Don’t tell Marcus Oliver the IU defense has been at the bottom of the Big Ten for years. He doesn’t want to hear it.
Don’t tell IU linebackers coach William Inge the sophomore is returning from an injury, because he said his expectations aren’t ?changing.
“I expect for us to be the best defense,” Oliver said. “I want to be the best defense in the Big Ten. We have all the talent to be the best defense in the Big Ten.”
David Cooper was once asked who would be the vocal leader of the linebackers when he left. Cooper quickly said Oliver. But during IU’s monumental upset win against Missouri last October, Oliver went down with a season-ending knee injury, and his role changed.
But he still had a role.
His injury meant then-freshmen linebackers Tegray Scales and Greg Gooch had to fill his spot in the rotation. Oliver’s new job was working with the younger guys to prepare them for the Big Ten. He worked with them on football smarts and learning alignments and formations.
Oliver didn’t think as much about that as a freshman. He said sometimes linebackers are just out there running and trying to get the defense set. That changed as he developed.
“I know what I’m doing,” Oliver said. “I’ve been here. I’ve learned the system. I know the system. I expected a big year last year, and I don’t plan on going back ?on that.”
The eight-month recovery process felt long to Oliver. Monday was the six-month anniversary of his surgery. He is getting closer to being game ready while working with the team on individual drills and 7-on-7 sets.
Inge said whenever someone is a linebacker, they automatically assume some kind of leadership role, whether it be the action leader or the verbal leader. He often speaks of sweat equity, meaning that a player has put the time in and is invested in the program.
Oliver has earned that.
“He knows the expectations for him won’t change,” Inge said. “We aren’t thinking, ‘Marcus is coming back as an injured player.’ He is coming back as a player who is going to be expected that he’s going to be ready to ?perform.”
I imagine going down with a season-ending injury while the team won its biggest game in years would be bittersweet. But, Oliver said it was better than bitter. The team occupied his mind during his time out. He helped younger teammates, and he put in the work to be back for the 2015 season.
His goal of being the best defense in the Big Ten might seem outlandish, but would you want to hear a player say he didn’t think his team could be good?
“That’s the reason I came here,” Oliver said. “To do things Indiana has never done.”
Year after year, the common catchphrase of the IU defense was that there were a lot of young guys out there. It was never exactly used as an excuse, more of just a fact. Experience was not an asset the Hoosiers had much of.
This season, the defense will be an interesting grouping of experience and youth. The majority of the linebackers will consist of battle-tested sophomores and juniors. The defensive line and secondary will combine for three seniors, but the young guys have seen the field. They know what to expect.
They have what Inge likes to call sweat equity.
brodmill@indiana.edu
