‘One Mind’ – Osunsanmi Evolving in IU’s Attacking Defense
By Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Complacency won’t happen on an Indiana defense, certainly not on one directed by defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and overseen by head coach Curt Cignetti.
Defense has helped fuel the No. 5/6 Hoosiers’ 4-0 record this season and 20 straight victories overall as they prepare for their first road game, Saturday night’s trip to Rutgers (1-3).
Defensive lineman Tobi Osunsanmi vouches for that as he experiences Hoosier intensity and culture in his first IU season after transferring from Kansas State.
“It starts in practice,” he says from the Don Croftcheck Team Room at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. “A lot of times the intensity in practice is the same type of intensity as it is in the game.”
Defensive tackles coach Pat Kuntz and defensive ends coach Buddha Williams help inspire that intensity.
“Regarding coaching,” Osunsanmi says, “there’s going to be a lot of emotion, a lot of yelling at practice, but that’s good. The first time you hear it isn’t during the game; it’s throughout the week. You get better that way.”
The 6-foot-2, 251-pound Osunsanmi -- fast enough to have once helped Kansas’s Wichita East High School to a Class 6A state title in the 400-meter relay -- has gotten better as he evolves in Haines’ attacking scheme. He leads IU with 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, with 12 total tackles. He also has one forced fumble and one quarterback hurry.
Cignetti praises Osunsanmi for his “exceptional initial quickness to get into the backfield.” Offensive lineman Carter Smith says Osunsanmi “is really quick and really swift off the edge. He moves so fluid, too.”
This is what IU coaches hoped for when he transferred from Kansas State. In 36 games with five starts over four seasons, Osunsanmi totaled 38 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
His transition to the Hoosiers, he says, has been “great.” It helped that fellow Kansas State defensive lineman Chiddi Obiazor also transferred to IU.
“We did a good job of kind of getting to know everyone and branching out, not just being in our own little corner and being to ourselves,” Osunsanmi says. “We did a good job of creating chemistry into the off-season, which is being pretty beneficial right now.”
Osunsanmi says he and Obiazor didn’t decide to transfer to IU as a package.
“We are really competitive. Honestly, I didn't even know (Obiazor) was coming here until I saw him on the visit. We were keeping to ourselves about the transfer portal. We wanted to make our own smart decisions and we both landed here.”
Osunsanmi’s program acclimation was helped by fellow transfer defensive lineman Josh Burnham, who came from Notre Dame.
“He was my (weightlifting) rack partner all offseason,” Osunsanmi says, “so I got to know him a lot on a personal level. We have a lot of inside jokes. That’s my favorite thing about him.”
He has other favorites. Consider defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe’s first-quarter safety on Northwestern’s first play of the game that set a tone for a dominant defensive first half.
“I was pumped,” Osunsanmi says. “It was great. It was great for the fans, too. It was like what you see online -- the perfect start to the game.”
Ndukwe, who is in his third Hoosier season, also has provided invaluable defensive insight.
“He’s been learning this defense for about three years,” Osunsanmi says, “so he knows every little thing about the play. I go to him a lot asking questions and getting insight on what type of plays we can run or how my technique was on this type of play. I’ve learned a lot from him in that regard.”
After posting consecutive shutouts against Howard and Western Kentucky, IU gave up 23 second-half points against Northwestern. Still, the Hoosiers allow 9.8 points a game, second in the Big Ten behind Iowa’s 8.0. They’ve intercepted three passes, forced five fumbles and totaled 33 tackles for loss with 11 sacks.
Osunsanmi insists they can do better.
“There's still a lot of improvements to be made, but whenever we limit our mistakes on the D-line, we really get after the quarterback, we really get after the run game. That's the goal moving forward.”
The emphasis this week, Osunsanmi adds, is “just being physical and being fast. Make fast decisions.”
“We have really good linebackers (Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy) behind us to make us right with whatever we do, so that’s the goal for this game.”
While the defense is still building to peak performance, Osunsanmi says working against IU’s potent offense, especially in fall camp, remains a benefit.
“That’s when we usually went against our offense. It was like good on good every day. Our offense is one of the best. That prepares us for every game.”
Defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt continue to get more playing time as they work their way back from last season’s injuries and this year’s eligibility issues.
“They provide a different type of senior leadership with them being here for a second year,” Osunsanmi says. “Our (defensive line) room is obviously older, but in that respect we all come together and try to be one mind when it comes on the field.”