Indiana University Athletics
More Pros Than Cons to IU’s Offensive Line
3/31/2019 9:19:00 PM | Football
By Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Wes Martin stood on the sidelines Saturday afternoon at Mellencamp Pavilion adorned in workout clothes.
The same sort of gear he'll presumably sport Tuesday when Indiana football conducts its annual Pro Day for NFL scouts.
Martin started all 12 games at left guard IU last fall, concluding a career that featured 37 starts in as many games the past three seasons and 43 starts in 50 games, overall. He maintained status as the Hoosiers' strongest man pretty much throughout his tenure.
Among those joining Martin at Pro Day is classmate Brandon Knight. He, like Martin, saw the field as a true freshman, but split his time then between tight end and offensive line. Switching to tackle exclusively as a sophomore, the
Noblesville product was always a starter when healthy. Knight opened all 12 games at right tackle last fall and 26 in his career. Scouts already saw Knight in the NFLPA Bowl.
Then there is center Nick Linder, a three-year starter at Miami (Fla.) before starting the final eight games last fall as a transfer to IU. Linder shined in January's East-West Shrine Game for the pro scouts.
So that's three key, veteran starters from Indiana's offensive line who have exhausted their eligibility.
And offensive line is where everything starts in football. Not just because of the center snap.
Line play lays the foundation for backs making plays. It keys the run. The line's pass-blocking permits the pass. And when a team's thereby offense functions well, its defense gets more rest.
So Kalen DeBoer, IU's new offensive coordinator who brings a new pair of eyes to the proceedings, was asked Saturday what he'd seen from the Hoosier offensive line through nine practices this spring.
"I thought today we ran the ball better," DeBoer said after Saturday's scrimmaging, even with the defense having held sway much of the day. "We had our main group out there in the first part of the scrimmage. I thought we ran the ball better today than we did in the mini-scrimmage we had a week ago.
"We have to make some plays (running the ball in early downs) to make sure we are not in third-and-longs. Third-and-long is tough for everyone. I thought they did a pretty job and I thought they made progress and took a step in the right direction today."
The "main group" constitutes multiple players right now, but there is significant experience back with senior Coy Cronk (6-foot-5, 321 pounds), who has started all 36 career games in which he has appeared (missing just one to injury) in his career. He stepped right into the crucial left tackle position as a true freshman and has never relinquished it.
Fifth-year senior center Hunter Littlejohn (6-3, 311) started the first four games and played in all 12 at center, allowing just three sacks in 904 snaps, and started all 12 games at center during his sophomore season.
Littlejohn's classmate, right guard Simon Stepaniak, had 12 starts last year and six the year before, when injury intervened, and has 20 overall career starts. Junior left guard Harry Crider (6-4, 311), an Academic All-Big Ten player who played in eight games as a true freshmen and six last season, should slot right into Martin's vacated spot.
Stepaniak, interviewed last week, said one goal heading into his final campaign is "staying healthy." He also feels a leadership responsibility "to help the young guys come up and play aggressive."
And there are "young guys" galore, some of whom are already gaining notice this spring.
Caleb Jones, a redshirt sophomore, still qualifies as youthful, though he did see action in 11 games last fall and could fill Knight's vacated right tackle spot. And he still qualifies as large, at 6-8, 360.
The reader may have noticed by now that pretty much all the aforementioned returning linemen loom large, literally. They have put on an additional 7.6 pounds apiece of mostly muscle per man, on average, since last fall's listings. They now showcase an average size of 6-5, 325.
IU head coach Tom Allen likes the additional physicality that increased size helps bring.
"I thought today we showed a lot of physicality up front that we have to have," IU head coach Tom Allen said after an earlier session. "We've got three guys back that have played a lot of football here (Cronk, Stepaniak, Littlejohn) and we've got some new guys that we are working in here as well.
"The biggest thing right now is about technique and toughness on the offensive line. That's what our emphasis is going to be. We are going to be getting a lot of guys prepared. You have to be able to get … a lot of solid, technical reps this time of year, because you never know what the future is going to hold for that depth. It's a relatively young group overall, but we do have some strong senior leadership."
True freshman January enrollees Matthew Bedford (6-6, 284) and Mike Katic (6-4, 312) have already drawn notice and have fit right in beside redshirt junior Mackenzie Nworah (6-4, 310), fifth-year senior DaVondre Love (6-7, 292), redshirt sophomore Britt Beery (6-6, 315), redshirt freshmen Aidan Rafferty (6-6, 315) and Nick Marozas (6-5, 300) and several others looking for spots in the playing rotation.
"You got Michael Katic … and Matthew Bedford who came in as mid-year guys and, to be thrust into this element right out of high school, both have done some good things," Allen said. "They are guys that I think have a chance to be involved earlier than you might expect, but they have a long ways to go as well. They've just caught my eye on the offensive side of the football."
There is talent among both the newcomers and returnees.
"I love the athleticism we have," Stepaniak said. "It's really good. We have the potential to be better than last year, I think, which is saying a lot because last year we were dominant. We have a lot of potential in this group."
Last year, Indiana was able to run the ball on pretty much every opponent down the stretch. The final five games of 2018 (against Penn State, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan and Purdue) saw Indiana average a healthy 4.8 yards per carry and 168 rushing yards per game.
Now the Hoosiers hope to generate even better numbers, but have to install and master DeBoer's new offensive system first, a task already ongoing.
"I love this system," Stepaniak said. "We're learning it. There's a lot of (new) words to learn, but as a group we are getting it well. It's going to be better for us in the long run when we are playing games.
"It's going great. We're doing a lot of learning. Teaching the young guys is the biggest point this year since we lost so many guys from last year. We were playing with a veteran group. Just getting the young guys up to par and playing aggressive, like how we play … I want to help the younger guys below me, because that's what the older guys like (San Diego Charger Dan) Feeney and Wes Martin and all them have done for me."
Martin is an observer now.
Chances are he likes what he sees.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Wes Martin stood on the sidelines Saturday afternoon at Mellencamp Pavilion adorned in workout clothes.
The same sort of gear he'll presumably sport Tuesday when Indiana football conducts its annual Pro Day for NFL scouts.
Martin started all 12 games at left guard IU last fall, concluding a career that featured 37 starts in as many games the past three seasons and 43 starts in 50 games, overall. He maintained status as the Hoosiers' strongest man pretty much throughout his tenure.
Among those joining Martin at Pro Day is classmate Brandon Knight. He, like Martin, saw the field as a true freshman, but split his time then between tight end and offensive line. Switching to tackle exclusively as a sophomore, the
Noblesville product was always a starter when healthy. Knight opened all 12 games at right tackle last fall and 26 in his career. Scouts already saw Knight in the NFLPA Bowl.
Then there is center Nick Linder, a three-year starter at Miami (Fla.) before starting the final eight games last fall as a transfer to IU. Linder shined in January's East-West Shrine Game for the pro scouts.
So that's three key, veteran starters from Indiana's offensive line who have exhausted their eligibility.
And offensive line is where everything starts in football. Not just because of the center snap.
Line play lays the foundation for backs making plays. It keys the run. The line's pass-blocking permits the pass. And when a team's thereby offense functions well, its defense gets more rest.
So Kalen DeBoer, IU's new offensive coordinator who brings a new pair of eyes to the proceedings, was asked Saturday what he'd seen from the Hoosier offensive line through nine practices this spring.
"I thought today we ran the ball better," DeBoer said after Saturday's scrimmaging, even with the defense having held sway much of the day. "We had our main group out there in the first part of the scrimmage. I thought we ran the ball better today than we did in the mini-scrimmage we had a week ago.
"We have to make some plays (running the ball in early downs) to make sure we are not in third-and-longs. Third-and-long is tough for everyone. I thought they did a pretty job and I thought they made progress and took a step in the right direction today."
The "main group" constitutes multiple players right now, but there is significant experience back with senior Coy Cronk (6-foot-5, 321 pounds), who has started all 36 career games in which he has appeared (missing just one to injury) in his career. He stepped right into the crucial left tackle position as a true freshman and has never relinquished it.
Fifth-year senior center Hunter Littlejohn (6-3, 311) started the first four games and played in all 12 at center, allowing just three sacks in 904 snaps, and started all 12 games at center during his sophomore season.
Littlejohn's classmate, right guard Simon Stepaniak, had 12 starts last year and six the year before, when injury intervened, and has 20 overall career starts. Junior left guard Harry Crider (6-4, 311), an Academic All-Big Ten player who played in eight games as a true freshmen and six last season, should slot right into Martin's vacated spot.
Stepaniak, interviewed last week, said one goal heading into his final campaign is "staying healthy." He also feels a leadership responsibility "to help the young guys come up and play aggressive."
And there are "young guys" galore, some of whom are already gaining notice this spring.
Caleb Jones, a redshirt sophomore, still qualifies as youthful, though he did see action in 11 games last fall and could fill Knight's vacated right tackle spot. And he still qualifies as large, at 6-8, 360.
The reader may have noticed by now that pretty much all the aforementioned returning linemen loom large, literally. They have put on an additional 7.6 pounds apiece of mostly muscle per man, on average, since last fall's listings. They now showcase an average size of 6-5, 325.
IU head coach Tom Allen likes the additional physicality that increased size helps bring.
"I thought today we showed a lot of physicality up front that we have to have," IU head coach Tom Allen said after an earlier session. "We've got three guys back that have played a lot of football here (Cronk, Stepaniak, Littlejohn) and we've got some new guys that we are working in here as well.
"The biggest thing right now is about technique and toughness on the offensive line. That's what our emphasis is going to be. We are going to be getting a lot of guys prepared. You have to be able to get … a lot of solid, technical reps this time of year, because you never know what the future is going to hold for that depth. It's a relatively young group overall, but we do have some strong senior leadership."
True freshman January enrollees Matthew Bedford (6-6, 284) and Mike Katic (6-4, 312) have already drawn notice and have fit right in beside redshirt junior Mackenzie Nworah (6-4, 310), fifth-year senior DaVondre Love (6-7, 292), redshirt sophomore Britt Beery (6-6, 315), redshirt freshmen Aidan Rafferty (6-6, 315) and Nick Marozas (6-5, 300) and several others looking for spots in the playing rotation.
"You got Michael Katic … and Matthew Bedford who came in as mid-year guys and, to be thrust into this element right out of high school, both have done some good things," Allen said. "They are guys that I think have a chance to be involved earlier than you might expect, but they have a long ways to go as well. They've just caught my eye on the offensive side of the football."
There is talent among both the newcomers and returnees.
"I love the athleticism we have," Stepaniak said. "It's really good. We have the potential to be better than last year, I think, which is saying a lot because last year we were dominant. We have a lot of potential in this group."
Last year, Indiana was able to run the ball on pretty much every opponent down the stretch. The final five games of 2018 (against Penn State, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan and Purdue) saw Indiana average a healthy 4.8 yards per carry and 168 rushing yards per game.
Now the Hoosiers hope to generate even better numbers, but have to install and master DeBoer's new offensive system first, a task already ongoing.
"I love this system," Stepaniak said. "We're learning it. There's a lot of (new) words to learn, but as a group we are getting it well. It's going to be better for us in the long run when we are playing games.
"It's going great. We're doing a lot of learning. Teaching the young guys is the biggest point this year since we lost so many guys from last year. We were playing with a veteran group. Just getting the young guys up to par and playing aggressive, like how we play … I want to help the younger guys below me, because that's what the older guys like (San Diego Charger Dan) Feeney and Wes Martin and all them have done for me."
Martin is an observer now.
Chances are he likes what he sees.
Players Mentioned
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ FootballFB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 8 (Michigan State)
Wednesday, October 15
FB: Isaiah Jones Media Availability (10/14/25)
Tuesday, October 14
FB: D'Angelo Ponds Media Availability (10/14/25)
Tuesday, October 14
FB: Roman Hemby Media Availability (10/14/25)
Tuesday, October 14