Indiana Defensive Line Wants 'No Drop-Off' Between Starters, Backups
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — There's no secrecy surrounding what Tom Allen wanted to do with Indiana's defensive line.
For two years in a row, Allen and the Hoosiers have hit the transfer portal hard in search of defensive linemen, and the message has always been the same — they need to get bigger, they need to get more athletic and they need more depth.
Entering the 2023 season, defensive line coach Paul Randolph believes they have that in the position group.
"I'm excited about the depth we've got and about the competition that we got going every single day," Randolph said. "I think we are bigger, and more athletic, which allows for more playmakers — guys who can do the same thing."
Indiana currently has 14 defensive linemen listed on its 2023 roster. There's one freshmen newcomer on the Indiana defensive line, Ta'Derius Collins, and seven returners: Patrick Lucas Jr., LeDarrius Cox, Venson Sneed Jr., Nick James, Julian Kameristy, Aden Cannon and J'mari Monette.
This offseason, the Hoosiers brought in six transfers, with Carl Biddings IV (Louisville), Philip Blidi (Texas Tech), Marcus Burris Jr. (Texas A&M), Trey Laing (Southern), Andre Carter (Western Michigan) and Robby Harrison (Arizona State).
Between Collins and the six 2023 transfers, half of the position room is filled with new faces, and it's fostered what Randolph and Allen want — healthy competition and the ability to rotate players around to each every spot as needed.
"You got six new guys that are all fighting for three spots, so [the level of competition] going to be heightened every single day," Randolph said. "We grade every single day, and they know how they fared every single day."
Additionally, Randolph believes the competition, experience and freshness of the defensive line allows it to be versatile. Few players within the group are confined to inside or outside, defensive tackle or defensive end. Players are expected to be moved around as needed mid-season and mid-game to keep opposing offenses guessing.
"My nose [tackles] can play 3-technique. My 3-techniques can play nose," Randolph said. "So that's how we're creating depth at every position."
Specifically, Randolph mentioned Carter and Burris Jr. — new transfers from Western Michigan and Texas A&M, respectively — as players who can easily switch between end and tackle on the defensive line.
Carter echoed his coach when talking to the media on Friday, saying that his goal and the position room's goal is to see no drop-off, no matter whose on the field. The goal for them isn't to beat out the man next to them, but to ensure that they can count on the man next to them.
"For us, it wouldn't be competing for the role, it's more about competing for each other," Carter said. "Making sure that once I come out, [with] the second man, it's no different. There's no fall-off when Andre Carter is not on the field. That's my biggest goal for this team and my biggest goal for our d-line. Making sure that even when the one's aren't in, it looks the exact same ... It's going to be the same as if the starters were out there."
Based on the names mentioned by Randolph and Allen on Friday, it seems that there's a rough top-eight of defensive linemen who will see consistent snaps week-to-week. Those eight include Carter, Burris Jr., Lucas Jr., Sneed Jr., Cox, Harrison, Blidi and James.
Though that group might fill out the nominal "starter" and "second string" designations, the individual players on Indiana's defensive line don't like to think of it that way.
"I don't really say 'starters.' I say, 'starters one, starters two, starters three,'" Lucas Jr. said. "We're all a big part of what we do. We're asked to do so much [as defensive linemen], there's no way that all of us could play 80 snaps. So the time when you come in, get 20-40 [snaps], we expect no drop-off."
The Indiana defensive line knows it has to be better than it has been in years past, even with all the new faces in the room. The only players on the 2023 team that recorded a sack for the Hoosiers in 2022 were cornerback Noah Pierre, outside linebacker Myles Jackson, middle linebacker Aaron Casey and safety Louis Moore, who combined for six.
Sacks aren't the end-all, be-all for defensive linemen, but it's still indicative of some lacking production from the unit that they don't return a linemen with a sack recorded for Indiana in the past year. IU wants its newfound depth and versatility at the position to allow for more playmakers to show out in the backfield.
It might sound like false confidence from a unit that hasn't had praise heaped on it as of late, but entering 2023, they seem to believe they've built a group deep enough to make waves in the Big Ten.
"This is the best D-Line I've ever been a part of," Carter said. "Collectively, from the size, to the ability to just play hard and to execute and have discipline. We got P.J. (Patrick Lucas Jr.). We got LeDarrius [Cox]. We have Lannell Carr, Myles Jackson and Marcus Burris. A lot of transfers that [are] really looking forward to breaking out this season, and [they] have an ultimate repertoire of pass rushing moves in their bag. Which is gonna allow, not only for them to make plays, but for me to make plays, because [opponents] won't just be able to key me. They'll have to key everyone on this D-Line because they're playmakers.
Those six new transfers on the Indiana defensive line are getting thrown into the Big Ten fire right away when the Hoosiers open their season against Ohio State on Sept 2. As for returners such as Lucas Jr. and Cox, it's a chance to get prove their growth to everyone after getting flattened, 56-14, by the Buckeyes in Columbus last year.
Allen and Randolph wanted the defensive line to be bigger and deeper in 2023, and with all the new players they brought in, they believe they've accomplished just that.
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