Indiana University Athletics
GRAHAM NOTEBOOK: Big Men. Bigger Men.
8/4/2018 9:48:00 AM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - "Big Men lead the way."
That phrase is common parlance in and around the Indiana football facilities. It acknowledges how superiority of line play leads to winning.
And nowadays in Bloomington, it refers to even bigger men.
Stronger and quicker men, too.
Every offensive lineman on IU's 2017 depth chart returns for 2018, and the top 10 on the two-deep chart in the 2018 media guide now check in at an enlarged average size of 6-foot-4 ½ and 312.6 pounds.
But those are hardly the only germane numerical increases.
The strength and conditioning program David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea took over in January has quadrupled the amount of Hoosier players bench-pressing at least 400 pounds – with offensive linemen well represented in that group.
"You can't be good offensively unless those dudes up front are good – it's just not going to happen," Ballou said this week during IU's annual media day. "So when I got here, I dived head first into O-line, D-line, and getting that thing rolling as fast as possible.
"When I got here, there were two offensive linemen who could bench-press 400 pounds. Now there are seven. That's a big deal … those guys have been awesome.
"Anytime those guys are the heartbeat of the offense, that's good news. And anytime you don't have to beg and plead for guys to work, especially in that group, it's good news. It's really good news."
And welcome news for IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord.
"It all starts up front," DeBord said. "…To have that group back, and have them (well-versed) in our terminology and our system – and also what they've been able to accomplish this summer through Coach Ballou and Dr. Rhea and those guys … it's just been unbelievable."
IU had issues getting started up front last fall, plagued by injuries and inconsistency. The Hoosiers ranked 12th among Big Ten teams in rushing at 130.1 yards per game (and just 3.5 yards per carry).
Coy Cronk won't say it, but the junior who has started at left tackle since his true freshman season of 2016, was among the Hoosiers playing hurt through much of 2017.
"I think everybody knows that it starts up front, and we didn't run the ball well enough last year," Cronk said. "We had a lot of moving pieces, with injuries and whatnot.
"So it's nice to have everybody back, with pretty much everybody having some experience. I think that's going to help the young guys a lot, because they can be around guys who have been through it. And for the veterans, being able to go out there with guys you've already played with helps a lot."
Cronk plays alongside the acknowledged leader and big bull among the current beef populating IU's offensive front, fifth-year senior left guard Wes Martin.
Martin benches 535 pounds.
"Wes is an impressive dude, just by nature," Ballou said. "Every football team across the country has (physical) freaks, and Wes is certainly a freak."
Ballou knows about those sorts of guys. He helps develop them.
After just one season conditioning players at Notre Dame in 2017, Ballou saw pupils Quenton Nelson (picked No. 6 by the Colts) and Mike McGlinchey (No. 9 by the 49ers) both selected in the Top 10 of the 2018 NFL Draft – the top two offensive linemen taken.
"I was very fortunate to be around some studs, some absolute studs, last year," Ballou said. "The way they attacked the weight room was unbelievable. It was almost like a couple of Navy SEALs.
"But that mind frame is what I feel like our guys have had since I've been here (at IU), and that's what leads me to be optimistic."
Ballou and Rhea have a series of 10 workouts that add up to what they term "Power Profiles" and that they believe translate especially well to the football field. And the Hoosier offensive linemen have improved significantly in the crucial "Single Leg" measurement.
"The offensive line had one of the highest increases in the Single-Leg category," Ballou said. "I would say they were poor in that back in January and now they are definitely above-average.
"It's the ability to come off the ball, and the ability to move laterally, and the ability to react in a pass set. It's a huge, huge deal. It's a huge transfer, from these numbers and indicators. So that's one thing that leads me to be very happy with where they're at. That's one of the first things I look at, that Single-Leg stuff."
Ballou volunteered praise for all the players listed as prospective front-liners in the media guard alongside Martin: Cronk, center Hunter Littlejohn, right guard Simon Stepaniak and right tackle Brandon Knight.
"What Brandon Knight has been able to do, holistically, when we talk about our Power Profiles, has been very, very impressive," Ballou said. "The dude is an explosive kid, and he can move. He's got some mobility. Great mobility.
"And I'm a huge fan of Hunter Littlejohn, who had maybe one of the best improvements we've had for an off-season on the roster. The kid just completely bought-in from day one. Asked a bunch of questions. He does everything the right way. Totally loves this university. Awesome dude.
"Coy Cronk had a great off-season. I mean, look at him now, how much thicker he looks. He's 309 (pounds) and looks awesome.
"And you can go right on down the line with those dudes. Stepaniak, he's a monster. A monster. No question he can be a dude. Off the top of my head, I believe he's a guy that went up 89 percent in the Single-Leg movement we track. So his power production went up 89 percent. Again, that's going to show up (in his play)."
Ballou extended plaudits to men listed as No. 2s on the media guide depth chart, too.
Delroy Baker and Mackenzie Nworah have started multiple games. Nick Linder started 25 games for Miami (Fla.) before arriving as a graduate-transfer during the spring. Harry Crider played in eight games as a true freshman last fall. Redshirt-freshman tackle Caleb Jones hasn't yet played, but he is 6-8, 360.
"All 15 or 20 of us are back in our (offensive line) room, and we're excited to start the season," Knight noted. "We all have experience. We have depth that is definitely going to help us. The freshmen came in and just attacked the weight room, slotted right into the college workouts."
Injuries cost Knight the final five games of his sophomore season and the first two games last fall, and he is happy to head into his senior campaign among the healthy.
IU head coach Tom Allen noted last season's injuries helped make this year's crew a deeper unit.
"You know, I know it's an area that last year was hit hard with injuries from the very beginning, even before we started fall camp," Allen said. "We got hit with some. So that hurt us last year, but the ability for all the reps that those guys got in game is going to help us now."
During last month's Big Ten Football Kickoff festivities in Chicago, Allen made it clear he wants Indiana to gain a reputation as a program that can run the football.
"Step number one in that thought process was our offensive line,: he said. "We knew we needed to get them stronger. We needed to get some guys healthy from the off-season. We needed to grow our depth.
"So seeing their growth and listening to our strength staff tell me week after week that this is the best group (they had in the weight room). This is the strength of our team right here in terms of leadership and work ethic and mindset, just the way that they come to the weight room every single day to train … to me, step one was getting that offensive line at a point where you knew they needed to be in terms of setting the tone for our offense."
Rhea came to Bloomington as the "speed specialist" but is well aware of how the linemen have shined in the weight room.
"I'd say the offensive line has been really, really impressive," Rhea said. "I think if I had to pick one unit to stand out, that's probably who I'd pick, from an overall power standpoint. From a speed standpoint, our defensive backfield is really, really fast. I'd say those are probably the two units that have made the most improvement or have been the most impressive.
"From that (offensive line) unit, it's hard to pick out one or two guys. Wes Martin, Brandon Knight and Hunter Littlejohn have kind of led the way in focusing on power and getting the most out of it, but there is not a guy in that entire unit who hasn't given us every ounce of effort they could possibly give us.
"It's a group, I think, that is going to lead the way."
BEEFY
Cronk said grad-transfer Linder "is a great fit" with the Hoosier linemen.
That goes for culinary tastes, too.
"This summer, like every Thursday, we'd always go to Texas Roadhouse or someplace like that and get some grub," Knight added. He's come right in and fit right in with us.
"I think he's a sirloin dude. I'm usually a New York Strip guy. Medium."
The football players and athletes from all 24 IU sports will now spend most of their time eating at the Tobias Nutrition Center, a 10,000-square-foot space in the new Excellence Academy complex now overlooking
Memorial Stadium's south end zone.
"That new facility, that's fancy, and it's huge," Cronk said. "A lot of space. It's pretty incredible. I think they've done a tremendous job. It kind of gives you that 'Wow' factor."
Cronk said new nutritionist Isaac Hicks has helped shape his current physique along with the Ballou and Rhea programs.
"He's helped me tremendously," Cronk said of Hicks. "He gave me a meal plan in mid-May and I think I've put on eight to 10 pounds of solid weight. Got rid of some body fat. And I think that's helped me a lot.
"Part of it is just growing up and maturing. You've got to change your diet. You've got to eat right. It's not fun, I'll tell you that!"
More fun for Cronk is anticipating the completion, by next season, of the new football locker room, recruiting room and other nifty spaces being developed under the stadium's west stands.
"I think it all is going to be a huge factor (in recruiting)," Cronk said. "Recruits go through so much on visits every place, see so many different things, but I think our new facilities will really impress them.
"Our weight room is already top of the line. We have great practice fields, outside and indoors. But all this new stuff can set us apart from different schools in our conference, around the league. I think it's going to be great. Everybody already wants to take pictures and show them around."
A BETTER BREAKFAST
Sophomore linebacker T.D. Roof was eating breakfast off-site when he got an important phone call from Allen last month.
"I was at Chick-fil-A with Jacob Robinson, the big man," Roof recalled. "I saw this call come in from Coach Allen. And you know you're going to get some kind of news."
Roof and IU had filed an appeal to the NCAA asking for immediate eligibility following his off-season transfer from Georgia Tech. Roof had initially gone to Tech to play for his father, Ted, only to see his dad end up coaching at North Carolina State.
"We appealed about a month and a half ago now," Roof said. "We thought we had a pretty good shot. (IU) Compliance said it was a good shot, and whenever Compliance is happy about something – well, you don't want to jump the gun, but you feel pretty good about it."
Allen had good news for Roof. The NCAA had complied.
And yes, Roof affirmed, the breakfast suddenly tasted even better. "I was pumped!" he said.
So were his teammates in the IU linebacker room.
"That's my guy!" said Husky back Marcelino Ball, who played high school ball at Roswell (Ga.) against Roof's Buford (Ga.) team. "Actually we played them, and beat them, in high school. Then he was at Georgia
Tech and I kind of knew him from there, because my brother went there.
"So I'm happy he's here. Cool dude. He looks small, but he'll smack somebody. Real fast. He's very powerful. He has a lot of passion."
Junior stinger Reakwon Jones, coming off an outstanding spring, is happy to see the position bolstered by Roof.
"T.D., I've been hyped since he got here," Jones said. "I think he's a great player. He has experience. He brings a lot of speed. He's a key piece to our depth at linebacker."
Adding much experience to that depth was the off-season decision by fifth-year senior Dameon Willis to return for his final season of eligibility after having gone through Senior Day last fall.
"Oh, man, he's a competitor," Willis said of Roof. "First day of workouts, we were battling to get to the front of the line. That's one of the things I appreciate about him. He has a lot of grit. That's something coach Allen talks about and you can see it in him."
Grit. Or grits, at breakfast, for those Georgia boys.
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Jones will now wear jersey No. 7, which became available this season, after having previously donned No. 40 at IU.
"
Seven means a lot to me," Jones said. "It's my mom's favorite number. It's the number I wore in high school. It's always been near and dear to me, and carries a lot of weight in my family."
And it's one digit ahead of Scales' No. 8.
RED THREADS
The jerseys worn at Tuesday's media day bore sublimated IU candy stripes on the short sleeves.
"These are kind of nice," Cronk said in approval. "They even have a little stretch to them. They have a little give to them this year and I like it."
Sophomore wideout Whop Philyor's praise had more to do with aesthetics than practicality. "These things are cool!" he exclaimed. "I like 'em! Looks like candy canes."
Pretty sweet.
MIAMI NICE
Philyor is a Tampa Plant High School product and noted that he and 21 fellow Floridians on IU's roster are jacked about opening the 2018 season Sept. 1 in Miami against host Florida International.
"Oh, yeah!" he said. "We all talk about it. We're all happy we get to go back and see our families, and they can come see us play. The Miami guys, especially, are loving it up.
"I can't wait. My whole family is going to be there. My mom never got to see me play. My dad never got to see me play. My sister. So I'm happy they're going to see me play.
"My sister (his twin) goes to FIU. So she's been talkin' some smack. I'm going, 'C'mon, now.' "
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - "Big Men lead the way."
That phrase is common parlance in and around the Indiana football facilities. It acknowledges how superiority of line play leads to winning.
And nowadays in Bloomington, it refers to even bigger men.
Stronger and quicker men, too.
Every offensive lineman on IU's 2017 depth chart returns for 2018, and the top 10 on the two-deep chart in the 2018 media guide now check in at an enlarged average size of 6-foot-4 ½ and 312.6 pounds.
But those are hardly the only germane numerical increases.
The strength and conditioning program David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea took over in January has quadrupled the amount of Hoosier players bench-pressing at least 400 pounds – with offensive linemen well represented in that group.
"You can't be good offensively unless those dudes up front are good – it's just not going to happen," Ballou said this week during IU's annual media day. "So when I got here, I dived head first into O-line, D-line, and getting that thing rolling as fast as possible.
"When I got here, there were two offensive linemen who could bench-press 400 pounds. Now there are seven. That's a big deal … those guys have been awesome.
"Anytime those guys are the heartbeat of the offense, that's good news. And anytime you don't have to beg and plead for guys to work, especially in that group, it's good news. It's really good news."
And welcome news for IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord.
"It all starts up front," DeBord said. "…To have that group back, and have them (well-versed) in our terminology and our system – and also what they've been able to accomplish this summer through Coach Ballou and Dr. Rhea and those guys … it's just been unbelievable."
IU had issues getting started up front last fall, plagued by injuries and inconsistency. The Hoosiers ranked 12th among Big Ten teams in rushing at 130.1 yards per game (and just 3.5 yards per carry).
Coy Cronk won't say it, but the junior who has started at left tackle since his true freshman season of 2016, was among the Hoosiers playing hurt through much of 2017.
"I think everybody knows that it starts up front, and we didn't run the ball well enough last year," Cronk said. "We had a lot of moving pieces, with injuries and whatnot.
"So it's nice to have everybody back, with pretty much everybody having some experience. I think that's going to help the young guys a lot, because they can be around guys who have been through it. And for the veterans, being able to go out there with guys you've already played with helps a lot."
Cronk plays alongside the acknowledged leader and big bull among the current beef populating IU's offensive front, fifth-year senior left guard Wes Martin.
Martin benches 535 pounds.
"Wes is an impressive dude, just by nature," Ballou said. "Every football team across the country has (physical) freaks, and Wes is certainly a freak."
Ballou knows about those sorts of guys. He helps develop them.
After just one season conditioning players at Notre Dame in 2017, Ballou saw pupils Quenton Nelson (picked No. 6 by the Colts) and Mike McGlinchey (No. 9 by the 49ers) both selected in the Top 10 of the 2018 NFL Draft – the top two offensive linemen taken.
"I was very fortunate to be around some studs, some absolute studs, last year," Ballou said. "The way they attacked the weight room was unbelievable. It was almost like a couple of Navy SEALs.
"But that mind frame is what I feel like our guys have had since I've been here (at IU), and that's what leads me to be optimistic."
Ballou and Rhea have a series of 10 workouts that add up to what they term "Power Profiles" and that they believe translate especially well to the football field. And the Hoosier offensive linemen have improved significantly in the crucial "Single Leg" measurement.
"The offensive line had one of the highest increases in the Single-Leg category," Ballou said. "I would say they were poor in that back in January and now they are definitely above-average.
"It's the ability to come off the ball, and the ability to move laterally, and the ability to react in a pass set. It's a huge, huge deal. It's a huge transfer, from these numbers and indicators. So that's one thing that leads me to be very happy with where they're at. That's one of the first things I look at, that Single-Leg stuff."
Ballou volunteered praise for all the players listed as prospective front-liners in the media guard alongside Martin: Cronk, center Hunter Littlejohn, right guard Simon Stepaniak and right tackle Brandon Knight.
"What Brandon Knight has been able to do, holistically, when we talk about our Power Profiles, has been very, very impressive," Ballou said. "The dude is an explosive kid, and he can move. He's got some mobility. Great mobility.
"And I'm a huge fan of Hunter Littlejohn, who had maybe one of the best improvements we've had for an off-season on the roster. The kid just completely bought-in from day one. Asked a bunch of questions. He does everything the right way. Totally loves this university. Awesome dude.
"Coy Cronk had a great off-season. I mean, look at him now, how much thicker he looks. He's 309 (pounds) and looks awesome.
"And you can go right on down the line with those dudes. Stepaniak, he's a monster. A monster. No question he can be a dude. Off the top of my head, I believe he's a guy that went up 89 percent in the Single-Leg movement we track. So his power production went up 89 percent. Again, that's going to show up (in his play)."
Ballou extended plaudits to men listed as No. 2s on the media guide depth chart, too.
Delroy Baker and Mackenzie Nworah have started multiple games. Nick Linder started 25 games for Miami (Fla.) before arriving as a graduate-transfer during the spring. Harry Crider played in eight games as a true freshman last fall. Redshirt-freshman tackle Caleb Jones hasn't yet played, but he is 6-8, 360.
"All 15 or 20 of us are back in our (offensive line) room, and we're excited to start the season," Knight noted. "We all have experience. We have depth that is definitely going to help us. The freshmen came in and just attacked the weight room, slotted right into the college workouts."
Injuries cost Knight the final five games of his sophomore season and the first two games last fall, and he is happy to head into his senior campaign among the healthy.
IU head coach Tom Allen noted last season's injuries helped make this year's crew a deeper unit.
"You know, I know it's an area that last year was hit hard with injuries from the very beginning, even before we started fall camp," Allen said. "We got hit with some. So that hurt us last year, but the ability for all the reps that those guys got in game is going to help us now."
During last month's Big Ten Football Kickoff festivities in Chicago, Allen made it clear he wants Indiana to gain a reputation as a program that can run the football.
"Step number one in that thought process was our offensive line,: he said. "We knew we needed to get them stronger. We needed to get some guys healthy from the off-season. We needed to grow our depth.
"So seeing their growth and listening to our strength staff tell me week after week that this is the best group (they had in the weight room). This is the strength of our team right here in terms of leadership and work ethic and mindset, just the way that they come to the weight room every single day to train … to me, step one was getting that offensive line at a point where you knew they needed to be in terms of setting the tone for our offense."
Rhea came to Bloomington as the "speed specialist" but is well aware of how the linemen have shined in the weight room.
"I'd say the offensive line has been really, really impressive," Rhea said. "I think if I had to pick one unit to stand out, that's probably who I'd pick, from an overall power standpoint. From a speed standpoint, our defensive backfield is really, really fast. I'd say those are probably the two units that have made the most improvement or have been the most impressive.
"From that (offensive line) unit, it's hard to pick out one or two guys. Wes Martin, Brandon Knight and Hunter Littlejohn have kind of led the way in focusing on power and getting the most out of it, but there is not a guy in that entire unit who hasn't given us every ounce of effort they could possibly give us.
"It's a group, I think, that is going to lead the way."
BEEFY
Cronk said grad-transfer Linder "is a great fit" with the Hoosier linemen.
That goes for culinary tastes, too.
"This summer, like every Thursday, we'd always go to Texas Roadhouse or someplace like that and get some grub," Knight added. He's come right in and fit right in with us.
"I think he's a sirloin dude. I'm usually a New York Strip guy. Medium."
The football players and athletes from all 24 IU sports will now spend most of their time eating at the Tobias Nutrition Center, a 10,000-square-foot space in the new Excellence Academy complex now overlooking
Memorial Stadium's south end zone.
"That new facility, that's fancy, and it's huge," Cronk said. "A lot of space. It's pretty incredible. I think they've done a tremendous job. It kind of gives you that 'Wow' factor."
Cronk said new nutritionist Isaac Hicks has helped shape his current physique along with the Ballou and Rhea programs.
"He's helped me tremendously," Cronk said of Hicks. "He gave me a meal plan in mid-May and I think I've put on eight to 10 pounds of solid weight. Got rid of some body fat. And I think that's helped me a lot.
"Part of it is just growing up and maturing. You've got to change your diet. You've got to eat right. It's not fun, I'll tell you that!"
More fun for Cronk is anticipating the completion, by next season, of the new football locker room, recruiting room and other nifty spaces being developed under the stadium's west stands.
"I think it all is going to be a huge factor (in recruiting)," Cronk said. "Recruits go through so much on visits every place, see so many different things, but I think our new facilities will really impress them.
"Our weight room is already top of the line. We have great practice fields, outside and indoors. But all this new stuff can set us apart from different schools in our conference, around the league. I think it's going to be great. Everybody already wants to take pictures and show them around."
A BETTER BREAKFAST
Sophomore linebacker T.D. Roof was eating breakfast off-site when he got an important phone call from Allen last month.
"I was at Chick-fil-A with Jacob Robinson, the big man," Roof recalled. "I saw this call come in from Coach Allen. And you know you're going to get some kind of news."
Roof and IU had filed an appeal to the NCAA asking for immediate eligibility following his off-season transfer from Georgia Tech. Roof had initially gone to Tech to play for his father, Ted, only to see his dad end up coaching at North Carolina State.
"We appealed about a month and a half ago now," Roof said. "We thought we had a pretty good shot. (IU) Compliance said it was a good shot, and whenever Compliance is happy about something – well, you don't want to jump the gun, but you feel pretty good about it."
Allen had good news for Roof. The NCAA had complied.
And yes, Roof affirmed, the breakfast suddenly tasted even better. "I was pumped!" he said.
So were his teammates in the IU linebacker room.
"That's my guy!" said Husky back Marcelino Ball, who played high school ball at Roswell (Ga.) against Roof's Buford (Ga.) team. "Actually we played them, and beat them, in high school. Then he was at Georgia
Tech and I kind of knew him from there, because my brother went there.
"So I'm happy he's here. Cool dude. He looks small, but he'll smack somebody. Real fast. He's very powerful. He has a lot of passion."
Junior stinger Reakwon Jones, coming off an outstanding spring, is happy to see the position bolstered by Roof.
"T.D., I've been hyped since he got here," Jones said. "I think he's a great player. He has experience. He brings a lot of speed. He's a key piece to our depth at linebacker."
Adding much experience to that depth was the off-season decision by fifth-year senior Dameon Willis to return for his final season of eligibility after having gone through Senior Day last fall.
"Oh, man, he's a competitor," Willis said of Roof. "First day of workouts, we were battling to get to the front of the line. That's one of the things I appreciate about him. He has a lot of grit. That's something coach Allen talks about and you can see it in him."
Grit. Or grits, at breakfast, for those Georgia boys.
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Jones will now wear jersey No. 7, which became available this season, after having previously donned No. 40 at IU.
"
Seven means a lot to me," Jones said. "It's my mom's favorite number. It's the number I wore in high school. It's always been near and dear to me, and carries a lot of weight in my family."
And it's one digit ahead of Scales' No. 8.
RED THREADS
The jerseys worn at Tuesday's media day bore sublimated IU candy stripes on the short sleeves.
"These are kind of nice," Cronk said in approval. "They even have a little stretch to them. They have a little give to them this year and I like it."
Sophomore wideout Whop Philyor's praise had more to do with aesthetics than practicality. "These things are cool!" he exclaimed. "I like 'em! Looks like candy canes."
Pretty sweet.
MIAMI NICE
Philyor is a Tampa Plant High School product and noted that he and 21 fellow Floridians on IU's roster are jacked about opening the 2018 season Sept. 1 in Miami against host Florida International.
"Oh, yeah!" he said. "We all talk about it. We're all happy we get to go back and see our families, and they can come see us play. The Miami guys, especially, are loving it up.
"I can't wait. My whole family is going to be there. My mom never got to see me play. My dad never got to see me play. My sister. So I'm happy they're going to see me play.
"My sister (his twin) goes to FIU. So she's been talkin' some smack. I'm going, 'C'mon, now.' "
Players Mentioned
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