For Carter and IU, It’s Blinders On, Goals Set
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - This is why Andre Carter came to Indiana -- to consistently play teams such as Ohio State, to measure himself against the best on a weekly basis, to see where his defensive-end talent can take him.
After excelling in winter conditioning, then spring practice, then summer workouts and fall camp, this Western Michigan transfer is ready to make a nationally televised Hoosier statement Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium against the No. 3/4 Buckeyes.
At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, with five previous college seasons and All-Mid-American Conference honors on his resume, Carter has the size, strength, athleticism, and experience to play anywhere on the defensive line. IU has the defensive scheme to maximize his versatility.
“I started as a defensive tackle at Western Michigan,” he says. “I’m familiar with being up and down the line. I enjoy it a lot. It allows me to make plays, and to make plays for my teammates.”
Now that he’s fully acclimated to Tom Allen’s defensive concepts, Carter is planning on significant Buckeye disruption.
“It’s all about knowing the play, the playbook, executing and having the discipline to be in the spots I’m supposed to be in,” he says.
Carter has made the Bednarik Award Watch List. The award honors the nation’s best college defensive player. This comes after a final Western Michigan season in which he totaled 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. He was ranked among the nation’s top transfer portal defensive players last winter, and lived up to it as a Hoosier with a work ethic and performance that continue to impress.
A lot is expected of him. How does he handle it?
“Coach Allen talks about this a lot,” Carter says. “It’s trusting your preparation. We put in a lot of work in the offseason and a lot of work together in camp. When you trust your preparation and know how hard you’ve been working, it makes everything a lot easier.”
Carter credits Indiana’s “team of men,” who are “loving and holding me accountable. They make me feel at home. That’s been the best part of everything.”
Teammates voted Carter a team captain despite his newness to the program. It reflects his strong leadership, commitment, and dedication.
“I haven’t had to dig too deep because the guys want me to speak up,” he says. “When you have guys who want to be coached and led, it makes your job a lot easier.
“As a group, this is the best D-line I’ve ever been part of from size and ability to playing hard, executing and having discipline,” Carter says. “We have transfers (Lanell Carr Jr., Philip Blidi, Marcus Burris Jr., and Robby Harrison) who are looking forward to breaking out this season. They have the ultimate repertoire of pass-rush moves in their bag, which will allow not only them to make plays, but help me make plays. Teams won’t just be able to key on me. They’ll have to key everyone on the D-line because they’re all playmakers.”
Playmaking comes from extra work.
“Five minutes before and after practice, we work with each other,” Carter says. “I’ll take Marcus and Philip, and we’ll work on our stunt moves together. We’ll get our communication on par to the point where all we have to do is look at each other and give a head nod, and we know what the other means.”
Through it all, Carter has become a mentor for players such as Burris.
“This is my sixth year,” Carter says. “A lot of people ask, what’s the hardest thing about transferring? I have to be a lot more vocal. I haven’t always been the most vocal leader. It’s being more vocal and taking guys under my wing.
“Marcus has been working his tail off. I’ve been keeping him right with me along with everybody else. He will have a break-out season. He’s very coachable. He learns. He has discipline. He has that dog in him. He’s a great kid. He’s coming along well.”
The result is a fiercely competitive defensive line, important considering the Hoosiers plan to rotate in multiple players.
“It’s not competing for the role as much as competing for each other,” Carter says. “It’s making sure, once I come out, with the next guy, there’s not a difference (in performance). There’s no difference when Andre Carter comes out. That’s my biggest goal for our team and our D-line. Even when the starters aren’t in, it looks the exact same.”
For Allen, it comes down to the toughness theme he’s pushed since the end of last season.
“Make sure in every rep, we get guys to play as hard as they can play with as much toughness as they can play for 60 minutes and beyond,” Allen says. “The buy-in from the guys is high.
“We want them to be locked in and compete like mad dogs during practice. That’s how you build a tough team. Be relentless about playing to the standard.”
Relentlessness is crucial given Ohio State is coming to town.
“We believe in keeping the blinders on,” Carter says. “Don’t pay much attention to the media. Keep our heads down and work.”