Playcallers revealed at press conference

The IU football team will take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday to officially begin the Kevin Wilson era, but even with the season approaching quickly, uncertainties still abound.

Wilson, along with his staff and players, cleared up some of the team’s mysteries in a press conference Tuesday.

• Wilson did not name a starter, but he shed more light on the quarterback battle, mentioning that sophomore Edward Wright-Baker has looked better than sophomore Dusty Kiel on deep passes and true freshman Tre Roberson is the fastest runner of the three quarterback contenders.

• Previously, Wilson mentioned the possibility of playing as many as three quarterbacks in Saturday’s opener.

He did not rule that out Tuesday but said the use of quarterbacks will not be scripted prior to the game.

• The question of who will call plays on offense was finally answered, for the most part. Wilson and Co-offensive Coordinators Rod Smith and Kevin Johns will call plays together. Wilson and Johns will be on the field and Smith in the booth.
Wilson said he plans to be more involved early in the season when the playbooks will be somewhat limited on offense.

“You always start a little bit limited because you build as you go through the year,” Wilson said.

Smith said after Tuesday evening’s practice that Wilson will still have the final say on playcalling as head coach.

“I’ll call the good plays, and the other coaches will call the bad plays,” Wilson joked.
• Elections among the team have been conducted to determine a pool of candidates for captain consideration.

The team will not announce season captains prior to playing Ball State, but rather will name captains on a game-by-game basis. Season captains will be named late in the season.

• Monday’s depth chart revealed senior wide receiver Dre Muhammad, who only weeks ago was elevated from walk-on to scholarship, as a starter. Wilson said Tuesday that Muhammad will start at an inside receiver spot with true freshman Shane Wynn backing him up.

Sophomore Kofi Hughes previously played inside but has practiced as an outside receiver during fall camp and is slated to start this season. Wilson said if other outside receivers play well, Hughes may move back inside.

• Co-Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach Doug Mallory said some true freshmen may play Saturday in the secondary, but not on the defensive line or in the linebacking corps.

• Mallory said unlike on offense, the defensive playbook is unlikely to be limited in the early season.