Indiana University Athletics
The Numbers Have It – Indiana’s Defense Could be Among Big Ten’s Best
5/28/2020 9:51:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Could the Indiana Hoosiers have one of the Big Ten's best defense next season?
Yes.
Will they?
In so many ways, it's up to them.
IU has more returning defensive production than any Big Ten team according to ESPN's Bill Connelly, which leads to the obvious question?
Who's Bill Connelly?
For one thing, he's one of the nation's top college football experts.
For another, he's really into numbers, and they are very Hoosier friendly.
Connelly has devised something called returning production percentage, which sounds a lot like math, mostly because it is math, which can rival a Westworld plot for complexity.
Instead of looking at a team's returning starters, he looks at key stats such as the percentage of a secondary's passes defensed returning, then throws in recent recruiting and what the team has done in the last five years.
Specifically, you take five percent of returning defensive line production, 37 percent of returning secondary production and 21 percent of the full defense, then throw in things like disruption (tackles for loss, interceptions) and you get good Cream & Crimson news.
Indiana's returning defensive production ranks 13th nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten.
Repeat – No. 1 in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin, which hosts IU in the season opener, is second in the conference and No. 17 nationally in returning defensive production.
Not only do the Hoosiers return nine starters and 35 letterwinners (losing only 5), plus have good young players ready to emerge (thanks to the best 2 recruiting classes in program history), plus are coming off a season in which they shut out two opponents, held two others to just three points, and allowed 5.5 fewer points and 70 fewer yards than they did in 2018, helping IU to an 8-5 record and a TaxSlayer Gator Bowl berth.
Does this guarantee the Hoosiers will dominate defensively?
No, but it gives them a heck of chance.
"We're an experienced group," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack says, "even though some people would define us as youthful experience still."
That's because IU might only have three senior defensive starters next season (Marcelino Ball, Jerome Johnson and Michael Ziemba).
"Having those guys back and not changing systems defensively, having enough continuity to our defense, they know our system," Wommack says. "They know what we're about."
All this is amazing when you consider that five years ago -- before Tom Allen arrived in Bloomington as defensive coordinator -- the Hoosiers were a defensive disaster. They gave up points and yards in mind-numbing fashion.
Allen turned it around in one season, then became the head coach. Now Wommack hopes to take it a step further, and as we know thanks to Connelly's math skills, has the weapons to do it.
"The fact we played in a January bowl and got in four spring practices puts us in a good situation moving forward," Wommack says.
*****
Secondary talent and depth give Wommack plenty of options.
He intends to take full advantage.
"We talked a lot about how we pick those guys that have a little bit more experience as being central players," he says. "How do we maximize our roster based off the situations? For us, situational downs, third down, red zone, two-minute scenarios, four-minute scenarios, how do we get guys not just on the field, but in the best position to feature them schematically and athletically?"
In some cases, it means moving guys. Raheem Layne went from cornerback to safety. Jamar Johnson moved from husky to safety. The reason, Wommack says, is, "So we can get better cover guys back there on the field.
"Those guys are instinctive players who have proven they will make plays."
Also look for Ball, who starts at husky, which is a hybrid linebacker/defensive back role, to be more involved in the pass rush.
"(We want to feature) him in some different ways and getting him a little closer to the box so that he can check the quarterback on passing downs," Wommack says. "That is going to be a huge emphasis to our defense moving forward."
Then there are Tiawan Mullen, Reese Taylor and Jaylin Williams, young cornerbacks with a world of potential.
"I'm probably most excited about our personnel moves as much as I've been in the defense," Wommack says. "I think the experience is going to help us in a big way there."
*****
IU's veteran defense will get a boost from young guys such as Josh Sanguinetti at defensive back, D.K. Bonhomme at linebacker and C.J. Person on the defensive line.
"To me that is the most critical piece and that's what we've spent the most time talking about from a personnel standpoint," Wommack says.
"You look at guys like D.K. Bonhomme and Josh Sanguinetti, obviously C.J. Person and a number of guys along the defensive line, young players that played in sparing roles a year ago, but who are probably going to have a more central role involved in our defense moving forward. Those are the guys that we're spending the most time with."
Good communication is crucial. That continues to be stressed remotely because players and coaches aren't allowed on campus due to Covid-19 restrictions.
"Making sure they're getting a little bit of extra work in terms of how they're watching things, how they're communicating," Wommack says. "As best as we can, we're using our resources and tools to give them the best chance to communicate like they would on game day.
"It's not enough to watch film and say, 'Okay, here's what they're doing, here's what I would do.' It's how would I communicate this play on the field as I watch the film on the computer? Those are the things that are helpful."
Spring practice showed how much help that could be.
"We saw some major strides in some of our young players who I think can contribute and provide more depth," Wommack says.
*****
Wommack is pumped about his staff, a combination of new (safeties coach Jason Jones, defensive line coach Kevin Peoples) and old (cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby, defensive backs coach Kasey Teegardin).
"It's just such a good group of guys to work with. There's real chemistry with us. For having two new guys, I think it's amazing how on the same page we are."
Jones coached in a similar system at Ole Miss under Wommack's father, Dave, a long-time college defensive coach.
"We've stayed up with one another," Wommack says. "We've always been close. That's been helpful."
Peoples also has coached in similar systems.
"Kevin and I are fundamentally aligned in how we envision D-line play," Wommack says.
*****
Wommack, who is in his second season as defensive coordinator, has a close relationship with new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan.
"He's an awesome dude," Wommack says. "You talk about being in line with a person just fundamentally, schematically, the way we see the game of football. I don't know if that's because we're both defensive coaches' sons (Sheridan's father, Bill, is the defensive line coach at Air Force), but we see things eye-to-eye.
"It's been fun to bounce ideas off of each other. He lives about a couple blocks from me, so we pass each other on the street when we're going for walks and we have great talks about what we envision this team doing moving forward.
"When you look at how we installed our offensive and defensive schemes going into the spring and how we'll do it in the fall camp, there are some things we're very in-line with each other so that we're maximizing the reps on both sides of the ball."
Wommack says he and former offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer did the same thing last year.
"I think Nick and I have kind of taken the next step in terms of putting together a system to maximize what practices we get. We also have some creative thought processes in terms of how we need to navigate our team through this pandemic and scenarios we've gone through of what it looks like when we do come back."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Could the Indiana Hoosiers have one of the Big Ten's best defense next season?
Yes.
Will they?
In so many ways, it's up to them.
IU has more returning defensive production than any Big Ten team according to ESPN's Bill Connelly, which leads to the obvious question?
Who's Bill Connelly?
For one thing, he's one of the nation's top college football experts.
For another, he's really into numbers, and they are very Hoosier friendly.
Connelly has devised something called returning production percentage, which sounds a lot like math, mostly because it is math, which can rival a Westworld plot for complexity.
Instead of looking at a team's returning starters, he looks at key stats such as the percentage of a secondary's passes defensed returning, then throws in recent recruiting and what the team has done in the last five years.
Specifically, you take five percent of returning defensive line production, 37 percent of returning secondary production and 21 percent of the full defense, then throw in things like disruption (tackles for loss, interceptions) and you get good Cream & Crimson news.
Indiana's returning defensive production ranks 13th nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten.
Repeat – No. 1 in the Big Ten.
Wisconsin, which hosts IU in the season opener, is second in the conference and No. 17 nationally in returning defensive production.
Not only do the Hoosiers return nine starters and 35 letterwinners (losing only 5), plus have good young players ready to emerge (thanks to the best 2 recruiting classes in program history), plus are coming off a season in which they shut out two opponents, held two others to just three points, and allowed 5.5 fewer points and 70 fewer yards than they did in 2018, helping IU to an 8-5 record and a TaxSlayer Gator Bowl berth.
Does this guarantee the Hoosiers will dominate defensively?
No, but it gives them a heck of chance.
"We're an experienced group," defensive coordinator Kane Wommack says, "even though some people would define us as youthful experience still."
That's because IU might only have three senior defensive starters next season (Marcelino Ball, Jerome Johnson and Michael Ziemba).
"Having those guys back and not changing systems defensively, having enough continuity to our defense, they know our system," Wommack says. "They know what we're about."
All this is amazing when you consider that five years ago -- before Tom Allen arrived in Bloomington as defensive coordinator -- the Hoosiers were a defensive disaster. They gave up points and yards in mind-numbing fashion.
Allen turned it around in one season, then became the head coach. Now Wommack hopes to take it a step further, and as we know thanks to Connelly's math skills, has the weapons to do it.
"The fact we played in a January bowl and got in four spring practices puts us in a good situation moving forward," Wommack says.
*****
Secondary talent and depth give Wommack plenty of options.
He intends to take full advantage.
"We talked a lot about how we pick those guys that have a little bit more experience as being central players," he says. "How do we maximize our roster based off the situations? For us, situational downs, third down, red zone, two-minute scenarios, four-minute scenarios, how do we get guys not just on the field, but in the best position to feature them schematically and athletically?"
In some cases, it means moving guys. Raheem Layne went from cornerback to safety. Jamar Johnson moved from husky to safety. The reason, Wommack says, is, "So we can get better cover guys back there on the field.
"Those guys are instinctive players who have proven they will make plays."
Also look for Ball, who starts at husky, which is a hybrid linebacker/defensive back role, to be more involved in the pass rush.
"(We want to feature) him in some different ways and getting him a little closer to the box so that he can check the quarterback on passing downs," Wommack says. "That is going to be a huge emphasis to our defense moving forward."
Then there are Tiawan Mullen, Reese Taylor and Jaylin Williams, young cornerbacks with a world of potential.
"I'm probably most excited about our personnel moves as much as I've been in the defense," Wommack says. "I think the experience is going to help us in a big way there."
*****
IU's veteran defense will get a boost from young guys such as Josh Sanguinetti at defensive back, D.K. Bonhomme at linebacker and C.J. Person on the defensive line.
"To me that is the most critical piece and that's what we've spent the most time talking about from a personnel standpoint," Wommack says.
"You look at guys like D.K. Bonhomme and Josh Sanguinetti, obviously C.J. Person and a number of guys along the defensive line, young players that played in sparing roles a year ago, but who are probably going to have a more central role involved in our defense moving forward. Those are the guys that we're spending the most time with."
Good communication is crucial. That continues to be stressed remotely because players and coaches aren't allowed on campus due to Covid-19 restrictions.
"Making sure they're getting a little bit of extra work in terms of how they're watching things, how they're communicating," Wommack says. "As best as we can, we're using our resources and tools to give them the best chance to communicate like they would on game day.
"It's not enough to watch film and say, 'Okay, here's what they're doing, here's what I would do.' It's how would I communicate this play on the field as I watch the film on the computer? Those are the things that are helpful."
Spring practice showed how much help that could be.
"We saw some major strides in some of our young players who I think can contribute and provide more depth," Wommack says.
*****
Wommack is pumped about his staff, a combination of new (safeties coach Jason Jones, defensive line coach Kevin Peoples) and old (cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby, defensive backs coach Kasey Teegardin).
"It's just such a good group of guys to work with. There's real chemistry with us. For having two new guys, I think it's amazing how on the same page we are."
Jones coached in a similar system at Ole Miss under Wommack's father, Dave, a long-time college defensive coach.
"We've stayed up with one another," Wommack says. "We've always been close. That's been helpful."
Peoples also has coached in similar systems.
"Kevin and I are fundamentally aligned in how we envision D-line play," Wommack says.
*****
Wommack, who is in his second season as defensive coordinator, has a close relationship with new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan.
"He's an awesome dude," Wommack says. "You talk about being in line with a person just fundamentally, schematically, the way we see the game of football. I don't know if that's because we're both defensive coaches' sons (Sheridan's father, Bill, is the defensive line coach at Air Force), but we see things eye-to-eye.
"It's been fun to bounce ideas off of each other. He lives about a couple blocks from me, so we pass each other on the street when we're going for walks and we have great talks about what we envision this team doing moving forward.
"When you look at how we installed our offensive and defensive schemes going into the spring and how we'll do it in the fall camp, there are some things we're very in-line with each other so that we're maximizing the reps on both sides of the ball."
Wommack says he and former offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer did the same thing last year.
"I think Nick and I have kind of taken the next step in terms of putting together a system to maximize what practices we get. We also have some creative thought processes in terms of how we need to navigate our team through this pandemic and scenarios we've gone through of what it looks like when we do come back."
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