Tom Allen Gives Injury Updates on Bedford, Camper, Williams Before Fall Camp
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Three of Indiana's top offensive players suffered season-ending knee injuries at different points of a 4-8 campaign last season, but coach Tom Allen is optimistic about their return in 2023.
Start with offensive tackle Matthew Bedford, who tore his ACL during Indiana's Week 1 win over Illinois. With nearly the entire 2022 season and a full offseason to recover, Bedford has been cleared by the medical staff to return to action ahead of his fifth season.
Indiana's offensive line struggled without Bedford last season, but his return gives the group its locker room leader, most experienced veteran and overall best lineman. The 6-foot-6, 314-pound Bedford has started 28 games since his freshman season in 2019, appearing at every spot along the offensive line besides center.
"Getting Matt Bedford back is huge," Indiana coach Tom Allen said at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday. "Losing him Week 1 was a big blow to us. He was our best offensive lineman. He's back now 100 percent, which is exciting. I'm very excited for him."
Indiana offensive lineman Matthew Bedford ready for the snap during a practice last season.
Indiana Athletics
Later on in the 2022 season, Indiana lost it leading wide receiver Cam Camper to a torn ACL, like Bedford. Despite suffering the injury during the Hoosiers' Week 8 loss at Rutgers, Camper finished the season as the team's top pass catcher, hauling in 46 receptions for 569 yards.
The 6-foot-2 receiver has had less time than Bedford to recover from his torn ACL, but Allen expects Camper to take the field for Indiana's 2023 season opener against Ohio State on Sept. 2.
"Cam is doing really well, and I would say very close to being where he needs to be to be completely cleared to play," Allen said. "I fully expect him to play in the opener. I think maybe a pitch count type mindset for sure, but at the same time I feel very confident he'll be playing in game number one, so I'm very excited about that. He had a really, really good summer."
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Cam Camper (6) extends to catch a pass in the third quarter of a college football game against the Cincinnati Bearcats, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Indiana enters fall camp with a quarterback competition between a pair of redshirt freshmen, Brendan Sorsby and Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson, but Allen is optimistic about the return of quarterback Dexter Williams II at some point in 2023.
"We expect Dexter to play," Allen said Thursday. "There's going to come a point in time this season where he comes back. That's what I would expect. I don't know when it's going to be, but I do believe that."
Williams' injury occurred during Indiana's 2022 season finale against Purdue on Nov. 26, when he fell to the turf without any contact from a defender. He scrambled to avoid the pass rush, but his knee gave out in the process. Williams was carted off the field and immediately taken to the hospital.
On Thursday, Allen said the play was, "as freak of an injury as I've ever seen, with nobody touching him. Everything just went apart."
Back on May 31, Allen said Williams was ahead of schedule in his recovery, with an optimistic goal of returning at the midway point of the 2023 season. Allen clarified that Williams tore his ACL and other ligaments. Doctors originally compared Williams' injury to former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but Allen said the injury's severity has since been downgraded after further review from doctors.
Allen said Thursday that Williams is continuing the rehab process and has an important evaluation this week with those who performed the surgery in December.
"I'm excited to hear back from that," Allen said. "But obviously, he will not be available early in the season."
Indiana's Dexter Williams (5) winces in pain as he is injured during the first half of the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Prior to his injury, Williams appeared in four games with two starts. While still raw as a passer, his dual-threat ability caused problems for opponents.
Williams made his collegiate debut on Nov. 5 against Penn State after quarterback Jack Tuttle suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Williams finished the game completing 4-of-11 passes for 41 yards and two interceptions, plus four carries for 24 yards. Williams replaced Connor Bazelak in the first half of the following week's game at Ohio State and completed 6-of-19 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns, along with 16 rushes for 46 yards.
He made the first start of his career on Nov. 19 at Michigan State and led the Hoosiers to a 39-31 win in double-overtime. In a snowy East Lansing, Williams attempted just seven passes, but he carried the ball 16 times for 86 yards and a touchdown. Indiana totaled 257 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in the win, good for 5.8 yards per carry.
Williams earned a second start against Purdue, and early signs proved he and Jaylin Lucas could be a dangerous backfield duo. Lucas ran for a 71-yard touchdown on an option play with Williams on Indiana's second play of the game, but Williams suffered his current knee injury on the following drive as the Hoosiers approached the red zone.
Since going down with the injury, Allen has been impressed with Williams' approach to the recovery process this offseason.
"He's such a great worker," Allen said in May. "He's so disciplined in the process. That doesn't surprise me, especially once we found out there weren't quite as many things that they thought in the first place when the initial injury occurred. But still, it's more extensive than a typical ACL, so not going to be easy to come back from. But he's just been, like I said, he's just so disciplined to the process of rehabbing that if he can come back a little earlier, I think he's the right guy to do that. So we'll see. We'll never rush it. It's obviously going to be in his best interest what we do for him, but he'll be anxious to be getting out there for sure."
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