‘Sky is the Limit’ for Lynch and IU’s Offensive Line
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Bray Lynch knows great offensive line play. He’s lived it during his four previous years at Indiana, and the veteran offensive lineman fully expects to see more this coming season.
“The sky is the limit,” the 6-foot-5, 298-pound redshirt senior says. “We’ve got a ton of experience; we've got some good young players; and we've got some players ready to fit into new roles.
“We have a great group of guys. They all come from great families. They have great heads on their shoulders. It’s a smart group.”
Smartness can lead to elite performance. For the last two seasons, IU’s offensive line was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the nation’s best offensive line. Flexibility to play any line position is part of that, with returning veterans Lynch, Carter Smith and Drew Evans setting the tone along with Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner.
“We can be super flexible,” Lynch says. “We’re all open to try new positions, try new things. One thing about Drew and Carter and Joe that I can’t speak enough on is how willing they are to put the team first. As long as we’re in position to win games, all of us will do whatever it takes.”
Don’t overlook returning Adedamola Ajani, a redshirt sophomore, plus promising younger players such as Baylor Wilkin, Austin Leibfried, and Evan Parker. With Smith sidelined in the spring from offseason surgery, they got plenty of spring practice work which could lead to in-season benefits.
“We're starting to finally build all that chemistry together,” Lynch says. “It's taken a little bit of time, but that happens. I’m super excited to see this group get after it. You’ve got leaders; you’ve got silent workers; you’ve got this and that. These are positive, confident individuals. There is nothing this group can't do.”
Ajani emerged at the end of last season. Lynch says more is coming.
“I’ve seen a lot of maturity from him. Sometimes, he’s a very joking guy. We love that about him. Sometimes, like last year, he’d be joking at the wrong time in places where maybe he shouldn’t be joking. He’s matured.
“He has a growing confidence to him that he can step in no matter the position. That’s hard to do, to be a versatile o-lineman. You have to learn so many things. It’s a different game from outside to inside. He’s doing a great job of that. He keeps his head high. It’s like, what can I do for the team? That’s super important and shows a lot of growth.”
Losing standout center Pat Coogan (a sixth-round pick of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans) will hurt, as much for his leadership as his outstanding play. Who will become that take-charge offensive lineman?
“We have a good bulk of that now,” Lynch says. “Joe is a great leader. Drew is a great leader. Carter is out right now, but he’s a great leader.
“Collectively, it might not be that one person, but we’re all able to step in and speak to the group. We have the respect of our teammates and still earning that respect to our new teammates.
“That’s one of the beautiful things about this group is that we can all step into that role. We have a good group of leaders.”
Last season’s 16-0 national championship run took its toll on every Hoosier, and was an added challenge for Lynch, who injured his ankle during August training camp and played through it before needing postseason surgery. He started all 16 games at right guard.
“I had some loose bodies in my ankle,” Lynch says, “and I didn't want to do anything with it during the season because I'd miss too much time, so I waited until the end of the year.”
As far as the difficulty in doing that, Lynch adds, “I don't make excuses for myself. It was just a thing that happened.”
Adrenaline helped.
“You don’t feel that much when you’re in the middle of a war going against another team and there are players at the other end of it,” he says.
“I won’t say it limited me in any way. It’s part of the game. You’re going to get hurt and banged up. It’s next-play mentality.”
Bob Bostad, who rates among the nation’s top offensive line coaches, has been huge in Lynch’s development.
“He’s a coach first, and he’s hard on us. That’s what you want. No matter what you do in life, you want someone to push you to be your best. That’s what Coach Bostad does.
“Here or there, he might see you in the hall and give you a slap on the gut or a little smile, nod, say a little joke. That’s all you can ask for.”
Could center be in Lynch’s future? While Evans is the likely choice to replace Coogan, depth is crucial. Lynch says he played one snap at center last season, but he has worked on it in practice since his freshman season.
“I really enjoy the position,” Lynch says. “I’ve worked a lot there. I take reps there; I take reps everywhere.”
Seeing how Coogan and Mike Katic handled center responsibilities, Lynch adds, was a great learning opportunity.
“They were both great centers and great Indiana Hoosiers, but different characters. Coogan was so methodical in the way he took on each week leading up to game day. It was the amount of reps he took. I roomed with him at hotels before games and he was so focused on notes and the little things you might have repped 10,000 times in fall camp.
“I still write down those minor details you need to work on. Create a routine each week to learn your opponent better so you’re as prepared as you can possibly be.”