Indiana University Athletics
Getting It Right – Effort, Energy Fuels Spring Practice
3/15/2023 5:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Defensive end Andre Carter looms large on the Mellencamp Pavilion sidelines, an Indiana spring football practice winding down, a drill for offensive and defensive skill players in full-throttle motion, Carter as focused and outspoken as a coach.
"Let's get it right!" the 6-5, 273-pounder shouts.
Carter is new to the Hoosiers as a transfer from Western Michigan, but not new to college intensity and necessity. It took him four years to develop into a full-time starter, and he made the most of it last season, totaling 68 tackles, 13.5 for loss, with two forced fumbles, an interception, and a safety en route to earning All-Mid-American Conference second-team honors.
Now he wants to test himself against the nation's best. With the Hoosiers set to face another Big Ten onslaught, he'll get plenty of opportunities.
But now, a couple of practices into spring football, it's about mastering a new system and helping others do the same.
"Let's get it right!" Carter shouts again after another play is run.
On the field strides Tom Allen, a head coach in constant motion, watching everything, missing nothing, encouraging and demanding as one thing stands out:
The bullhorn remains his best voice-saving friend.
"Effort! Effort! Effort!" he shouts in one burst.
Then, when a play is run and the defense doesn't swarm to his liking, he shouts, "Find the ball!"
There is action, energy, and effort, and, at times, humor. A pass is thrown low and hard, and is, perhaps, caught. Coaches rule it a completion. Sideline defensive players insist the ball hit the ground. Allen, a former defensive coordinator, eyes them, smiles, and rules it incomplete. The defense celebrates.
This is a time for learning, developing and, yes, having fun. All of that, and more, are necessary as IU seeks to regain its winning form from 2019 and '20.
"I love the energy," Allen says. "I love the effort. That's a huge focus for everything that we do."
Carter is among the newest group of college transfers who arrived in January making instant impact. Allen calls that a pleasant surprise, "Because you don't know how well they'll fit in. You want them to. You recruit them with that purpose, but until they get here you don't know."
What Allen does know is that transfer portal success is the quickest way to program success if done well. So far, he says, so good.
"The buy-in to our program and who we are as a culture has been at a high level. A couple of them are in the leadership council, which is amazing given the short amount of time. It's about finding guys who want to be here and who take full advantage of it."
Transfers such as Carter are.
"Their work ethic has been tremendous," Allen says. "They've proven we picked the right ones."
That includes 6-4, 241-pound linebacker Jacob Mangum-Farrar, a Stanford transfer. Last year, he had 44 tackles and one forced fumble. IU's attacking defense seems perfect for him.
"He's very bright and very versatile," Allen says. "There are a lot of things he can do from a package perspective. We have a lot of flexibility with that, and I expect to use him in those ways as a traditional inside linebacker and as an edge guy. He will be a big part of our defense."
The most intriguing position battle centers on quarterback.
With veteran Dexter Williams II likely sidelined while recovering from knee surgery, Brendan Sorsby, Tayven Jackson, and Broc Lowry share practice reps.
Lowry, just a couple months removed from a standout high school career in Ohio, has plenty to learn about the college game.
Jackson, a Tennessee transfer after a standout career at nearby Center Grove High School, is learning a new system along with new teammates and coaches.
Sorsby, after playing briefly in one game last season as a true freshman, needs development.
A favorite might emerge by the end of the spring, but more than likely it will be midway through August camp before a starter is determined.
"It's a very open evaluation process," Allen says. "It's a clean slate. I like it from the standpoint of seeing who's going to rise up. It's going to be a daily thing.
"You get to see who the natural leaders are. Who has that instinctive ability to make plays. When we get into team settings, that's what I'll look for. They have to make their progressions and reads. We'll be tough on them because we want them to handle the pressure they'll be under.
"Because of the rawness and newness of those guys, you get to see who they are when the bullets are flying. That's what really matters."
Other priorities are building difference-making offensive and defensive lines, developing a consistently strong running game and secondary, and overall devising an explosive offense and stifling defense crucial to Big Ten success.
The offensive line is making progress under new offensive line coach Bob Bostad. That's a key area if IU is make an overall offensive jump.
"I like the work Coach Bostad is doing," Allen says. "There's a lot more work ahead, but I like the start."
Returning veteran offensive linemen include Matthew Bedford, Zach Carpenter, Mike Katic, Kahlil Benson, and Joshua Sales Jr. IU brought in college transfer Max Longman from UMass (24 career starts) and hopes for bigger contributions from young returners such as Vinny Fiacable and Cameron Knight.
"The toughness piece is big part of it," Allen says. "We're challenging for that. It's our word for the whole year.
"We're doing a lot of one-on-one work, doing more competitive individual periods. We've added that to all 15 (spring practice) days to develop that toughness."
Bostad brings 25 years of offensive-line coaching experience at the college and NFL levels, including two stints at the University of Wisconsin, plus time with the NFL's Tampa Bay and Tennessee organizations. He adds a new approach designed to produce a more physical and cohesive group that can pass protect as well as ramp up the rushing attack.
"It's the one-on-one matchups," Allen says. "It's the combinations. Working together. Working the second-level blocks will be a big emphasis. Just finishing those blocks.
"You've got to win the one-on-one battles. We're doing more things to create those opportunities on the offensive line. Then, it's just drill work. Drill work. Build that toughness and technique."
Bedford, a former honorable-mention All-Big Ten player, missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury, but is expected back at full strength.
"Matt is able to do some things now," Allen says. "He's working with our training staff on a daily basis."
As far as other injuries, wide receiver Cam Camper is still recovering from knee surgery, while tight end James Bomba and linebacker Matt Hohlt are rehabbing off-season surgeries. Those three are also set to be ready for next season.
Allen has added Bostad, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Matt Guerrieri and co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Anthony Tucker.
"We have a lot of great teachers," Allen says. "That's critical to build our team and keep getting better. The No. 1 goal is to improve our technique and fundamentals."
Guerrieri has made a high-energy impact.
"I love his energy," Allen says. "He's an extremely high-attention-to-detail guy. He's going to make our whole secondary better."
"Let's get it right!" the 6-5, 273-pounder shouts.
Carter is new to the Hoosiers as a transfer from Western Michigan, but not new to college intensity and necessity. It took him four years to develop into a full-time starter, and he made the most of it last season, totaling 68 tackles, 13.5 for loss, with two forced fumbles, an interception, and a safety en route to earning All-Mid-American Conference second-team honors.
Now he wants to test himself against the nation's best. With the Hoosiers set to face another Big Ten onslaught, he'll get plenty of opportunities.
But now, a couple of practices into spring football, it's about mastering a new system and helping others do the same.
"Let's get it right!" Carter shouts again after another play is run.
On the field strides Tom Allen, a head coach in constant motion, watching everything, missing nothing, encouraging and demanding as one thing stands out:
The bullhorn remains his best voice-saving friend.
"Effort! Effort! Effort!" he shouts in one burst.
Then, when a play is run and the defense doesn't swarm to his liking, he shouts, "Find the ball!"
There is action, energy, and effort, and, at times, humor. A pass is thrown low and hard, and is, perhaps, caught. Coaches rule it a completion. Sideline defensive players insist the ball hit the ground. Allen, a former defensive coordinator, eyes them, smiles, and rules it incomplete. The defense celebrates.
This is a time for learning, developing and, yes, having fun. All of that, and more, are necessary as IU seeks to regain its winning form from 2019 and '20.
"I love the energy," Allen says. "I love the effort. That's a huge focus for everything that we do."
Carter is among the newest group of college transfers who arrived in January making instant impact. Allen calls that a pleasant surprise, "Because you don't know how well they'll fit in. You want them to. You recruit them with that purpose, but until they get here you don't know."
What Allen does know is that transfer portal success is the quickest way to program success if done well. So far, he says, so good.
"The buy-in to our program and who we are as a culture has been at a high level. A couple of them are in the leadership council, which is amazing given the short amount of time. It's about finding guys who want to be here and who take full advantage of it."
Transfers such as Carter are.
"Their work ethic has been tremendous," Allen says. "They've proven we picked the right ones."
That includes 6-4, 241-pound linebacker Jacob Mangum-Farrar, a Stanford transfer. Last year, he had 44 tackles and one forced fumble. IU's attacking defense seems perfect for him.
"He's very bright and very versatile," Allen says. "There are a lot of things he can do from a package perspective. We have a lot of flexibility with that, and I expect to use him in those ways as a traditional inside linebacker and as an edge guy. He will be a big part of our defense."
The most intriguing position battle centers on quarterback.
With veteran Dexter Williams II likely sidelined while recovering from knee surgery, Brendan Sorsby, Tayven Jackson, and Broc Lowry share practice reps.
Lowry, just a couple months removed from a standout high school career in Ohio, has plenty to learn about the college game.
Jackson, a Tennessee transfer after a standout career at nearby Center Grove High School, is learning a new system along with new teammates and coaches.
Sorsby, after playing briefly in one game last season as a true freshman, needs development.
A favorite might emerge by the end of the spring, but more than likely it will be midway through August camp before a starter is determined.
"It's a very open evaluation process," Allen says. "It's a clean slate. I like it from the standpoint of seeing who's going to rise up. It's going to be a daily thing.
"You get to see who the natural leaders are. Who has that instinctive ability to make plays. When we get into team settings, that's what I'll look for. They have to make their progressions and reads. We'll be tough on them because we want them to handle the pressure they'll be under.
"Because of the rawness and newness of those guys, you get to see who they are when the bullets are flying. That's what really matters."
Other priorities are building difference-making offensive and defensive lines, developing a consistently strong running game and secondary, and overall devising an explosive offense and stifling defense crucial to Big Ten success.
The offensive line is making progress under new offensive line coach Bob Bostad. That's a key area if IU is make an overall offensive jump.
"I like the work Coach Bostad is doing," Allen says. "There's a lot more work ahead, but I like the start."
Returning veteran offensive linemen include Matthew Bedford, Zach Carpenter, Mike Katic, Kahlil Benson, and Joshua Sales Jr. IU brought in college transfer Max Longman from UMass (24 career starts) and hopes for bigger contributions from young returners such as Vinny Fiacable and Cameron Knight.
"The toughness piece is big part of it," Allen says. "We're challenging for that. It's our word for the whole year.
"We're doing a lot of one-on-one work, doing more competitive individual periods. We've added that to all 15 (spring practice) days to develop that toughness."
Bostad brings 25 years of offensive-line coaching experience at the college and NFL levels, including two stints at the University of Wisconsin, plus time with the NFL's Tampa Bay and Tennessee organizations. He adds a new approach designed to produce a more physical and cohesive group that can pass protect as well as ramp up the rushing attack.
"It's the one-on-one matchups," Allen says. "It's the combinations. Working together. Working the second-level blocks will be a big emphasis. Just finishing those blocks.
"You've got to win the one-on-one battles. We're doing more things to create those opportunities on the offensive line. Then, it's just drill work. Drill work. Build that toughness and technique."
Bedford, a former honorable-mention All-Big Ten player, missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury, but is expected back at full strength.
"Matt is able to do some things now," Allen says. "He's working with our training staff on a daily basis."
As far as other injuries, wide receiver Cam Camper is still recovering from knee surgery, while tight end James Bomba and linebacker Matt Hohlt are rehabbing off-season surgeries. Those three are also set to be ready for next season.
Allen has added Bostad, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Matt Guerrieri and co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Anthony Tucker.
"We have a lot of great teachers," Allen says. "That's critical to build our team and keep getting better. The No. 1 goal is to improve our technique and fundamentals."
Guerrieri has made a high-energy impact.
"I love his energy," Allen says. "He's an extremely high-attention-to-detail guy. He's going to make our whole secondary better."
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