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ThompsonHoosier

IUFB Offseason Updates

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It sucks that two good players are transferring, but wish them both the best. I was thinking Morris would be a great backup this year in the backfield and possibly start the following season. I guess Tronti didn't think he would get a chance to play anytime soon (barring injuries). 

With Dawkins, Ramsey, and Penix our QB position is now pretty sound and secure it seems. Impressed at how Allen addressed that this off season.

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Tronti was passed up by penix by the third practice of spring camp. Penix already knew the playbook, and was making better reads. Tronti doesn’t have that strong of an arm... Ramsey doesn’t either but Ramsey had been more accurate. The main thing is that penix had become very familiar and understood the playbook and jumped tronti within the first couple of practices in camp..... that’s pretty big.  I was super excited about tronti when he flipped to us, I wish him nothing but the best as he is a super nice guy and hope he can find a home. 

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2 hours ago, lucel15 said:

Tronti was passed up by penix by the third practice of spring camp. Penix already knew the playbook, and was making better reads. Tronti doesn’t have that strong of an arm... Ramsey doesn’t either but Ramsey had been more accurate. The main thing is that penix had become very familiar and understood the playbook and jumped tronti within the first couple of practices in camp..... that’s pretty big.  I was super excited about tronti when he flipped to us, I wish him nothing but the best as he is a super nice guy and hope he can find a home. 

Great insight Lucel.  How do you think the competition will shake out in the Fall? 

Dawkins - Starter

Ramsey - Second String

Penix - Redshirt

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47 minutes ago, MemphisHoosier said:

Great insight Lucel.  How do you think the competition will shake out in the Fall? 

Dawkins - Starter

Ramsey - Second String

Penix - Redshirt

I think It will be Dawkins and Ramsey competing.  I’m not going to write Ramsey off yet as some people on social media accounts have. I think the coaches would like to save Penix and RS him, but I mean if he’s the best come end of fall camp then let’s strap up and go.  Overall Dawkins gives us more with mobility compared to Ramsey. Passing wise I think I will give it to Ramsey just because I watched the kid throw all season and I’ve only seen highlights of dawkins passing. I think they both are short to mid route passers. Not big arms like Lagow or suds. It will be an interesting summer and fall. And I can tell people will say Ramsey wasn’t accurate....the kid threw and completed 65.4% of his passes....who cares if they were short passes he still hit the receiver and made good throws still at 20 yards down the field. In the end I’ll be happy with either. Dawkins has been quoted saying he wanted to compete and didn’t just want to be handed a job because he’s a grad transfer....so let’s breed some competition. Also look for the coaches to bring in 2 QBs in this next class. Chris Herron will be making an official sometime in May supposedly. 

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Got a grad transfer DT from Syracuse.. Wasn't highly regarded out of HS... but we need more depth at this position and he is a SR. It's no risk-medium reward scenario. 

Allen and staff with this grad transfer, Linder, and Dawkins have done a great job in this dept. 

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16 minutes ago, Fkfootball1 said:

This is the kind of program that needs grad transfers. We will always have holes.

Sent from my SM-G935P using BtownBanners mobile app
 

Agree. Truthfully... unless they are a bad locker room guy(very rare as a SR)... there aren't many "bad" grad transfers. They at least give you experience, depth, etc. 

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We did not make top 5 for jirehl Brock. We made his first top 7. Top 5 include Minnesota, Iowa, northwestern, Purdue and Iowa state. Illinois and IU were dropped. I would say with ivory winters committed the coaches are maybe looking to take 1-2 RBs (that’s including winters) in this class given our depth at RB right now. I would say the coaches are also going to try and do everything they can to try to get Sampson James to at least take a visit. Idk if he will but I’ve heard IU is still in contact with him (I’m from Avon). My only pitch would be come be a one two punch with Ellison or walker depending on who gets the load in the coming years and who stays healthy. OSU will alway be 4 deep at RB (still very good and still productive) but come to IU stay home (like your older brothers should have) and put up big numbers. 

 

Here is brocks 247 imo he is either going to Iowa or Northwestern that’s what I feel....my pitch against our little brother is you have a pass heavy HC....markel Jones our up some nice numbers but second season as HC and playbook....brohm will be airing it out like WKU and mike leach  

 

https://247sports.com/Player/Jirehl-Brock-46036361

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16 hours ago, lucel15 said:

We did not make top 5 for jirehl Brock. We made his first top 7. Top 5 include Minnesota, Iowa, northwestern, Purdue and Iowa state. Illinois and IU were dropped. I would say with ivory winters committed the coaches are maybe looking to take 1-2 RBs (that’s including winters) in this class given our depth at RB right now. I would say the coaches are also going to try and do everything they can to try to get Sampson James to at least take a visit. Idk if he will but I’ve heard IU is still in contact with him (I’m from Avon). My only pitch would be come be a one two punch with Ellison or walker depending on who gets the load in the coming years and who stays healthy. OSU will alway be 4 deep at RB (still very good and still productive) but come to IU stay home (like your older brothers should have) and put up big numbers. 

 

Here is brocks 247 imo he is either going to Iowa or Northwestern that’s what I feel....my pitch against our little brother is you have a pass heavy HC....markel Jones our up some nice numbers but second season as HC and playbook....brohm will be airing it out like WKU and mike leach  

 

https://247sports.com/Player/Jirehl-Brock-46036361

I could see it being difficult for Purdue to land stud RB’s because Brohm will be pass heavy once he overhauls the roster. Makes sense why Purdue has a good shot to land some stud WR’s this year (Bell, Kirtz, Young, etc). 

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31 minutes ago, Dalton26 said:

Random and has nothing to do with the current offseason but I was just listening to the Stone Cold podcast with Lane Johnson and he referred to Kevin Wilson as the meanest SoB he’s ever met.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

Yes I have heard stories about him when my cousin was his detail at home and away games. And used to be called by AD to go get him. 

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2 hours ago, Stlboiler23 said:

I could see it being difficult for Purdue to land stud RB’s because Brohm will be pass heavy once he overhauls the roster. Makes sense why Purdue has a good shot to land some stud WR’s this year (Bell, Kirtz, Young, etc). 

Yeah that’s the only thing I see as well and I don’t get why other people don’t get the whole WR thing on other boards. However to be the Hoosier fan going against a boiler...lol (all fun here...we’ve had convos before you and I) I know brohm just signed an extension and has a buyout....I still see him leaving if Petrino doesn’t perform well this next season and is let go. People say he won’t but if I’m brohm and my old college wants me...my hometown wants me...I’m going back and building a monster for them. Brohm is good for the big ten and IU rivalry, but if I’m a recruit I’m still a little bit hesitant, but so far he’s done well.

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3 hours ago, lucel15 said:

Yeah that’s the only thing I see as well and I don’t get why other people don’t get the whole WR thing on other boards. However to be the Hoosier fan going against a boiler...lol (all fun here...we’ve had convos before you and I) I know brohm just signed an extension and has a buyout....I still see him leaving if Petrino doesn’t perform well this next season and is let go. People say he won’t but if I’m brohm and my old college wants me...my hometown wants me...I’m going back and building a monster for them. Brohm is good for the big ten and IU rivalry, but if I’m a recruit I’m still a little bit hesitant, but so far he’s done well.

Yeah I could see that with Louisville for sure. It’s crazy how much recruiting has turned around for Purdue since he took over. Night and day from the Hazell era. 

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On 5/16/2018 at 5:19 PM, dallas44~ said:


Purdue is 11th - 2018 and 13th- 2019 in b10 247 rankings. Am I missing something here?


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

Just the caliber of player that we’ve signed and are legit looking at Purdue. The football complex has been huge for recruiting. A lot of guys had multiple P5 offers. Not sure why you’re quoting the 2019 class since it’s a work in progress. The caliber/level of talent guys that are legit interested in Purdue is much higher than it’s been before. Guys like David Bell, Bryce Kirtz, Jirehl Brock, Craig Young, Justin Britt, J.J. Weaver, Marvin Grant, Isaiah Gibson, and Milton Wright didn’t give us the time of day before and we have a chance to land several of those guys. I think this could be a top 35 class for Purdue. 

Edit: Purdue landed a 4* receiver from Ohio tonight so that’s now 2 4* guys so far in this class. Off to a solid start. 

Edited by Stlboiler23

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A nice rundown on everything that's happening around the football program.

Smile, Hoosier Fans

By Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Not even five hours in a dentist chair Monday morning could keep coach Tom Allen from being his usual up-beat self.

"I am excited about our future," the Hoosier head honcho said Monday afternoon, gazing from his office toward the South End Zone project that is on schedule for completion this summer. "I
believe in what we are building here and in the way we're building it.

"A strong foundation is being laid. The expectation, my vision here, is to win the Big Ten. I know some people scoff at that, but I embrace it."

New Castle native Allen grew up in Big Ten country, so he knows previously moribund programs have found ways to arise.

"I understand, have seen, the history of our conference," he said. "I know what Northwestern used to be. They've won the Big Ten three times the last 20 years or so and went to the Rose Bowl, and there was a time when nobody thought that could happen.

"I remember what Wisconsin used to be, back when I was in school, before Barry Alvarez, and it wasn't pretty. They struggled. Iowa struggled for years before Hayden Fry came in. You can go on and on. Don't tell me it can't be done. But you have to build, systematically, to a certain culture, and that's what we're doing. And if you don't believe, you've got no chance."

That doesn't mean Allen won't acknowledge sometimes harsh realities.

He did so last Nov. 25 when a desultory 31-24 loss at Purdue left the Hoosiers a game shy of a third straight bowl bid. Allen characterized that day and the just-concluded season, his first full campaign as IU's head coach, with one word: "Disappointing."

And anybody looking into his eyes or hearing the tone of his voice knew he was, as usual, being completely candid. The pain was palpable.

"Because I saw what was at stake," he recalled. "Maybe I didn't make it clear enough to our guys, because I saw what was out there in front of us – all that a win would mean, even just in terms of history. Never having won five (Old Oaken Bucket) games in a row. The chance to go to three bowl games in a row.

"And it's a dual-effect thing. It affects our program, but it also affects theirs. The perceived trajectory of both. I saw all of that going into it and knew what was at stake. But I also know there is a big-picture view."

A view that allows how adversity can instruct. Can become catalytic.

The way 2017 concluded compelled Allen to aggressively take actions he was already considering, but might not have immediately implemented in the wake of a more successful season than
5-7.

And he's already seeing those actions prompt positive and consequential change. "Sometimes you might lose a battle," Allen said, "but then because of that loss, it causes you to do things that may win you the war."

Nobody will ever accuse Allen of not being thorough. He went back to watch every play of every 2017 game over again, and met with every player on the team. And that solidified, in his mind, what changes needed to ensue.

"No question that, in my notes, you just see certain things that come up repetitively," Allen said. "I've tried to address those concerns."

So Indiana now has, among other items:

  • A new strength and conditioning staff, headed up by former Hoosier player David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea.
  • Coach William Inge, the erstwhile linebacker coach, now fully dedicated to special teams.
  • Graduate transfers in Brandon Dawson (quarterback from Arizona), Nick Linder (center from Miami) and Kayton Samuels (defensive tackle from Syracuse) for targeted positions of need.
  • A 26-man recruiting class featuring speed. And more speed.


"It started with the weight room," Allen said. "There were certain things showing up right away, when we started evaluating the season (that were) reflected in the overall strength and power of our team. The push at the line of scrimmage or lack thereof. And then just speed or lack thereof. Explosive plays, or lack thereof.

"We didn't generate a lot of explosive plays on offense. We needed to go find some more speed for that side of the ball. And defensively and special teams, same thing. Those things surfaced.

And you try to address that both through recruiting and development. That's where the weight room comes in, where the No. 1 job is to develop our kids physically."

And those kids – a youthful group with 54 freshmen and sophomores alongside 39 juniors and seniors on the spring roster, not counting the 22 additional newcomers due this fall – have noticed how well job No. 1 is getting done.

"What is so powerful about that, and we've already seen this, is that it affects the mind and the emotions, too," Allen said. "It affects confidence. It affects expectations. It affects how you feel about yourself. Those things have already started to manifest very positively just in the time we've had (Ballou and Rhea) here."

That was abundantly clear as Allen watched spring practice. And as he had his individual player meetings.

"When I had my meeting with our guys," Allen said, "it was every single kid – there was not one guy who did not mention how excited they are about our strength staff, and the difference they've seen and felt, and the confidence it has created in them.

"They feel different. They look different. They know they're more explosive. It's just created a whole different mindset for these guys. And that's every single kid."

Allen hasn't yet seen how his grad transfers will look. Linder was a January enrollee, but injury kept him sidelined for the bulk of the spring (though he should be ready for fall camp). Dawkins and Samuels will arrive for summer workouts.

"With the grad transfers, we just addressed some specific needs that we thought we had that high school kids might have a hard time addressing," Allen said. "Both sides of the line of scrimmage. The bigger guys.

"It's hard to get a high school kid who can help you on the offensive line right away and it's hard to get a defensive tackle in that sense, too. You might find some guys on the edge, but those inside guys … you have to have some grown-man strength in there. So bringing in a guy like Kayton (Samuels) is a huge get for us."

"Huge" was also the term Allen applied to Dawson opting for IU. Dawson played in 23 games and started 14 for the Pac 12 Wildcats and his arrival could allow the Hoosiers more time to develop younger signal-callers such as redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey and true freshman Michael Penix Jr. There were no senior or junior scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

"We were able to go find a young man who matched the scheme look that we want and had the physical stature – he's 6-4 and 215 pounds," Allen said of Dawkins. " … He runs really, really well. And he's played in the Pac 12 as a starter. That, to me, was a big deal.

"You look at different guys for that grad-transfer role and a lot of them haven't played much football since they got to college … that's different from being the starter, from having to handle the pressure of that. Handle the media. Handle all the things that make that position unique. And he's been in that position. He's won games. He's played well. He can throw the football. He's a dual(-threat) guy. And an important part, for me, was his character and leadership. He fit. We did our homework on that."

Allen noted that Dawkins is coming to compete a starting role that won't simply be handed to him. But whomever quarterbacks IU next fall will play behind an offensive line that returns every player from that unit's 2017 roster, plus Linder, and will have experienced skill-position personnel at their disposal.

IU's defense bade farewell to seven starters this spring, but the Hoosiers are not bereft of talent there, either.

And it's entirely plausible to contend that Indiana, reversing historical trends, will play good defense as long as Allen and his staff are around.

Consider what happened between 2015, the year before Allen arrived as defensive coordinator, and 2017. Indiana's defense, comparing those two years, saw the opposition average:

  • 169.4 fewer yards per game.
  • 12.3 fewer points per game.
  • A .299 third-down conversion percentage, down from .421.
  • A .545 completion percentage, down from .595.


And as many as 18 of IU's 26 newcomers could be ticketed for the defensive side of the ball next summer – including reigning Indiana Mr. Football Reese Taylor from Class 6A state champ Ben Davis.

Taylor is fleet afoot, as are many of his classmates, and is one of three in-state recruits for the class – while there are 16 combined from Southeastern Conference stomping grounds Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

That reflects Allen's determination to go where ever he can find speed.

"Where do we have to go to get it? I'm not bashful about that," said Allen, who coached at South Florida before joining IU's staff. "We're going to recruit Indiana as hard as we can. But I want guys who want to be here, and who can run, and we'll go where ever we need to go.

"If you look at rosters in all our sports, not just football, they are national rosters (and) that helps us in recruiting. We've got an alumni base pretty much everyplace. And that helps sell kids to come here. So we're just kind of a microcosm of the school, and we'll continue to recruit nationally."

Allen coached at Mississippi from 2012 through 2014. He saw the same thing Urban Meyer saw in the SEC when the current Ohio State coach was at Florida.

"When I was in that league, there were two things that stuck out," Allen said. "The overall speed and the D-line. That, to me, is what makes that league different from everyplace else. I was just, 'Wow.'

"I had a high school buddy of mine from this state who went down to Auburn and watched them practice. He'd never seen them in person. And he was, 'Oh, my goodness! Their D-line!' And I was like, 'Yeah. And Georgia's that way. And 'Bama's that way. And LSU is that way … '

"So, for me, speed and D-line is what we're most immediately trying to address."

Which is a big reason Dr. Rhea, a speed specialist, is working with Ballou within the IU strength and conditioning department.

"You have to recruit fast guys, but they're going to get faster," Allen said.  "That whole speed mantra, that speed program we're doing here, will allow us to develop that. I want that as part of our DNA."

Memorial Stadium's DNA continues to alter. The South End Zone facility is about to revolutionize IU's ability to deliver complete academic and medical services to its student-athletes in one locale. And it will fully enclose the stadium.

"When that thing is finished this summer, it'll be a louder stadium," Allen noted. "It already sounded different when we were practicing in there this spring. That excites me."

Another year will see The Terry Tallen Football Complex under the west stands supply a new locker room space, a players' lounge, a recruiting room and other niceties.

"Look at what's going on at Indiana right now, between the stadium facilities – the South End Zone completed this summer, the new locker room and other facilities under the west stands coming – and then our new strength staff all arriving at about the same time," Allen said. "All these building blocks.

"But it is a systematic process. That's the part that takes patience. And I'm not patient. Our fans aren't. I get all that. But when you do build it systematically, and you build it properly, and that foundation is right, then it'll have a stronger long-term impact and we can sustain it. And I see a lot of things coming together that can put us in that positive direction."

Allen knows a lot of IU fans shared in the disappointment with how last season ended up. He doesn't mind that one bit. It fires him up.

"I'm excited by the fact that they're disappointed, too," he said. "Because that means there is expectation. And, to me, that's part of the process of building a program. There have been years where there weren't really any expectations to speak of.

"In a lot of ways, I want people to be upset when we don't reach a certain level, or supply what they want. That means it's a fan base that cares and has expectations that match mine. That, to me, is a positive thing."

After the Sept. 1 opener at Florida International, starting with the Sept. 8 home opener versus Virginia, seven of IU's last 12 games next fall are set for Memorial Stadium.

"That's a chance to get our people here, get them behind us, to support our guys, and that really matters," Allen said. "I want them to come and support us, yes. But I also want them to understand and believe that we're building a foundation for the future.

"It takes time. And there is a patience piece to this that is hard. But it's coming together."

Allen smiled as he said that.

And his teeth looked great.

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Thanks for posting Thompson - A nice recap of things hopefully to come by Andy Graham.  Maryland, Purdue, Minnesota, and Virginia, all appear to be big games that will make or break IU this year. Looks to be a tough year but a bowl is possible with winning most of those on those on "my" list. We are due for some luck as we seemed to be on the short end of the stick in some of those close contests in recent years. Maryland still sticks in my mind from last year... I hope CTA is smiling those pearly whites at the end of the fall.

If he is, I Know I will be! GO HOOSIERS!

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