5 impact players for IU in 2013

It’s a thing of unmistakable beauty, really.

For eight months out of every calendar year, college football fans anxiously count down the days until the dawn of a new season that is all too fleeting in
nature.

In what felt like the snap of a finger, IU’s season came to an abrupt conclusion Saturday afternoon in West Lafayette, after a disheartening 56-35 loss to intrastate rival Purdue that left the Hoosiers with a final regular season
record of 4-8.

While finishing two victories shy of bowl eligibility is nothing to commend, the future of IU Coach Kevin Wilson’s program is aglow, as 19 of the Hoosiers’ 22 starters are set to return next season.

Which of those 19 returning starters will be the most crucial to IU’s run at postseason bowl eligibility in 2013? Here are five Hoosiers who I believe fit that bill.

Sophomore quarterback Tre Roberson
Incredibly bad luck, unfortunately, found Roberson early in the 2012 season, as the Indianapolis native suffered a broken left leg in the Hoosiers’ second game — a 45-6 victory against Massachusetts — that kept him out for the remainder of the
season.

Roberson’s mobility, which is a key aspect of Wilson’s offense operating at maximum efficiency, was sorely missed during his
absence.

Having Roberson back and healthy will significantly boost the Hoosier offense.

Freshman-to-be defensive tackle Darius Latham
Assuming he remains committed to IU and signs his National Letter of Intent in February, Latham will be an integral piece of IU’s defense in 2013.

Latham will slide right into a starting spot along the interior of the defensive line due to incumbent senior starters Adam Replogle and Larry Black Jr., who have seen their eligibility clocks expire.

With the defensive line being perhaps the weakest link of a porous IU defense this season, Latham’s four-star presence will be a welcome addition.

Junior running back Stephen Houston
Entering the 2012 season, the Hoosiers appeared to have a logjam at the running back position with Houston, freshman Tevin Coleman and sophomores D’Angelo Roberts and Isaiah Roundtree each vying for playing time.

Houston eventually separated himself from the pack mid-season and finished with 65 more carries than any other running back on the roster during the Hoosiers’ final six contests.

As IU’s feature back next season, Houston has a legitimate opportunity to be a 1,000-yard rusher.

Junior safety Greg Heban
One of the most flattering descriptions a defensive player can earn during the course of his career is “rangy.” Following a 2012 season in which Heban had a hand on what seemed like every play, he has certainly earned that distinction.

The former walk-on and pitcher on the IU baseball team has become, in this writer’s humble opinion, the unquestioned leader of the Hoosier defense.

Heban’s ability as a leader will come in handy next season, when he’ll likely be joined by incoming freshman four-star safety Antonio Allen in summer.

The Hoosier offensive line
Rather than singling out one offensive lineman, I’ve chosen to select IU’s offensive line as the fifth most valuable “player” next season.

The Hoosiers will return four of five starters along the offensive line, though senior center Will Matte will be dearly missed. The absence of his leadership will force a young line to grow up in a flash, as three of next season’s five starters will be
underclassmen.

­— ckillore@indiana.edu