ThompsonHoosier

He plays on both sides of the ball and think the coaching staff sees him at defensive end. “I feel good," Ziemba said of the fit at defensive end. "It’s not set in stone yet that I would play d-end. Coach (Kevin) Wilson and (tight ends coach James) Patton, they both like me at tight end. They really think of me as a big, lengthy guy who can be doing anything, really, but d-end is what they offered me at.”

@IUCoachWilson: August = Pre-Season Football has Arrived - Nothing Better than a BTown #BOOM to Set the Tone - #407 Coming in Loud & Clear - #GoIU

Just committed this morning. 3-star by 247. Had over 20 offers, including Cincinnati, Temple, UCF, USF, and Syracuse. Ziemba is the 12th. member of this recruiting class.

Saw somewhere that safety Brandon Drayton was not admitted to IU and will not be part of the team this season. Looked to be a promising prospect.

Hope he remembers who was there from the beginning when OSU or MSU come knocking on his door.

Or maybe he will be encouraged by the type of talent that coach Allen is recruiting for his system!

3-Star prospect out of Georgia committed earlier today. Nice list of offers including UK, Louisville, Memphis, Minnesota, and West Virginia. "Though this amazing journey I just wanna thank the man above," Hunt said in a tweet Thursday, "without him none of this would be in the making. I wanna thank all my coaches from past years because they always pushed me to be the best just so I could make it this far. I also wanna give a big thanks to the coaching staff of Indiana. Coach Shelby and coach Allen for being amazing through this recruiting process. But I've come to my decision and and I'm very proud to say I'm officially committed to Indiana University." 247 Videos Twitter

I hope we can land RJ Potts as well. Along those lines, I hope we can start landing some of the top in-state talent on a consistent basis. I would be really excited if we also landed Caleb Jones and Kurt Rafdal (other two top-10 players in the state). I was excited to see Juan Harris list us in his top three but from what I've read on other boards (don't know if true), it seems like we may want to stay away from him. He committed to Iowa three separate times before changing his mind. According to Iowa fans, this last time it was the coaches who told him they did not want his commitment due to multiple issues including character and academics as well as not cutting bad weight like they asked him to. I guess those are just rumors and I trust coach Wilson and staff in having the proper due diligence to bring to Btown.

Nice seeing Oladipo having fun with kids at his skills camp.

Juan Harris would be a huge addition to this class. It would be great to beat out all the major football power houses for him. The kid has offers from Mich St, Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and a bunch of other programs.

I like how Coach Wilson and staff continue to build relationships with the in-state high schools.

He did enlist Jordy Hulls and Terrance Turner to write their own blog posts for his website so that may be kind of cool!

He won't have to do mental reps now that we have the Cuban Center for Sports Media and Technology. Now he can put on a pair of VR goggles and practice real life film!

Any specific reasons for leaving? Playing time maybe?

"Released after paying a $50 bond"?

Spring Football Depth Chart Update – Defense Spring Football is here! It’s time to update the defensive depth chart and analyze how the returners fit into Tom Allen’s new 4-2-5 scheme. The focus of today’s post will be on defensive personnel as spring practice kicks into gear. In order to have this discussion, we need some understanding of the various positions in new defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s 4-2-5 and the basic responsibilities for each, but I won’t go into great detail about the 4-2-5 in this post. If you’re looking for a more in-depth breakdown of the 4-2-5, go here, here, or here. Positions The positions in the 4-2-5 are described briefly below, and the measurables for the player who started at that position for Allen’s defense last year at USF and for the 2014 Ole Miss defense for which Allen was the linebacker coach are also listed. Weakside defensive end (“WDE”) – Quickness and length appears to be valued over mass. Should be the best pure pass rusher on the DL. USF: 6’3, 260 lbs Ole Miss: 6’2, 225 lbs or 6’3, 220 lbs Nose tackle (“NT”) – Quick and disruptive, seems pretty similar to the NT role in Knorr’s 3-4, in that both are one-gap disputers. USF: 6’2, 308 lbs Ole Miss: 6’3, 315 lbs Defensive tackle (“DT”) – Should be the best all-around DL on the team. Must take on double-teams. USF: 6’1, 305 lbs Ole Miss: 6’4, 292 lbs (Robert Nkemdiche, you might have heard of him) Strongside defensive end (“SDE”) – More of a run-stopper than the WDE—and accordingly should be a little heavier—but should have some pass rushing prowess as well. USF: 6’3, 270 lbs Ole Miss: 6’4, 280 lbs or 6’4, 274 Middle Linebacker (“MLB”) – Stopping the run is his primary duty. Coverage skills are secondary. Size, strength and instincts are valued over speed. USF: 6’2, 244 lbs Ole Miss: 6’1, 247 lbs or 6’0, 235 lbs Weakside Linebacker (“Stinger”) – Has significant run-stopping responsibilities, but also must be solid against the pass and an effective blitzer. Speed and quickness is a must, and size can be sacrificed. USF: 6’0, 231 lbs Ole Miss: 5’11, 201 lbs Hybrid safety/linebacker (“Huskie”) – More of a safety than a linebacker. Functions very much like a nickel back, with significant coverage responsibilities and run-contain duties. USF: 5’11, 185 lbs Ole Miss: 6’0, 217 lbs Strong safety (“SS”) – More deep zone responsibilities than a strong safety in other systems because the Huskie and Free Safety frequently have run-contain assignments that force them to attack the line of scrimmage. Still, must be ready and willing to come up and make a tackle. USF: 5’10, 204 lbs Ole Miss: 6’0, 195 lbs Free safety (“FS”) – Similar in role to the Huskie, possibly with more deep zone responsibilities. USF: 5’9, 186 lbs Ole Miss: 6’2, 217 lbs Corners – No significant difference from previous regime. Depth Chart With those positions in mind, let’s look at the defensive depth chart as a whole, and then I’ll drill down into specific position groups. The depth chart involves a significant amount of guesswork based on how I think last year’s parts fit into Allen’s system. No incoming freshman are included. Bona fide starters from previous seasons are shown in green1 Guys that saw playing time, some of it quite significant, are in yellow. Players that have yet to see the field are in red. If you think someone is in the wrong spot, read on and I’ll attempt to explain my placement decisions.2 Personnel Analysis by Position Groups For each position group, the first issue to address is the raw number of players needed at that position. When determining the necessary number of players in a given group, we’re using 44 as the total number of scholarship players on defense. That’s a little more than half of the 85-scholarship total, but since IU almost never substitutes at quarterback or on the offensive line and almost every defensive position substitutes, a few extra defensive scholarships are justified.3 To calculate the total for each group, then, we take the percentage of the starting total at that position (i.e. for the D-line, that’s 4 of 11 or 36%) and multiply that percentage by 44. Using that formula, IU would expect to have 16 D-lineman, 12 safeties (counting the Huskie as a safety), 8 cornerbacks, and 8 linebackers. Once the raw numbers are evaluated, the next issue is how the existing pieces fit into the new scheme. Defensive Line As recently as last week, there were officially only 12 scholarship defensive linemen, and that number assumed that 3-4 Bandits Greg Gooch, Nile Sykes and Brandon Wilson would be considered defensive ends and that former offensive lineman and University of Cincinnati transfer Ja’merez Bowen’s bowl practice switch to the defensive line was permanent.4 It stood to reason that another body or two would be added during spring ball. Sure enough, when the updated roster was released on Friday, redshirt freshman Omari Stringer – originally recruited as a linebacker – was listed as a defensive end. Given the premium put on long, quick guys at weakside defensive end, Stringer, at 6’4, 219, is a natural fit. Once 2016 recruits Jerome Johnson and Allen Stallings arrive in August, the defensive line will be close to full strength at 15, which I’m guessing the staff is probably comfortable with for 2016. If they wanted to move another player currently on the roster, junior linebacker Chris Covington would make sense. He has the size and frame for WDE (6’2, 232), and he’s currently buried at Stinger. In terms of roles within the defensive line, there’s a bunch of different ways the coaching staff could go. Defensive line is fairly unique as a position group in that these large humans can gain or lose 20 pounds or so that can make them a better fit at a given position along the line. This gives the coaches some flexibility in moving guys from defensive end to defensive tackle, from defensive tackle to nose tackle, etc. My theory in putting together the DL depth chart was to start the best four guys, while still respecting positional roles in the 4-2-5. If the defensive tackle is supposed to be the best player on the DL, that’s Ralph Green. He could play nose tackle as well, but Nate Hoff’s skillset fits well there. Jacob Robinson and Robert McCray should be co-starters at strongside defensive end, as both have the size to stand up against the run and enough speed to rush the passer. On the weakside, I don’t think there’s a true speed rusher on this roster, but the combination of Greg Gooch and Nile Sykes can be solid, if not spectacular. Looking to the 2nd and 3rd teams, there’s potential to burn, with the underclassmen quintet of Ja’merez Bowen, Brandon Wilson, Derrian Meminger, Mike Barwick and Joe Belden all seemingly ready to take on expanded roles. IU needs a solid rotation of at least 8 defensive linemen in place by the start of B1G season. A somewhat soft first 3 games affords the defensive staff some time to evaluate in game situations. Linebackers At the other end of the experience spectrum, the IU linebacking corps. IU has 4 guys that have logged significant time (TJ Simmons, Marcus Oliver, Tegray Scales and Clyde Newton) and a couple guys with a little experience (Damien Willis and Chris Covington). Clyde Newton and Chris Covington played an outside linebacker position in the 3-4 that really doesn’t exist in the 4-2-55, but I think both have the skillset to play Stinger in Tom Allen’s system. Add in redshirt freshman Raekwon Jones and we’re up to 7 linebackers. Barring injury, IU should be fine with 7 linebackers in 2016, especially considering that some combination of Oliver, Simmons, Scales and Newton will see virtually all of the playing time. With respect to roles, T.J. Simmons, in size and skillset, fits the profile of a MLB in the 4-2-5 to a tee so I expect him to remain there, but the tougher question is what happens to Marcus Oliver. He’s the right size to play MLB, but could he lose a few pounds and play Stinger? Maybe. He has more skill against the pass than Simmons, but he seemed a little overbulked in 2015 and could stand to lose 10 lbs or so.6 Tegray Scales should excel at Stinger. If I’m picking one guy who should thrive in the new system, it’s Scales at Stinger, especially if he slims back down to his 2014 playing weight (which was maybe 10 lbs less than his 2015 weight). Clyde Newton is in somewhat of a tricky spot, as he will be asked to move inside to Stinger in his last year of eligibility. At the worst, though, Newton will be an experienced reserve in 2016. There’s depth, experience, size and talent here. IU’s linebackers should be the strength of the defense. Safety (strong, free, huskie) At safety, assuming former undersized SLBs Zeke Walker and Dawson Fletcher slide to Huskie7, there are currently 9 scholarship safeties, and all but JuCo transfer Jayme Thompson have seen game action. With 3 incoming safety recruits – in addition to Thompson – (Khalil Bryant, Marcelino Ball and Brandon Drayton), the 3 safety positions should be fully staffed by August. Right now, I also have Andre Brown listed at strong safety because I think his size and physicality – and lack of high level speed and quickness – play better at safety than corner, but the numbers might dictate that he stays at corner, especially now that Devonte Williams has moved back to running back. Like the D-line, who ends up at which safety position is a guessing game at this point. The positions in the depth chart above are based on (1) Jayme Thompson’s statement during a recent interview that he was working at the Huskie and free safety positions and (2) my rough understanding that in the 4-2-5, the strong safety is more likely to have deep zone coverage responsibilities, while the Huskie and free safety are more likely to have force/contain responsibilities in the run game. Based on his play last year, it seems to me that Jonathan Crawford is more suited to strong safety, coverage-heavy role, while Chase Dutra is a little better suited to a more run-centric role, at whichever spot Thompson doesn’t occupy. The reserves follow the same principle – I think Kiante Walton, Dawson Fletcher, Zeke Walker and Will Dawkins fit well in the run and short zone Huskie or free safety role. Jameel Cook, Tony Fields and Andre Brown could probably fit in any of the 3 spots. Corner The analysis is simplest at corner: it’s Rashard Fant at one spot and…someone else at the other. My best guess is South Carolina transfer and former 4-star recruit Wesley Green will be the other starting CB, but there’s a group of alternatives with playing experience, including Leon Thornton, Tyler Green, Noel Padmore and Ben Bach.8 With freshman A’Shon Riggins joining that group of 7, this position group should be at full capacity in 2016. Look for an updated offensive depth chart and personnel analysis next week. -Dan This was an article that I found on Puntjohnpunt.com (which is really great in terms of going into the analytics of IU football) a while back. I'm excited to see how coach Allen uses the pieces available to implement the 4-2-5 scheme.

I think our secondary will be highly improved with Wesley Green and Jayme Thompson in the mix. Plus we have Fant and Crawford returning. Hopefully we can limit the big plays and get back to a bowl game! Edit: Candidate for a breakout year- Mike Majette

Did it mention when the project would be started? or the estimated completion date?

We did beat Penn St. last time they came to Bloomington back in 2013 (and we were close in 2014 and 2015 even without our starting QB)! Would love nothing more than to show Tommy Stevens what he missed!

Like Natty said, so many unknowns that it's hard to predict a W-L record for next season. If everything works in our favor, I could see us winning 7-8 games. But I would also not be surprised if we only won 4 or 5. Already got my season tickets; I'm ready to tailgate and see an improved team!

With 50 wins in the last five years, I wouldn't be surprised if some lower tier SEC team hired him. The whole sex scandal at Baylor is crazy though, quite a lot of people to blame not just Briles.

I wonder which teams (supposedly) told him he could go in the first round?

Would love to hear Gus Johnson announce some of our games!

Coach mentioned 5-6 months which would put him around September. Depending on how he recovers, he may only miss the first part of the season.

Wilson mentioned after the game that Camion had successful surgery for an "ACL repair" and will be out 5-6 months. Will decide status as they see him progress and recover.