Depth Looms Large for Indiana’s Defensive Line
6/10/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kevin Peoples knows what he has, the opportunity it brings and the Cream & Crimson success it could produce.
Indiana's new defensive line coach inherited talent and experience from an 8-5 TaxSlayer Gator bowl team. His job is clear -- develop it into a line capable of rocking the Big Ten's best.
Step one -- get the players back from pandemic-forced separation, which can only happen when medical professionals say it's safe to do so.
Step two – make the most of the opportunity.
"We're pleased with where we're at," Peoples says, "and we are really looking forward to getting back to it."
Defensive line veterans Jerome Johnson, Demarcus Elliott, Michael Ziemba, James Head Jr. and Alfred Bryant loom large in Hoosier plans for next season. Graduate transfer Jovan Swann, and young guys such as Sio Nofoagatoto'a, C.J. Person and Damarjhe Lewis are set to make major impact.
That's at least nine high-level guys for four positions.
"We're comfortable with our depth," Peoples says. "We've got good depth at every position. We like to play a lot of guys."
For years, comfort was reserved for other programs. But head coach Tom Allen and his staff have ratcheted up the recruiting. Credit relationship building, player development, passion and the overall approach that targets good players whose goals go beyond football.
You also can't overstate the importance of the upgrade in facilities, from the state-of-the-art weight room to the Excellence Academy's total-development agenda to the renovated locker room and more. Memorial Stadium isn't the Big Ten's biggest venue, but it rates among the best.
Add it all up and IU is well positioned to thrive in the brutally competitive Big Ten East.
The defensive line will have a big role. The more you can pressure the quarterback without blitzing, the better you can stop the run without consistently committing six or seven players to do it, the better your stuff-the-offense prospects are.
The Hoosiers have struggled to find and develop consistent defensive line excellence, but that appears poised to change.
What kind of production can Peoples' expect? Last season is an indication.
Johnson led all IU defensive linemen with 43 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. That included five sacks. He also had two quarterback hurries.
Elliott was next with 35 tackles and five tackles for loss. He forced a fumble.
Ziemba had 33 tackles, 6.5 for loss. He recovered two fumbles and had three quarterback hurries.
Bryant had 25 tackles, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble. Head had five quarterback hurries along with 20 tackles and one forced fumble. Nofoagatoto'a, as a true freshman, played in 10 games. Injuries limited Person to four games.
"Jerome Johnson is a talented player who can stop the run and provide a pass rush," Peoples says. "Demarcus Elliott and Sio Nofoagatoto'a are at the nose tackle position. They will have meaningful snaps.
"C.J. Person is a guy we're excited about who played a few games last season and should be back healthy.
"At the end positions, James Head and Michael Ziemba have had good success in the conference. We're looking for Alfred Bryant to step up and provide some pass rush and do things that will showcase his ability."
The 6-3, 291-pound Lewis made a big spring impression as an early enrollee. That wasn't surprising given he was a big-time prospect out of Georgia. Injuries limited him to just seven games as a high school senior, but he still was named Georgia 5-A defensive player of the year after totaling 37 tackles, 13 for loss, four sacks and two forced fumbles. ESPN rated him as the nation's No. 42 defensive end.
Lewis was a three-year basketball starter, and it would have been four years if he hadn't skipped his final semester to enroll at IU for the spring.
Because of the pandemic, he only got to work with Hoosier coaches for a couple of months.
"He's an outstanding person," Peoples says. "He has outstanding character. He's a dynamic player. He's got some (explosiveness). He's got some (fast-twitch muscle). He's going to be a guy we think can get in the mix next year.
"The four spring practices were huge for him. We wish we would have had 15, but who doesn't? He's a strong, explosive guy. We think he has the ability to be a dynamic player."
Add it all up and IU could rotate nine-or-more defensive linemen, huge to ensure maximum energy for the entire game, and to overcome injuries. That's especially true for the first half of the season, Peoples adds.
"The earlier in the season you are, the hotter the temperatures. You need to substitute more frequently. The later in the season, when it's a little cooler, defensive linemen can play a few more snaps.
"If you've got eight guys who can play four overall positions, or even 12 guys, that gives you an opportunity."
Like every IU coach, Peoples' top priority centers on player health and safety.
"We've got to make sure everyone comes back as fast and healthy as we possibly can. We need to make sure they return safely."
Once players are back, the focus will be on getting them Big Ten football ready.
"The biggest thing is getting these guys back in some type of football shape," Peoples says, "so running and whatever model we come back with.
"We've got to get back to doing some skill work. We've got to get back in the weight room. A lot of these guys have been on their own maybe doing body weightlifting.
"Just getting them back in the ordinary grind of where you'd be in a normal college football season.
"We've done a good job adapting to the circumstances at hand, but the biggest thing is getting these guys back in shape, back in the weight room and back working on the skill set."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kevin Peoples knows what he has, the opportunity it brings and the Cream & Crimson success it could produce.
Indiana's new defensive line coach inherited talent and experience from an 8-5 TaxSlayer Gator bowl team. His job is clear -- develop it into a line capable of rocking the Big Ten's best.
Step one -- get the players back from pandemic-forced separation, which can only happen when medical professionals say it's safe to do so.
Step two – make the most of the opportunity.
"We're pleased with where we're at," Peoples says, "and we are really looking forward to getting back to it."
Defensive line veterans Jerome Johnson, Demarcus Elliott, Michael Ziemba, James Head Jr. and Alfred Bryant loom large in Hoosier plans for next season. Graduate transfer Jovan Swann, and young guys such as Sio Nofoagatoto'a, C.J. Person and Damarjhe Lewis are set to make major impact.
That's at least nine high-level guys for four positions.
"We're comfortable with our depth," Peoples says. "We've got good depth at every position. We like to play a lot of guys."
For years, comfort was reserved for other programs. But head coach Tom Allen and his staff have ratcheted up the recruiting. Credit relationship building, player development, passion and the overall approach that targets good players whose goals go beyond football.
You also can't overstate the importance of the upgrade in facilities, from the state-of-the-art weight room to the Excellence Academy's total-development agenda to the renovated locker room and more. Memorial Stadium isn't the Big Ten's biggest venue, but it rates among the best.
Add it all up and IU is well positioned to thrive in the brutally competitive Big Ten East.
The defensive line will have a big role. The more you can pressure the quarterback without blitzing, the better you can stop the run without consistently committing six or seven players to do it, the better your stuff-the-offense prospects are.
The Hoosiers have struggled to find and develop consistent defensive line excellence, but that appears poised to change.
What kind of production can Peoples' expect? Last season is an indication.
Johnson led all IU defensive linemen with 43 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. That included five sacks. He also had two quarterback hurries.
Elliott was next with 35 tackles and five tackles for loss. He forced a fumble.
Ziemba had 33 tackles, 6.5 for loss. He recovered two fumbles and had three quarterback hurries.
Bryant had 25 tackles, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble. Head had five quarterback hurries along with 20 tackles and one forced fumble. Nofoagatoto'a, as a true freshman, played in 10 games. Injuries limited Person to four games.
"Jerome Johnson is a talented player who can stop the run and provide a pass rush," Peoples says. "Demarcus Elliott and Sio Nofoagatoto'a are at the nose tackle position. They will have meaningful snaps.
"C.J. Person is a guy we're excited about who played a few games last season and should be back healthy.
"At the end positions, James Head and Michael Ziemba have had good success in the conference. We're looking for Alfred Bryant to step up and provide some pass rush and do things that will showcase his ability."
The 6-3, 291-pound Lewis made a big spring impression as an early enrollee. That wasn't surprising given he was a big-time prospect out of Georgia. Injuries limited him to just seven games as a high school senior, but he still was named Georgia 5-A defensive player of the year after totaling 37 tackles, 13 for loss, four sacks and two forced fumbles. ESPN rated him as the nation's No. 42 defensive end.
Lewis was a three-year basketball starter, and it would have been four years if he hadn't skipped his final semester to enroll at IU for the spring.
Because of the pandemic, he only got to work with Hoosier coaches for a couple of months.
"He's an outstanding person," Peoples says. "He has outstanding character. He's a dynamic player. He's got some (explosiveness). He's got some (fast-twitch muscle). He's going to be a guy we think can get in the mix next year.
"The four spring practices were huge for him. We wish we would have had 15, but who doesn't? He's a strong, explosive guy. We think he has the ability to be a dynamic player."
Add it all up and IU could rotate nine-or-more defensive linemen, huge to ensure maximum energy for the entire game, and to overcome injuries. That's especially true for the first half of the season, Peoples adds.
"The earlier in the season you are, the hotter the temperatures. You need to substitute more frequently. The later in the season, when it's a little cooler, defensive linemen can play a few more snaps.
"If you've got eight guys who can play four overall positions, or even 12 guys, that gives you an opportunity."
Like every IU coach, Peoples' top priority centers on player health and safety.
"We've got to make sure everyone comes back as fast and healthy as we possibly can. We need to make sure they return safely."
Once players are back, the focus will be on getting them Big Ten football ready.
"The biggest thing is getting these guys back in some type of football shape," Peoples says, "so running and whatever model we come back with.
"We've got to get back to doing some skill work. We've got to get back in the weight room. A lot of these guys have been on their own maybe doing body weightlifting.
"Just getting them back in the ordinary grind of where you'd be in a normal college football season.
"We've done a good job adapting to the circumstances at hand, but the biggest thing is getting these guys back in shape, back in the weight room and back working on the skill set."
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