‘Sky is the Limit’ – Smith Looms Large on Offensive Line
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - How good is Carter Smith, Indiana’s mammoth left offensive tackle? Hoosier superstar defensive end Mikail Kamara doesn’t hold back.
“In my opinion, he’ll be the best tackle in college football,” Kamara says.
If that seems like bold talk, that doesn’t mean Kamara isn’t right. He and the 6-foot-5, 313-pound Smith battled for much of fall camp and then repeated the intensity during this week’s practices heading into the Saturday afternoon season opener against Old Dominion at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
“He’s a great player,” says Kamara, who rates among the nation’s best defensive lineman. “He’s smart. He’s quick. He’s strong. He plays well with his technique.
“He throws me a bunch of different sets, a bunch of different looks. He changes his stance. He does this. He does that. He does a lot of good things to keep me thinking, keep me guessing.
“When we battle, it’s like the NFL. Whenever I go against him, I know I’m getting better and he’s getting better.”
What will that mean for Saturday?
“I’m excited to get back on the field,” Smith says. “Everyone is. We’ve had a lot of good competition this offseason. We’re ready to crack some heads.”
Then, when considering Old Dominion’s attacking defense, Smith sustains the intensity.
“If they hit our gap, light them up.”
Subtlety doesn’t fuel Smith, which is what you’d expect from a guy who listens to AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells” during IU’s pre-game walks. The redshirt junior has 25 career starts in 27 career games. Last year, he earned Big Ten honorable mention status on a line that ranked among the conference’s best.
“I think the sky is the limit,” head coach Curt Cignetti says about Smith’s potential. “I wouldn't put a limit on it.
“He was a good player last year. Guys normally improve from their freshman year to sophomore to junior to senior, I think you're seeing that with him. He's got a lot of talent. He’s a great kid, a high-character guy. He’ll be a good leader on this team. I’m looking for him to have a big year for us.”
Smith has left a big impression on Kellan Wyatt, the senior defensive lineman transfer from Maryland who figures to have a big role this season for the Hoosiers.
They faced each other last year when IU beat Maryland, and multiple times in fall camp.
“It’s hard to find things to beat him with,” Wyatt says. “He doesn’t have many flaws in his game.
“Going against him every day in practice makes all of us (on the defensive line) better. I look forward to keep stacking days with a guy like that.”
Smith credits his improvement to the quality of defensive line teammates he’s faced in practice during his time in Bloomington.
“Having those guys around made me a more competitive person,” he says.
Last year’s offensive line helped IU lead the Big Ten in scoring (41.3 points per game) and rank among the conference’s best in total offense (426.4 yards a game).
The key to continuing that offensive success this season, Smith adds, isn’t complicated.
“Find your targets. Do your job. That’s the entirety of our offense.”
While the line struggled in losses to Ohio State and Notre Dame last season, almost everyone did given those teams reached the national title game and the Hoosiers were on the road in both contests.
“There’s always a little more you can do,” Smith says. “Whether you take the time to come in early and put on the pads before practice and work on footwork, or after practice maybe you borrow a couple of the young guys and work to give you some looks.
“You have to know that the work is never done. Those were tough times, but I think we’ve learned from them. I think we’ll come out this year swinging.”
In other words, Smith adds, “We have to come out with confidence and smack some heads.”