McCullough A Piece Worth Moving Around
9/14/2022 2:25:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Video doesn't lie. Understand that first about Dasan McCullough.
Social media highlights show Indiana's do-it-all freshman defender stuff runners, one-arm tackle quarterbacks, blow past would-be blockers and create the kind of offensive mayhem perfectly suited to Tom Allen's aggressive defensive style.
"He's a unique player," Allen says. "We have to continue to utilize him."
McCullough plays bull, husky and linebacker, and could probably handle every other defensive position except nose tackle. Who needs limits when you're 6-5 and 230 pounds worth of potential?
"You can see the twitchiness and ability," Allen says. "Because of his arm length, he can get his hands on balls and grab people, and they don't get away, even though he is not 250 pounds. He has good core strength."
McCullough will continue to play multiple positions, and if that seems a lot to put on a guy just four months out of high school, well, in so many ways, he's mature beyond his years.
"I'm most valuable when you can put me as a missing puzzle piece," he says in a deep voice rarely heard in a teenager. "It can be a weekly thing when looking at personnel for (the opposing) team. I can be in a different position every week. It depends."
Given the complexity of college offenses and defenses, IU coaches don't want to overload McCullough.
And yet …
"Dasan allows us to be a good defense," defensive coordinator Chad Wilt says. "He has a great mindset and work ethic. He loves football and wants to get better. He's talented, he can play on the edge and with an edge."
McCullough is long, fast, and athletic with a high football IQ, the benefit of growing up in a football family.
"We move him around a lot," Wilt says, "but we try to be careful how much can we ask him to do. He is a freshman."
McCullough is fine playing different positions. He did it in high school, first at Blue Valley North in Kansas City, then at Bloomington South. He was a four-star prospect with a No. 75 national ranking by 247Sports.
"Being able to play all those different positions puts me at an understanding of the defense we're running," he says. "So when I'm practicing at Bull one day and Husky the next, I get a whole understanding of the defense. With me being a freshman that helps a lot."
On McCullough's first college play, early in the Illinois game, he blitzed into the backfield, took on the guard, bowled over the center, and set up linebacker Cam Jones' sack.
"His first play he does a great job of penetration and twist to allow Cam to get the sack," Wilt says.
Adds McCullough: "That was huge. It was play No. 1, but my mindset was I've been doing it. I pinned the center for (Jones). He got around the edge right through that gap. It was beautiful. That gave me a lot of confidence. I was confident in my play the rest of the game."
Confidence produced six tackles and a sense better things were coming.
"It was physical," he says. "That's what I expected. That's what we emphasized the whole week. It was fun to go out there and play."
Fun continued against Idaho. McCullough had five tackles and two sacks.
Those two sacks lead the team, and his 11 tackles rank fourth.
What does this mean for Saturday's game against Western Kentucky (2-0) and beyond?
"You balance that talent with his youth," Allen says. "You don't want to put too much on him, but you see the skill set that he has and the different things he can do in the pass rush game, in the coverage game, in the run game.
"He is a talented player. He can run. And he's a really good practice player. He's very locked in. He's very mature for his age. He understands how to study film. He cares a lot. He works really hard."
That includes pre-game walk-throughs.
"That usually is an area that freshmen struggle with because it's not what they're used to," Allen says, "being locked in during those and just the positioning of him and just the checks and adjustments.
"He is making plays, and that has to continue."
McCullough reaps the advantage of graduating high school last December and enrolling at IU for the second semester.
"It was a big challenge when I got here in January, just trying to learn everything," he says. "As we got to the summer, with the help of Coach Allen and (grad assistant) Thomas Allen, they gave me a good understanding of it. Now, on a weekly basis, they keep it simple for me. I'm not just thinking. I can play fast and physical."
McCullough's impressive start doesn't surprise linebacker Aaron Casey.
"He's been growing ever since fall camp. You can tell his game is elevating.
"He's still young, so he has a lot of time to improve, but he's been doing a great job."
As far as what's different from high school, McCullough says staying at a hotel the night before a game.
"That's different from high school. I'd be home with my parents. On game day, nothing is different other than a lot more people are at the game than at high school, but you zone that out when you play."
IU's defense will likely get a severe test from a potent Western Kentucky attack that averages 43.5 points.
It will take a total unit effort, Wilt says. He talks about "heart, grit, toughness, will, and competitiveness." He pushes a mindset where players, "Won't back down" because they have a "love for each other."
He wants the Hoosiers to "Be at our best at the end -- the end of a series or the half or the game."
And when IU gets offenses in third-and-long situations, he seeks speed.
"Get pass rushers and playmakers and speed at the end," he says. "You think players first, plays second."
In other words, think McCullough.
"He has a lot of work ahead of him," Allen says, "and he knows that. He has to keep humble and hungry. That's going to be his focus. He has a chance to be a good player. He has to keep building each week."
As far as what the future might bring, McCullough says, "Long term, I don't know (the coaches') plans, but this year I'm doing everything I can to help."
The video proves that.
Social media highlights show Indiana's do-it-all freshman defender stuff runners, one-arm tackle quarterbacks, blow past would-be blockers and create the kind of offensive mayhem perfectly suited to Tom Allen's aggressive defensive style.
"He's a unique player," Allen says. "We have to continue to utilize him."
McCullough plays bull, husky and linebacker, and could probably handle every other defensive position except nose tackle. Who needs limits when you're 6-5 and 230 pounds worth of potential?
"You can see the twitchiness and ability," Allen says. "Because of his arm length, he can get his hands on balls and grab people, and they don't get away, even though he is not 250 pounds. He has good core strength."
McCullough will continue to play multiple positions, and if that seems a lot to put on a guy just four months out of high school, well, in so many ways, he's mature beyond his years.
"I'm most valuable when you can put me as a missing puzzle piece," he says in a deep voice rarely heard in a teenager. "It can be a weekly thing when looking at personnel for (the opposing) team. I can be in a different position every week. It depends."
Given the complexity of college offenses and defenses, IU coaches don't want to overload McCullough.
And yet …
"Dasan allows us to be a good defense," defensive coordinator Chad Wilt says. "He has a great mindset and work ethic. He loves football and wants to get better. He's talented, he can play on the edge and with an edge."
McCullough is long, fast, and athletic with a high football IQ, the benefit of growing up in a football family.
"We move him around a lot," Wilt says, "but we try to be careful how much can we ask him to do. He is a freshman."
McCullough is fine playing different positions. He did it in high school, first at Blue Valley North in Kansas City, then at Bloomington South. He was a four-star prospect with a No. 75 national ranking by 247Sports.
"Being able to play all those different positions puts me at an understanding of the defense we're running," he says. "So when I'm practicing at Bull one day and Husky the next, I get a whole understanding of the defense. With me being a freshman that helps a lot."
On McCullough's first college play, early in the Illinois game, he blitzed into the backfield, took on the guard, bowled over the center, and set up linebacker Cam Jones' sack.
"His first play he does a great job of penetration and twist to allow Cam to get the sack," Wilt says.
Adds McCullough: "That was huge. It was play No. 1, but my mindset was I've been doing it. I pinned the center for (Jones). He got around the edge right through that gap. It was beautiful. That gave me a lot of confidence. I was confident in my play the rest of the game."
Confidence produced six tackles and a sense better things were coming.
"It was physical," he says. "That's what I expected. That's what we emphasized the whole week. It was fun to go out there and play."
Fun continued against Idaho. McCullough had five tackles and two sacks.
Those two sacks lead the team, and his 11 tackles rank fourth.
What does this mean for Saturday's game against Western Kentucky (2-0) and beyond?
"You balance that talent with his youth," Allen says. "You don't want to put too much on him, but you see the skill set that he has and the different things he can do in the pass rush game, in the coverage game, in the run game.
"He is a talented player. He can run. And he's a really good practice player. He's very locked in. He's very mature for his age. He understands how to study film. He cares a lot. He works really hard."
That includes pre-game walk-throughs.
"That usually is an area that freshmen struggle with because it's not what they're used to," Allen says, "being locked in during those and just the positioning of him and just the checks and adjustments.
"He is making plays, and that has to continue."
McCullough reaps the advantage of graduating high school last December and enrolling at IU for the second semester.
"It was a big challenge when I got here in January, just trying to learn everything," he says. "As we got to the summer, with the help of Coach Allen and (grad assistant) Thomas Allen, they gave me a good understanding of it. Now, on a weekly basis, they keep it simple for me. I'm not just thinking. I can play fast and physical."
McCullough's impressive start doesn't surprise linebacker Aaron Casey.
"He's been growing ever since fall camp. You can tell his game is elevating.
"He's still young, so he has a lot of time to improve, but he's been doing a great job."
As far as what's different from high school, McCullough says staying at a hotel the night before a game.
"That's different from high school. I'd be home with my parents. On game day, nothing is different other than a lot more people are at the game than at high school, but you zone that out when you play."
IU's defense will likely get a severe test from a potent Western Kentucky attack that averages 43.5 points.
It will take a total unit effort, Wilt says. He talks about "heart, grit, toughness, will, and competitiveness." He pushes a mindset where players, "Won't back down" because they have a "love for each other."
He wants the Hoosiers to "Be at our best at the end -- the end of a series or the half or the game."
And when IU gets offenses in third-and-long situations, he seeks speed.
"Get pass rushers and playmakers and speed at the end," he says. "You think players first, plays second."
In other words, think McCullough.
"He has a lot of work ahead of him," Allen says, "and he knows that. He has to keep humble and hungry. That's going to be his focus. He has a chance to be a good player. He has to keep building each week."
As far as what the future might bring, McCullough says, "Long term, I don't know (the coaches') plans, but this year I'm doing everything I can to help."
The video proves that.
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