Wilson reveals roster changes

In his weekly press conference Tuesday, IU Coach Kevin Wilson cleared up a number of questions regarding the team’s roster.

• Senior right tackle Josh Hager, injured against Ball State and declared done for the season, will not apply for an additional year of eligibility next season, ending his career.

The team initially adjusted to Hager’s injury by moving senior right guard Justin Pagan to right tackle. However, he was benched in favor of true freshman tackle Peyton Eckert before IU’s game against South Carolina State. The depth chart released Tuesday, though, once again listed Pagan as the starter.

• Wilson acknowledged that junior back Darius Willis is not currently able to play due to a lingering knee injury from last season and likely will never play again. He may seek a medical hardship waiver.

The IDS previously reported that Willis would miss the rest of the season. He was seen during the weekend at a professional wrestling event in Bloomington, which he briefly participated in.

• Senior wide receiver Damarlo Belcher’s previously undisclosed injury, which kept him from travelling to Denton for Saturday’s loss to North Texas, was announced as a bone bruise that occurred last Wednesday. He returned to practice Monday.

He is listed on the depth chart as a starter, along with sophomore wide receivers Duwyce Wilson and Kofi Hughes, each of whom played sparingly against North Texas.

Neither senior wide receiver Dre Muhammad nor sophomore wide receiver Jamonne Chester, each of whom played extensively against North Texas, is listed on the
two-deep.

• Junior kickoff specialist Nick Freeland was confirmed to be out for the year with a leg injury. He will have surgery this week.

• Senior linebacker Leon Beckum will be out for several more weeks. Wilson said it is possible that he will not return before the end of October.

• Wilson again confirmed that junior defensive end Kevin Bush, a U.S. Army veteran, quit the team. He also said that two redshirt freshmen, running back Xavier Whittaker and wide receiver Tim O’Connor, quit the team prior to the season.

• True freshman D’Angelo Roberts is listed as the starting running back for the first time this season. Redshirt freshman Matt Perez, previously the starter, is listed second.

Perez also appears to have been demoted from kick returner. True freshman cornerback Kenny Mullen is now listed as the backup to true freshman wide receiver Shane Wynn at the position.

• Despite leading two late touchdown drives against North Texas, sophomore Dusty Kiel remains the backup at quarterback behind sophomore Edward Wright-Baker, according to the newest depth chart.