Indiana to Increase Jaylin Lucas' Role: 'Whenever I Get the Ball, I'm Gonna Make Something Happen."
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Jaylin Lucas bounced to the outside as Indiana right tackle Parker Hanna sealed the edge. Fresh off his 18th birthday, Lucas, Indiana’s 5-foot-9 true freshman running back, knew he had a one-on-one matchup with the Nebraska safety in the open field.
“I just stuck my foot in the ground and just got busy,” Lucas said.
With two ankle-breaking jukes, a pair of Nebraska defenders fell helplessly to the turf. The Cornhuskers eventually corralled Lucas to the sideline after a 34-yard gain that represented Lucas’ first – and definitely not last – explosive play of his Hoosier career. It also helped set up Shaun Shivers’ game-tying 1-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds left before halftime.
Nebraska allowed the fifth-most total yards per game in the FBS entering this matchup, but the Cornhuskers held Indiana scoreless in the second half. Lucas did not touch the ball in the final 30 minutes. The result was Indiana’s second consecutive loss, a 35-21 defeat by a Nebraska team that fired its head coach after losing to Georgia Southern at home three weeks prior.
Runs like Lucas’ against Nebraska have been rare for an Indiana rushing attack that generates 105.2 yards per game, which ranks 13th in the Big Ten. But as the Hoosiers prepare for their homecoming game against No. 4 Michigan on Saturday, Indiana coach Tom Allen said involving Lucas in the offense is a priority.
“We want to, and need to, and expect to get him the ball more," Allen said.
Lucas joined Indiana in the spring of 2021 out of Houma, La. with a chip on his shoulder. Lucas said people doubted his ability to play in the Big Ten because of his height, and he used that skepticism as motivation. And now that he’s here, Lucas believes his speed is an advantage in the Big Ten.
“I feel like size don't matter,” Lucas said. “It's just the heart, you feel me? Overall, I feel like, man, whenever I get the ball I'm gonna make something happen."
Indiana's Jaylin Lucas (12) leaves Idaho's Sean McCormick (10) grabbing air during the Indiana versus Idaho football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Indiana coaches and players raved about Lucas’ speed and agility before the season. Watching snippets of Indiana’s fall camp practices, Lucas stood out as much as anyone on the team. But through five games, Lucas has just seven carries for 55 yards, two catches for eight yards and four kick returns for 91 yards.
As a 5-foot-9, 170-pound true freshman, an increased workload for Lucas will come with time. Offensive coordinator Walt Bell said there has been a growth curve for Lucas from a pass-protection standpoint and learning to run between the tackles.
From Allen’s perspective, another factor in Lucas’ limited touches so far is the nature of Indiana’s fast-paced offense. The Hoosiers want to line up and snap the ball as fast as possible in order to keep the defense on its heels, and that means less frequent substitutions.
“Every time you sub, [the defense] can and they will,” Allen said. “They'll come in at their own leisurely pace to be able to slow everything down. So that's, schematically, what you want to be able to prevent from how we want to operate … You can't just insert him for a play.”
Indiana running backs coach Craig Johnson noted that Indiana has been in a lot of close games, and he didn’t want to put a young player in a position where he can’t flourish. But as the season has progressed, Johnson said Lucas has been very “assignment-competent” in practice, which gives him confidence to put him in the game.
As Lucas continues to grow and develop, Bell said he will become a larger part of the offense, and thinks he can become a great “space-touch player.” Allen said Lucas will also be returning kicks for Indiana now, consistently.
"He's a dynamic player,” Allen said. “We got to do a better job of giving him the football more frequently, without question."
Indiana's Jaylin Lucas (12) runs after the catch during the Indiana versus Western Kentucky football game at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 2022.
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Lucas’ older brother, Ja’Khi Douglas, is a redshirt sophomore slot receiver on the Florida State football team. Lucas said the two share the same shifty attributes, and he credits Douglas for everything he knows as a football player.
The two talk every day, and most recently, Lucas has been picking Douglas’ brain on what it takes to play slot receiver, too. Lucas said they used to challenge each other to one-on-one battles – one brother at wide receiver and the other at defensive back – which helped Lucas learn route-running details and how to break out of cuts.
Lucas also credits the high-level competition in Louisiana for preparing him to play in the Big Ten. At Terrebone High School, he was teammates with the nation’s top defensive lineman recruit, Maason Smith, who plays at LSU. Hurricane Ida forced Lucas to relocate, and he played his senior year at Edna Karr High School alongside Aaron Anderson, who plays wide receiver at Alabama.
Heading into Saturday’s matchup with Michigan, Lucas thinks the coaching staff has found a more defined role for him, which includes his reps at both running back and slot receiver.
“I’m getting into the offense a lot this week,” Lucas said. “It should be a hell of a game.”
Related stories on Indiana football:
- JAYLIN LUCAS STANDS OUT AT FALL CAMP: Jaylin Lucas will play his first college football snap as a 17-year-old running back, and his speed, acceleration and quick-twitch style of play has led to trust from Indiana coaches right away. "This is the kind of guy we’ve been looking for," Tom Allen said. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA WEEK 6 DEPTH CHART, INJURY NOTES: Indiana (3-2) plays No. 4 Michigan (5-0) on Saturday in a Noon ET kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. Here's Indiana's Week 6 depth chart, as well as a few injury notes. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA OPENS AS MAJOR UNDERDOG: Coming off a loss at Nebraska, Indiana football hosts No. 4 Michigan for a Noon ET kickoff on Saturday. The Wolverines are favored by 22 points. CLICK HERE
