The Hoosiers open spring practice Thursday looking to replace the production of 2014’s leading receivers Shane Wynn and Nick Stoner, who will not be on the team next year.
The 2014 season was certainly a step backward for the passing game that this year’s team will look to make up for.
After compiling 3,680 yards through the air in 2013, IU managed just 1,697 passing yards in 2014, thanks in part to a season-ending injury to junior quarterback Nate Sudfeld in the sixth game of the season against Iowa.
IU will attempt to regain its 2013 form without Wynn, who was the Hoosiers’ most — if not only — consistent ?receiver in 2014.
Wynn accounted for one-third of IU’s catches and just shy of 42 percent of the team’s receiving yards last year. He also hauled in three of IU’s seven passing touchdowns and rushed for two more.
In addition to Wynn, the Hoosiers graduated Zeke Roundtree and Nick Stoner, who combined for 30 catches and 249 yards. Neither had ideal seasons, combining to play in just 14 games after ?suffering injuries.
The good news for IU wide receiver coach Kevin Johns is he returns a fleet of young receivers who gained ?experience last season.
The leader of that group was 5-foot-8 freshman J-Shun Harris II, who has drawn comparisons to Wynn in the slot both physically and ?statistically.
Harris completed his first season with numbers comparable to Wynn’s first year. He finished with 18 catches for 168 yards, but like Wynn, Harris struggled with consistency, which is to be expected with the frequent changes at quarterback.
In his first six games — the games in which Sudfeld was active — Harris had 14 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns. After that, Harris had just four catches for 29 yards and zero touchdowns.
A healthy Sudfeld will likely help not only Harris but fellow freshmen Simmie Cobbs and Dominique Booth.
They were No. 4 and No. 5 in catches among receivers, respectively, racking up a combined 15 catches for 184 yards but struggling with ?consistency.
Each of them, along with returning junior Andre Booker and sophomores Rickie Jones and Isaac Griffith, will have a chance to move up in the depth chart this spring before next year’s incoming freshmen arrive on campus.
They’ll also be competing with UAB transfer Marqui Hawkins. The sophomore sat out all of 2014 due to the NCAA’s transfer rule and hasn’t had much of an opportunity to play despite entering his third season.
His 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame projects Hawkins as a potential outside receiver should he not be moved, which IU Coach Kevin Wilson said was a possibility.
In addition to Hawkins, Wilson added five other receivers in the offseason in Camion Patrick, Nick Westbrook, Leon Thornton, Isaac James and Mike Majette. Although they’ll be with the Hoosiers for 2015, the freshmen will not be in Bloomington for spring practice.
Patrick was a late add but potentially the strongest candidate to play early. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior college transfer caught 42 passes for 631 yards and 12 touchdowns for NJCAA Champion East Mississippi State.
The other freshmen-to-be were all ranked 3-star prospects by 247Sports. Wilson and Johns both spoke highly of the group, admitting the need to fill the position with talent after losing a number of players the past two seasons.
IU’s road to returning to 2013 form, when it was among the nation’s most elite passing attacks, will run through a group of mostly untested receivers.
There’s certainly a few question marks surrounding the depth chart, but luckily for IU, the Hoosiers are getting their quarterback healthy again and have quite a few potential pass-catching options to be sorted out this spring.
