Indiana's Jaylin Lucas Focused On Winning in 2023 After All-American Freshman Season

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Two letters, RB, sit next to Jaylin Lucas' name on the Indiana football roster, but both fall immensely short of depicting his talent.

During his high school days in Louisiana, Lucas earned the nickname "The World's Most Dangerous Man." Following the 2022 season where he led the nation with two kick return touchdowns, titles like All-American and Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year joined the list of descriptors.

Lucas said these accolades mean a lot, and he always dreamed of what's he's now experiencing. He views it as sign that his hard work is paying off. But entering his sophomore season in 2023, Lucas' journey with the Indiana Hoosiers is about more than himself.

"My main focus is just to win," Lucas said. "Have a winning program here at Indiana."

92 YARD KICK OFF RETURN TO THE HOUSE ‼️@jaylinlucas1 x @IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/nI1OJwQS5D
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 22, 2022

In Tom Allen's sixth full season as head coach, Indiana went 4-8 with wins over Illinois, Idaho, Western Kentucky and Michigan State. It was the second straight season where Indiana fell short of bowl eligibility after playing into January during the 2019 and 2020 campaigns.

Plenty of work is required for Allen and the Hoosiers to get back to that point, but Lucas is hoping his game-breaking speed can get them there.

"This year, man, everybody is looking up to me," the 5-foot-9 Lucas said on Saturday. "This morning, man, it was about 75 percent of the football team getting extra work in, and that just made me proud and made me realize we're taking this upcoming season different. Everybody is ready to roll this season. Everybody's locked in."

Lucas finished last season with 49 carries for 271 yards, or 5.5 yards per carry, and two rushing touchdowns. He caught 16 passes for 82 yards and returned 21 kicks for 591 yards and two touchdowns. Lucas' 28.1 yards per kick return ranked sixth in the nation, but no one matched his pair of scores, which came against Rutgers and Michigan State.

🚨 KICK RETURN TOUCHDOWN 🚨

2nd return score on the season for the @IndianaFootball freshman, Jaylin Lucas! 😤 pic.twitter.com/70IcLmYeFc
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 19, 2022

These accomplishments as a freshman in the Big Ten surely caught the attention of coaches around the country. With the prevalence of the transfer portal, it's rarely a shock to see any student-athlete test their options. But that wasn't the case with Lucas.

"Here at Indiana, man, it's just all love," Lucas said. I'm really not worried about the [transfer] portal right now. I just feel like this is the best fit for me, and I could see myself just building a legacy here at Indiana."

Despite impressive numbers, Lucas called his freshman season, "just the little things." He plans on taking his game to another level as a sophomore.

What would that look like to Lucas?

"Taking over the game," he said. "I can say our o-line is looking very good this year. They're put in extra work and they didn't do that like last year. I say my o-line, they're definitely going to be tough this year."

Here's a playmaker to watch: @jaylinlucas1. 💥

The @IndianaFootball freshman can flat-out fly. pic.twitter.com/3P1sbK3VC6
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 26, 2022

Lucas strives to be consistent this offseason by putting in extra work every day and blocking out outside noise. On the field, he recognized pass protection as his biggest area of necessary improvement. He envisions himself playing a prominent role in the run and kick-return games as expected, but Lucas also wants to take more snaps as a slot receiver to take advantage of his speed.

"I'm just going to be all over the field," Lucas said. "Just being that main, key factor on the Hoosiers."

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