The poster is filled with pictures of the Hoosier receiving corps, including the senior trio of Nick Stoner, Shane Wynn and Isaiah Roundtree. Written alongside the players’ pictures is the word “BEASTS.”
“BEASTS” materialized when offensive coordinator Kevin Johns asked his receivers a year ago what it means to be a Hoosier wide-out. Twenty or so answers came in, but words such as bullying, effort, accountability, speed and toughness caught John’s attention.
Johns took those responses and turned them into the acronym “BEASTS.” He put the acronym on the poster on the wall of the receivers’ room as a constant reminder of how the team wants to play.
“Each letter has its own meaning,” Stoner said. “Coach Johns had us write down what we wanted to play like — what each receiver wanted to be like — and we came up with that acronym.”
Stoner is just one of a number of IU’s “beasts” who is expected to play an increased role in the passing offense this season. Only two of IU’s top six pass catchers are returning from last year’s unit, which combined for 201 catches, 2,997 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Wynn will join Stoner on the outside looking to replace NFL rookies Cody Latimer of the Denver Broncos and Kofi Hughes of the Chicago Bears.
The 5-foot-7, 167-pound Wynn thrived in the slot last season, but he now moves to the outside, allowing for the 5-foot-11 Roundtree to take the slot position.
Unlike the taller combination of Latimer and Hughes before them, the outside combination of Wynn and Stoner will look to create space for catches using speed to blow by defensive backs.
The two are part of an IU receiving corps that’s the fastest it’s been in years.
Wynn runs a sub 4.4 second 40-yard dash.
Stoner doubled as a Hoosier track standout and as a sophomore took All-Big Ten honors as part of the 400-meter relay. He redshirted from track last season, but he’s highly regarded by his teammates as being the quickest player on the team and is looking to fully utilize his speed this season.
With more than half of the Big Ten’s defensive backs measuring more than 6 feet tall, the Hoosiers look to combat a lack of height with added emphasis on utilizing pure speed.
Because if there’s one thing the high-octane Hoosier offense likes to do, it’s go quickly.
Really quickly.
“It’s a lot faster this year,” Roundtree said of the offensive pace. “Last year, it was big, bulky, throw it up, and they’re going to catch it by any means, jump over a guy. This year, it’s going to be straight deep balls, quick slants, catch it and get upfield. It’s going to be a lot more of a speedy, shiftier game this year.”
Another added wrinkle to the Hoosier receiving corps this season will be a trio of freshmen.
The three have caught the attention of the seniors and junior quarterback Nate Sudfeld, who at Big Ten Media Day, said this year’s group of receivers is the deepest he has played with in his career.
Freshmen Dominique Booth, Simmie Cobbs and J-Shun Harris II have all seen reps with starters during fall camp at practice. Roundtree said the younger players challenged the upperclassmen for playing time.
Roundtree has been particularly impressed by how quickly the freshmen have adapted to IU’s culture supported by the “BEASTS” mentality.
While Roundtree, Wynn and Stoner see themselves as the “foundation” of the new norm for Hoosier wideouts, the three have worked to mentor and push the younger players who are likely to get chances in games in the upcoming weeks.
“I feel like they’re so much more advanced,” Roundtree said of the freshmen. “When me and Shane and all of us came in, there really wasn’t a standard set ... Now we know what it looks like, and I feel like that’s where you create a standard for your position at a school.”
With the wide receiver position led by the experienced senior trio of Wynn, Roundtree and Stoner coupled with the quickly rising trio of freshmen in Harris, Cobbs and Booth and the mid-class players in between, the Hoosiers have built a culture of competition among the receivers.
Johns said that every single day, the players will need to be on their game. If someone slips, others will be there to pick up the slack and the playing time.
He added that the internal competition has helped force his receivers to stay on top of their games to ensure their playing time. If someone slips, others will be there to pick up the slack.
“You really can’t have an off day because they’re just going to go to the next guy,” Roundtree said. “Coach Johns said something about how he can just reach in the pot and grab a name out and we can just play with those guys. Competition is high.
“A lot of people are going to play. We keep a good vibe in the room, and we have a big standard for the wide receivers.”
