Bomba, Steinfeldt Lead Promising Tight End Group
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Opportunity looms large for James Bomba.
What will it take for the redshirt sophomore tight end to take advantage and play a significant role in the Indiana offense this season?
Confidence and consistency, he says.
“It’s just being consistent. Making plays. (Coaches) have to be able to trust you. The guys who can consistently make plays, be a big guy, block, do all the right things to help the team win, at the end of the day, that’s who will help out.”
When it comes to helping out Indiana football, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Bomba has deep Hoosier roots. His father, Matt, and grandfathers Brad Bomba and Bob Van Pelt all played football at IU.
Last season, the younger Bomba caught five passes for 22 yards, plus was a strong blocking presence.
A shoulder injury sidelined him for spring practice, but he’s ready to go now.
“The challenge to him was to be in the best shape you can be,” tight ends coach Kevin Wright says. “He totally reset his body. He’s a physical guy. He has to be a great technician and catch the ball when it’s thrown to him. That’s what he’s done.
“Last year, he played a lot as the second tight end, the end-line guy. He’s a natural leader. It’s not just how he carries himself, but by his words. That means a lot. We need him to grow and be that guy in the room.”
Bomba and fellow Bloomington standout Aaron Steinfeldt are positioned for significant impact. Bomba excelled at Bloomington High School South. Steinfeldt did the same thing at Bloomington High School North.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Steinfeldt, also a redshirt sophomore, caught six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown last season. He and the Hoosiers are looking for more.
“He had a good spring,” Wright said. “We challenged him to get in the best shape of his life. It’s amazing to see how he transformed his body. He’s leaner; he runs better; he’s moving better.
“He’s always had good ball skills. I like the way he’s gone about his business and tried to take another step.”
Business included going to Indianapolis on weekends to work with a trainer to improve his route running, as well as doing yoga to improve his flexibility and make better use of his length.
During the spring, Steinfeldt worked against defensive end Andre Carter and outside linebacker Myles Jackson to improve his blocking. He’s also worked with Hoosier receivers to improve his receiving skills.
“The pass game has always been my strong suit,” he says, “and I think I’ve improved in that, as well, to become a better overall tight end.”
Steinfeldt says he’s better equipped to handle the speed and physicality of the college game.
“The guys on the defensive side of the ball, the defensive ends, are as big or bigger than you. The (defensive) backs and linebackers are faster than you, so I’m learning the finesse.”
Bomba and Steinfeldt are the most experienced players in a young, but talented tight ends room that also includes true freshmen Anthony Miller, Bryce Hendershot and Sam West, redshirt freshmen Brody Foley and Ryan Miller, Stanford transfer Bradley Archer, and senior walk-on Trey Walker.
“It’s a fairly inexperienced room with the exception of James and Aaron,” Wright says.
“Aaron got his first start against Michigan and James’s first start came against Ohio State, so we have guys who at least know what it’s like to be there on Saturday.”
Bomba says the group has made rapid progress.
“It’s confidence. We have a lot of young guys. Me and Stein have played a little football, but not a lot. We’re growing. Our defense is really good. Going against them, from the first day (of camp) till now, we’ve grown a lot. We’ve done a lot of new things.”
Wright hopes to get production from all of his tight ends, including on special teams. There have been times when that’s meant as many as five tight ends seeing action in a game.
“I always stress that we're going to develop the whole room,” Wright says. “No matter if you're No. 1 on the depth chart, or No. 8, we're going to try and develop everybody.
“I think the buy-in has been really good. There's always been a guy that has emerged by the time you get to the season as the guy that sets the standard in practice.”
As far as what other tight ends could emerge, Archer played in 28 games at Stanford, with four starts, but didn’t arrive in Bloomington until the summer, and is learning the offense.
At 6-foot-5, 265-pound Anthony Miller is an intriguing prospect. He was a standout high school tight end and defensive end in Georgia with an 84-inch wingspan. IU recruited him with offense and defense in mind.
“He’s a very large human,” Wright says. “He’s gained 12 pounds since he got here in June. Who knows how big he’ll be?”
Wright recruited Miller first, then called head coach Tom Allen to figure out where he would play. Defensive line coach Paul Randolph and linebackers coach/co-defensive coordinator Chad Wilt also evaluated him.
“We decided to start him at tight end and go from there,” Wright says.
“The fact he has size and strength, and is a smart kid, bodes well for him in the future. He has a high ceiling.”
That’s true of all the tight ends, Wright adds.
Tight end blocking is critical to the run game, but if IU really wants to stretch defenses to the breaking point -- and it does -- tight ends could play a huge receiving role.
Look at what Peyton Hendershot did during a standout Cream & Crimson career that produced a team tight-end record 136 catches for a team tight-end record 1,479 yards and 14 touchdowns. He now plays for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
For now, though, the focus is on development.
“We’ve got a lot of competition,” Wright says. “Everybody has to compete every day. There are a lot of things they have to know.”