Three Impact Transfers For Indiana Football's Offense in 2023
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana revamped its roster this offseason with 18 incoming transfers, and many will be counted on to make an impact in 2023.
While some players haven't arrived in Bloomington yet, most of these transfers joined Indiana for the spring 2023 semester. Coach Tom Allen and the Hoosiers wrapped up their 15th and final spring practice on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, giving fans their first look at the team.
After watching Indiana practice this spring and interviewing players and coaches, here are three potential impact transfers on the offensive side of the ball.
E.J. Williams
Williams transferred to Indiana after playing 32 games for Clemson across three seasons. Joining Clemson as a four-star recruit ranked No. 69 in the nation, Williams made an immediate impact for as a true freshman in 2020, hauling in 24 receptions for 306 yards and two touchdowns. His role decreased as a sophomore and junior under coach Dabo Swinney, but Williams' 6-foot-3 frame and athleticism contributes to his potential for Indiana in 2023.
"E.J. is long and athletic," Allen said. "He can run, and has great ball skills. Very, very elite player out of high school. To me, I expect him to come here and play his best football, and really excited about having a chance to connect with him and develop him as a man, as a player, and just excited about what he brings to us athletically."
Throughout spring practice, Williams has lined up as an outside receiver for Indiana's first-team offense, opposite of Donaven McCulley. Williams made a contested touchdown catch on a fade route from Brendan Sorsby during Indiana's spring scrimmage on Saturday, and he's been a consistent target all spring with leading receiver Cam Camper working his way back from an ACL tear.
"E.J., he's a guy for real," McCulley said. "We're kind of the same size, too, so we kind of play alike. I kind of think of him as like my twin on the other side, really."
Christian Turner
Shaun Shivers led Indiana in rushing yards during his final year of eligibility in 2022, and Allen brought in Christian Turner to replace some of that production. After playing a limited role in three seasons at Michigan, Turner was a consistent force for Wake Forest.
In 2021, he rushed 126 times for 506 yards and four touchdowns. Turner carried the ball 128 times in 2022, generating 516 yards and seven touchdowns. Across two seasons at Wake Forest, the 5-foot-11, 207-pound Turner averaged 4.0 yards per carry and caught nine passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
"He's big, physical, he can slash, he's got really good vision," Indiana offensive coordinator Walt Bell said of Turner. "Between him and Josh [Henderson], the bigger, thicker guys, I think we're well-equipped. I feel good about both those kids."
As Bell hinted, Indiana will rely on more than one running back to carry the load. Speedster Jaylin Lucas returns for his sophomore season after earning first-team All-American honors as a kick returner, and Indiana hopes to maximize his impact in both the run and pass games in 2023. Josh Henderson is also back for a second season at Indiana after gaining 891 all-purpose yards and scoring eight touchdowns in 2022, and he's been impressed with Turner, too.
"He's good," Henderson said. "He's got good size. He kills it in the weight room. He's got great cuts on the field, and we're all taking pieces from each other."
So while Turner might not receive an overwhelming workload each game because of Indiana's depth, he's a valuable piece to the running back room's versatility. Allen likes Indiana's flexibility at running back this year, saying it's been a big emphasis in practice to improve a run game that ranked 13th in the Big Ten last year.
"Everybody is a different level of speed," Lucas said. "You got your power. You got agility. I feel like everybody in the running back room is held to a high standard this year."
Max Longman
One of Indiana's top priorities this offseason has been improving offensive line play. That started with hiring new offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Bob Bostad, who brings experience from Wisconsin and in the NFL. From a personnel standpoint, left tackle Luke Haggard is the only starter Indiana lost from last year, and the Hoosiers hope to get veteran Matthew Bedford back for Week 1 after tearing his ACL in the 2022 season opener.
Max Longman is the lone transfer Indiana added to the offensive line, and Allen said Saturday that he'll have a chance to help the Hoosiers in 2023. At 6-foot-4 and 316 pounds, Longman started 24 games across three seasons at UMass, appearing at left tackle, right tackle and right guard. Longman played three seasons for Walt Bell, Indiana's current offensive coordinator and former UMass head coach, and Bell said Longman had a good spring for Indiana.
"I think Max being an older transfer, he brings experience to the offensive line," Indiana offensive lineman Mike Katic said. "He seems like it's not that big of an adjustment for him just because he's worked with coach Bell, as well, at UMass."
Indiana linemen Joshua Sales Jr. (77, left), Kalil Benson (67, middle) and Max Longman (60, right) prepare for a snap during Indiana football's Spring Football Saturday event at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 15, 2023.
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