck at all with injuries you're going to see a team that is going to take its lumps early but should continue to improve, not only throughout this season but also next year."
Spring practice helped create depth at several positions. At quarterback, junior incumbent starter Jay Rodgers had a productive spring. He capped spring ball with a 5-touchdown performance in the spring game. Rodgers was very impressive during the spring but he was pushed every step of the way by freshman Antwaan Randle El. A partial academic qualifier in 1997, he has shown in practice why he should be one of the Big Ten's most exciting players in the very near future.
At wide receiver, sophomore Versie Gaddis returned this past spring after missing the entire 1997 season because of a knee injury he suffered during the first spring practice session of 1997. He is expected to challenge for one of the starting wideout spots.
In the backfield, junior Jason Spear moved from tailback to fullback and competed with senior Chris Gall (54 catches in 1997) throughout the spring. Another position move occurred at tailback where sophomore Marcus Floyd, who played wide receiver as a true freshman in 1997, had an excellent spring. He is challenging sophomore De'Wayne Hogan for the starting tailback job.
The biggest question mark on offense will be the development of the offensive line. Last year's left guard Victor Allotey (Buffalo Bills) and left tackle Chris Liwienski (Detroit Lions) were both selected in the 1998 NFL draft and center Chris Lee (Blue-Gray Game participant following the '97 season) and right guard Khalfani Banks were all lost to graduation. The only returning starter is junior right tackle Craig Robeen who has been penciled in to start at that same spot in 1998. Junior college transfer Pita Elisara, who was widely regarded as one of the finest junior college linemen in the country last year, should provide additional athleticism and toughness at the other tackle spot.
Defensively, increased athleticism should bolster a young unit that showed flashes of excellence in 1997. Leading the way for defensive coordinator Jon Heacock's unit is 1997 first-team All-Big Ten defensive end Adewale Ogunleye. The Staten Island, New York, product tallied 21 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 1997. One of several talented young defensive linemen on the IU squad, Ogunleye is joined by junior DT Damian Gregory. The 6-3, 301-pound, Gregory will be looked upon to become one of the conference's top defensive players during his final two seasons in Bloomington.
Senior Jabar Robinson, the team's leading tackler in 1997, returns at linebacker and will look to solidify a talented, yet young, unit.
With the graduation of starting defensive backs Joey Eloms (Seattle Seahawks), Kywin Supernaw (Detroit Lions), and Joe King, the secondary could be a concern but the talent of several young players, including junior cornerback Curtis Randle El, has Cameron excited about watching this unit develop.
"There are some true freshmen that could fit in the defensive backfield, the linebacker situation, and the defensive line position," said Cameron. "The freshmen are going to add competition at all three areas on defense. I wouldn't be surprised to see three or four true freshmen play on that side of the ball."
On special teams, sophomore kicker Andy Payne is back after turning in one of the finest rookie campaigns in IU history in 1997. However, IU's all-time punting leader, Alan Sutkowski, was lost to graduation and will need to be replaced. Also, special teams coach John Harbaugh was hired by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles to be their special teams coach. Newly hired assistant Jeff Hammerschmidt will take over Harbaugh's special teams duties.
The spring was not without some position changes as senior Bryan Bobay moved from tight end/fullback to the defensive line, Spear moved from tailback to fullback, Floyd moved from wide receiver to running back and junior Robert Parrish moved from defensive back to linebacker.
With that said, here is a closer look at a position-by-position breakdown of what to look forward to in 1998.
It's been a long time since the competition for the starting quarterback job at Indiana has created this much excitement and discussion. The battle between junior Jay Rodgers and freshman Antwaan Randle El was predicted going into the spring and neither quarterback did anything but improve his chances to be the opening day starter.
Rodgers started all 11 games as a sophomore in 1997 and has started 15 games during the past two seasons. He completed 58.2 percent of his passes last season, the third-best single season passing percentage in school history behind Babe Laufenberg and Washington Redskins quarterback Trent Green. Rodgers also threw for 2,156 yards, the fifth-highest single-season passing total in IU history.
Pushing Rodgers are Randle El and sophomore Earl Haniford. Haniford saw the first action of his college career in 1997 as a backup to Rodgers. One of the most prolific passers in the history of high school football, this former high school All-America selection showed vast improvement throughout the '97 campaign and during spring practice.
Randle El, a partial academic qualifier last season, could practice but could not appear in games in 1997. His performances in practice last fall and again this spring have made him one of the most talked about young players in the history of the Indiana football program. Also a guard on the IU basketball team where he plays for the legendary Bob Knight, Randle El is a quick, strong-armed, quarterback who has the ability to hurt a defense in a variety of ways. Randle El could also see action at wide receiver, running back, cornerback, and in the return game.
Cameron's Analysis of the Quarterbacks
"There is probably more competition at quarterback than we have had for some time. It should do nothing but make all three guys better. Jay has really improved since last fall and Antwaan Randle El created a lot of competition for him. I think you can see three different scenarios at this position. The first would have Jay as the starter and Antwaan helping us in another area. The second scenario would have Antwaan as the starter and the third would have both in the game at the same time. In the third situation, both would play quarterback at times and then Antwaan would be the quarterback and Jay would go play wide receiver, or vice versa. We had a scrimmage this spring and Antwaan threw Jay a touchdown.We probably won't know which situation will occur until the end of August. Jay and Antwaan have a lot of mobility and we will likely have them do some things other than just throw the football. Jay's a coach's son. What does that mean? It means he's been around football, he enjoys football, and I think, over the next couple of years, he has a chance to become an extremely smart quarterback. After looking at Antwaan at practice this past year, I really believe that he will develop very quickly because he works so hard. He was a very gifted player in high school and I thought his high school coaching staff did a great job asking him to do the things that he did well. But he's more than just an athlete. He's a guy who can throw the football. He's smart and he's a competitor. And Earl excites me, too. He can bring a lot of different things to the table. He just continues to do everything he can to continue to improve himself."
Senior Chris Gall returns this fall as the starting fullback and team co-captain. A former walk-on, Gall was Indiana's most consistent offensive performer throughout the 1997 season and was recognized as the team's co-Most Valuable Player (along with safety Kywin Supernaw) following the 1997 campaign. Gall is expected to be one of the Big Ten's finest fullbacks in '98. He finished the 1997 season with 54 catches in 10 games despite suffering a left knee sprain in game 10 at Minnesota that sidelined him for the season finale vs. Purdue.
Moving from tailback to fullback during spring practice prior to the 1998 campaign was junior Jason Spear. He showed flashes of being a steady Big Ten tailback during the '97 campaign and has put on additional strength and muscle to handle the various demands of the fullback spot. Also vying for playing time at fullback are sophomore David Ballou and redshirt freshman Kyle Enright.
While senior co-captain Chris Gall is expected to be one of the finest all-around fullbacks in the Big Ten in 1998, the starting tailback role is wide open heading into the fall with sophomores De'Wayne Hogan, Glynn Johnson, and Marcus Floyd, and junior college transfer Frankie Franklin, all expected to challenge for playing time.
Hogan started six games last season as a true freshman and rushed for 506 yards and 4 touchdowns. He carried 34 times for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns in game 4 at Wisconsin and he rushed 38 times for 164 yards and 1 touchdown vs. Illinois. The 164-yard effort vs. the Illini marked the most rushing yards by a true freshman at IU since current running backs coach Anthony Thompson rushed for 207 yards versus Wisconsin in 1986. A physical specimen, Hogan's punishing running style seemed to fuel the Hoosiers' entire offense at times in '97.
Johnson averaged 4.4 yards per carry during the 1997 season despite being slowed throughout the season by a nagging ankle injury. He had a 99-yard rushing effort in game 10 at Minnesota despite not playing the entire fourth quarter because he reinjured the ankle.
Floyd, a sophomore who saw limited action at wide receiver as a true freshman in 1997, was one of the nicest surprises of the spring for Cameron and his staff. Floyd's cutting ability and speed is a noticeable change of pace from the big, bruising, Hogan.
Franklin, the 1995 USA Today Player of the Year in Florida, spent the past two seasons at Holmes (Miss.) Junior College. He finished his high school career with 5,621 rushing yards.
Cameron's Analysis of the Running Backs
"We've made a couple of position moves this past spring. We moved Marcus Floyd to tailback from wide receiver and we also moved Jason Spear from tailback to fullback. Those moves allowed us to create competition at both positions. De'Wayne Hogan, who played well at times last year but then got banged up, couldn't stay at full speed. The same thing happened again this spring. He has to have a great summer to get back on track so he can play at the level that he's capable of playing. Marcus came in and had as good a spring as anyone. Those two guys will be battling for the starting job but, at the same time, you're looking right behind them at Glynn Johnson. Glynn didn't have the type of spring that I think he would have liked to have had but I think he has talent. He works hard, he's one of the faster guys on the team, and to count him out would be a mistake. He could be the surprise of the fall if he comes back in great shape. Deion Grubbs did some good things in the spring but has some work to do academically and I think we'll wait and see how Deion handles things. Frankie Franklin, a junior college back who we've seen on film, could come right in and be as good as anybody we have. It's just going to be a matter of how quickly he picks things up. I like the fact that we've got competition at tailback. It was Jason Spear's idea to move to fullback and we thought that was a good move. It allows him to bulk up a little bit and, at times, early in the spring he showed where he is going to be able to compete with Chris Gall for that starting spot. He's got to have a great summer and come back in excellent shape because he tailed off toward the end of spring ball. I think Chris Gall would welcome competition. He's a returning captain and he had a good season last year. He was one of the positives for us offensively and he carried that right into the spring after coming back from a knee injury late in '97. I think he will welcome the competition and it will do nothing but make him better. Kyle Enright and David Ballou are two young guys that are still feeling their way a little bit. David's had some injuries, including mononucleosis in the spring, and Kyle sustained a broken foot at the beginning of last year. Those two guys are a step behind Gall and Spear but they can make a lot of improvement in the summer."
Without question, Indiana had the youngest receiving corps in the country in 1997. The unit couldn't have been any younger as true freshmen occupied the top three receiver spots on the IU depth chart. O.J. Conner, Tyrone Browning, and Marcus Floyd (since moved to RB) all saw action at wide receiver in '97, with the first two combining to start 15 games. Not including running backs and tight ends, the three freshmen combined to tally 74 percent of Indiana's receptions and 89 percent of its receiving yardage.
Sophomore Versie Gaddis, who missed the entire 1997 season after reconstructive knee surgery, will look to compete for a starting job after showing signs this spring why he was considered as one of the Big Ten's ascending young stars in 1996. Although both were unable to practice in 1997 and again this past spring, former high school standouts Levron Williams and Derin Graham are enrolled at Indiana and are eligible to join the team this fall. Williams was rated among the top 15 high school players in the country in 1996.
Conner, a tall, wiry, receiver finished his freshman campaign with 28 catches for 520 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Browning also contributed to the offensive attack by adding 24 catches for 367 yards. He played in the final 10 games of the season and started 5 contests.
Gaddis, who was one of just four true freshmen to win a letter in 1996, caught 7 passes for 146 yards (team-leading 20.9 average per catch) that season but suffered a torn ACL during the first day of spring drills in 1997. He was lost for the season after reconstructive knee surgery but has since returned and has the speed and ability to be an important contributor at wideout.
Junior walk-on Terry Kramer will also compete for a spot in the rotation. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Raheem Ellis suffered a knee injury during the spring and his status for the fall is uncertain. Widely regarded as Indiana's fastest player, he provisionally qualified for the NCAA indoor track meet in the 55-meter dash while running as an independent in an open meet.
Cameron's Analysis of the Wide Receivers
"We were thin this past spring at wide receiver. O.J. Conner did not practice because of an abdominal injury. That forced Tyrone Browning to take more snaps than we probably would have liked. He had an excellent spring and had about 14 catches in the spring game. He's improving every day but still has room to get better. Tyrone is one of our fiercest competitors and best-conditioned athletes. We expect great things out of him. It was nice to get Versie Gaddis back after missing all of last year. He won our Comeback-Player-of-the-Spring award after spring practice. He's a little rusty but we expect him to come in and play at a high level this fall. Levron Williams and Derin Graham are guys we haven't seen play yet. They'll both be eligible to play and I'm looking forward to seeing both of those guys when we start practice. They're two young players who have talent but haven't been able to show it yet. We will look for those two guys to contribute. Terry Kramer has done some good things for us. He's a walk-on but he'll be able to give us some depth. We've gone from being relatively thin at wide receiver to a group that's going to have some depth. But, there is a lot of inexperience."
Junior Randy Maxwell, last year's starter at tight end, returns. After a solid sophomore season, Maxwell had an excellent spring and often drew praise from the IU coaching staff. One of the team's most tenacious players, Maxwell has earned a reputation for his work ethic and excellent hands. He started at tight end in all 11 games in 1997 and finished the season with 15 receptions.
Redshirt freshman Sterling Mintzer has the ability to be a contributor and has shown signs that he has the potential to be a playmaker. Additional help is on the way as Indiana signed the top tight end prospect in Indiana (Craig Osika), Kentucky (Stephen Anthony), and Pennsylvania (Bobby Brandt) this year, although Anthony will likely play fullback or linebacker.
Cameron's Analysis of the Tight Ends
"Randy Maxwell solidified his starting spot by being one of the team's top performers this spring. He did some good things last year and we need him to have one heck of a fall. Sterling Mintzer was a true freshman last season and he is starting to get a good understanding of what we are trying to do. The sky is limit as far as his potential is concerned. He's big and can run and catch, but has a lot to learn about the game. Throughout his career he should make drastic improvements. There are a lot of positives coming out of our tight end position."
One of the key developments of spring practice was the competition for several offensive line spots. Departed are two NFL draft picks, last year's left tackle Chris Liwienski (Detroit Lions) and left guard Victor Allotey (Buffalo Bills). Center Chris Lee (Blue-Gray Game participant following 1997 season) and right guard Khalfani Banks have also graduated. The only returning starter is junior Craig Robeen who is penciled in at right tackle.
Cameron and his staff are extremely excited about junior college transfer Pita Elisara who will likely see extensive playing time at the left tackle spot this fall. The Palomar (Calif.) J.C. product was one of the country's top junior college linemen last season.
Among the group vying for starting positions are juniors Matt Snyder, Jeremy Johnson, Chad Miller, Doug Baumgarten, and Jason Stealy, sophomore James Broyles, and redshirt freshman Nate DeArmond. Sophomore Patrick Mallory, who transferred to IU from the University of Evansville prior to the 1997 season, could also see playing time. Among this group, Snyder saw the most action as he appeared in 10 games in 1997 and played well throughout the year. Baumgarten, a transfer from Southwestern (Calif.) Junior College, enrolled at Indiana this past winter and practiced with the team during spring drills.
In addition to Elisara and Baumgarten, Cameron brought in a talented group of young linemen from the high school ranks.
Cameron's Analysis of the Offensive Line
"We lost four starters on the offensive line so we are going to reload the entire unit. We have one starter returning, Craig Robeen, who was at right tackle last year. He started all 11 games and played well at times. He has gotten a lot better and we have to have a great year out of Craig this year. I know he's doing everything he can to see that it happens. At the left tackle spot, Jeremy Johnson and Doug Baumgarten alternated with the first unit this spring and both showed great improvement. They'll both need to continue to do that because Pita Elisara, a junior college tackle who is coming in, is going to give them plenty of competition. All three of those guys will battle for that tackle spot. In the interior, most of our centers can also play guard. At center you can start with (Matt) Snyder and (Chad) Miller. Snyder had as productive a spring as anyone on the offensive line and he can also play guard. We like what we see out of Matt. We moved Chad Miller from defensive line to offensive line a year ago and he is really starting to grasp the position. He has the mentality we want. He plays with the tenacity that we want. He's just got to learn how to play the center position from a technique standpoint. Once he does that he has a chance to be a fine center. That would enable Matt to go to guard. At guard, Jason Stealy won the Most-Improved-Player Award on offense this spring. He lost close to 40 pounds this past year. We just need to wait and see how he performs. Indications are that he can play if he improves as much this summer as he did last spring. Nate DeArmond is another guy that we think is going to be able to help us but he missed three-quarters of the spring with an ankle injury. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do this fall. Jay Cantwell improved drastically. He is a young player who has a long way to go but he may fit in there. We've got a nice group of incoming freshmen on the offensive line who have the ability to play early but I don't really think it's in their best interest. Mentally, to play on the offensive line as a freshman is very difficult to do but we do have a talented group of offensive linemen coming in."
There is no question that the defensive line should be a team strength in 1998. First-team All-Big Ten defensive end Adewale Ogunleye leads the group after finishing last season with 21 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Although just a sophomore in '97, Ogunleye's tackle for loss tally was the second highest single-season total in school history behind Van Waiters' 24 during the 1986 campaign. Along with Ogunleye, senior defensive end Aaron Williams, junior defensive tackle Damian Gregory, junior defensive end/tackle Jason Czap, sophomore DT Paul Mandina and redshirt freshman DE/DT Kemp Rasmussen will look to form one of the Big Ten's finest units. Also in the mix will be converted TE/FB Bryan Bobay.
Gregory, who started 10 games in '97 before breaking his wrist at Minnesota in the next to last game of the season, is often mentioned as one of the finest young defensive tackles in the Big Ten. He finished last season with 14 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. In just two seasons, the combination of Ogunleye and Gregory has accounted for 53 tackles for loss and 23 sacks.
Williams, who passed on an opportunity to be selected in the Canadian Football League draft this offseason, showed great improvement in 1997 and finished the year with 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 interception.
The question mark along the defensive front will be at the tackle position (middle guard/nose guard) opposite Gregory. Mandina had an impressive spring and will likely see time but he will be pushed by both Rasmussen and Bobay. Mandina saw limited action in 1997, Rasmussen was a redshirt, and Bobay suffered a broken leg prior to the Michigan game while playing on offense. He did, however, play defense in 1996.
Other players who will look to contribute will be sophomore defensive ends Gordon Bramel and Nick Abruzzo. Czap has moved from whip to the defensive line and Cameron has said that one way or another, he will put himself in position to be on the field.
At the whip in 1998 will likely be sophomore Tony Brown or redshirt freshman Devin Schaffer. Both have the athleticism to play this demanding position effectively. Junior Vince Lidy is a multi-dimensional player who will have the opportunity to play a variety of positions along the defensive front.
Cameron's Analysis of the Defensive Line
"Defensively, Adewale Ogunleye, a returning first-team All-Big Ten player, is just scratching the surface of his potential. Even though he received recognition for his play last year he is aware that he has a lot of room for improvement. He knows that people are going to play him a little differently now that they know about him. He's not going to sneak up on anybody. He's physically gifted and extremely bright. There are a number of guys in competition for playing time at the other defensive end spot and most of our defensive line positions are interchangeable. Aaron Williams returns after starting almost every game last year but he missed a lot of spring practice because of an ankle injury. Usually when someone misses time because of injury that creates an opportunity and two guys have really made the most of that chance. One was Bryan Bobay. We moved him from tight end to defensive line and he's going to battle for the fox position with Aaron Williams. Kemp Rasmussen has played there at times and he can also compete. When you look at Wally, Aaron, Bryan, and possibly Kemp, you've got a chance to have two pretty good defensive ends. Gordon Bramel and Nick Abruzzo are two young guys that should really improve this summer. They know they need to step it up but they're giving us everything they have. At some point you'd like to see them challenge Wally, and some of these other guys, to help make them better. Somewhere down the road those two guys fit into our plans. Middle guard is the one position that we have to get solved. Paul Mandina had a really good spring. We're looking for someone else in there to create some competition for him and that's probably going to be Kemp. Maybe someone from the freshmen class will fit into that mix. We've got to find a middle guard for this defense to play at a high level. Damian Gregory missed the entire spring. Doctors didn't think it would be good for him to be involved in contact this spring after breaking his arm at Minnesota last year. He did practice every day but was held out of contact. At times you could see his ability last year. He's another kid who has only scratched the surface of his ability. Damian knows that and he's done everything possible this offseason to get ready for this year but his competition, Jason Czap, started a lot for us at whip last year and he's going to fit into our lineup. When it's all said and done, we're going to start the five best defensive linemen we've got and I'm going to be surprised if Jason Czap doesn't fit in there somewhere. We played him at middle guard this spring. We played him at defensive tackle. He also played end. With all of those positions being interchangeable we have yet to determine where he may end up playing. Wally's the only guy I know for sure who has a starting position. Let's just hope no one sneaks up on him."
Although one of Cameron's primary goals is to create depth at linebacker, the Hoosiers do have one of the Big Ten's better defenders in senior co-captain Jabar Robinson. Robinson, who started all 11 games at middle linebacker in 1997, has tallied 222 career tackles. He finished with a team-leading 101 tackles last season, including 12 for loss, on his way to honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. He has the toughness to stop the run and the speed to cover both tight ends and running backs.
After Robinson, juniors Brad Gecina, Vince Lidy, and James Lamar, sophomores Joslin Goodman and Tony Brown, and redshirt freshman Devin Schaffer will look to work their way into the lineup.
Gecina was recognized as IU's Most-Improved-Player on defense at the conclusion of practice this past spring and he is listed as a starter at SAM linebacker on the preseason depth chart. Lamar played primarily on special teams and as a reserve linebacker throughout the '97 season. He did, however, earn two starts at outside linebacker. He finished the year with 31 tackles, including 1 tackle for loss. Goodman, who played as a true freshman in '97 and earned starting assignments in 3 games, is a gifted young linebacker.
Schaffer and Brown will vie for the whip position which is essentially a combo defensive lineman/linebacker in defensive coordinator Jon Heacock's '46' scheme. Both have excellent athleticism. Cameron is also excited about walk-ons Patrick Kraft, Michael Scaletta, Jerry Dotson, and Steven Golebiowski.
Cameron's Analysis of the Linebackers
"Brad Gecina was our most improved defensive player this spring. He was a pleasant surprise and he really played the best of any of our linebackers. We've got to continue to improve. Jabar Robinson did not have a bad spring at all. He did some good things. But, at the same time, our expectations for him are extremely high. He's a returning captain and I know he'll pick things up this summer and go into the fall playing as well as he can play. He's our leading returning tackler and we expect him to do that again this year. Joslin Goodman is another young guy who physically is a talent. But, he has a lot to learn and he knows that. I've really enjoyed watching him mature. As his attitude continues to come along you're going to see his play improve. James Lamar also returns and he has some ability. There's a group of walk-ons that are all battling to contribute ?? Kraft, Scaletta, Dotson, Golebiowski. They really do some good things. Our linebacking position has to improve because of the way that teams run the ball in this league. We have the ability. We've just got to get to the point where this position is leading our defense and playing the way that we are capable."
With the departures of seniors Joey Eloms (Seattle Seahawks), Kywin Supernaw (Detroit Lions), and Joe King, the secondary is an area of concern heading into the 1998 campaign. However, an infusion of good young talent and the return of juniors Curtis Randle El, Mike McGrath, and Patrick Shaw should make the replacement of the departed starters a little bit easier.
Randle El moved from cornerback to strong safety midway through the 1997 season but is expected to play corner on a full-time basis in '98. He finished last season with 43 tackles, including 6 for loss, 2 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He is likely to be joined at cornerback by prep school transfer Sharrod Wallace or sophomores O.J. Spencer and Narlin Clancy. Spencer, who started one game in '97, played primarily on special teams and in the Hoosiers' nickel package. Wallace enrolled at mid-semester and had an impressive spring after transferring from Hargrave Military Academy.
At safety, McGrath and Shaw saw extensive action last season and will be expected to challenge for the starting spots along with redshirt freshmen Brandon Rodgers, Justin Smith and Kyle Moffatt.
Cameron's Analysis of the Defensive Backs
"Almost the entire secondary graduated. Eloms went to Seattle, Supernaw to Detroit, and we also lost Joe King. At corner, O.J. Spencer and Curtis Randle El are coming off good springs but, again, there is good competition. The competition they're getting from Sharrod Wallace means they are going to have to come ready to play. Narlin Clancy has shown flashes at times that he could help us. But, all four of those guys have really got to spend time this summer, and in the preseason, getting ready to play so they can build on the good things that they did in the spring. We'll be inexperienced in the secondary but I think we're going to be talented. All of these guys have talent and that carries right into the free safety position with Pat Shaw. He played quite a bit last year and he's in a battle with Brandon Rodgers. Rodgers will be a redshirt freshman who has a knack for making plays but he's got a lot to learn. Who will be the free safety? We'd like to determine that during the preseason. We're going to need both Brandon and Pat to play. At strong safety, Mike McGrath had a good spring as did Kyle Moffatt and those two were battling it out. When Justin Smith came back after hernia surgery we moved him in there at strong safety and he has a chance to really help us there. He can also play at our short-corner position. Justin's a guy that can give us some flexibility. He can fit in the battle at corner and at safety. Again, you're looking at the entire secondary and a lot of those positions are interchangeable. It's going to be a four-way battle at corner and at safety and there's going to be some freshmen that could figure in the rotation."
In the kicking game Alan Sutkowski, the most productive punter in the history of Indiana University, has graduated and that leaves the Hoosiers without an established punter. Junior college transfer Drew Hagan enrolled at mid-semester and punted in spring drills. He is the all-time high school record holder for extra points in a single season (87). Redshirt freshman J.R. Drummond, who spent the 1997 season recovering from an offseason automobile accident, will also have an opportunity to challenge for the punting job.
Sophomore kicker Andy Payne returns after an impressive freshman campaign. He went from having to win his job in warmups prior to the season opener at North Carolina to kicking 15 field goals on the year. He established himself as one of the finest young kickers in the Big Ten. Payne had seven combined field goals in games 9-10 and tied his own school record with four field goals at Minnesota.
Cameron's Analysis of the Kicking Game
"The punting game is a concern. Alan Sutkowski graduated and we have no one on campus who has ever punted in a game before. We signed Drew Hagan at mid-semester and he showed some ability during the spring. J.R. Drummond is returning from a broken leg but he looked as if he was returning to form. Andy Payne comes back as our starting kicker. He did nothing but get better, and better, as the year went along. We hope he'll get some competition from our walk-ons. We have to constantly upgrade our kicking game."
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