Safety Antonio Allen is gone. Defensive end David Kenney is gone. And now defensive tackle Darius Latham is suspended.
They were the headliners of the class. They were the three 4-star recruits, according to 247sports.com, and the kind of recruits IU football had not normally been able to bring in.
Kenney left the program in August 2014, and Allen was dismissed from the team in June after being arrested for drug-related charges.
Latham, who IU Coach Kevin Wilson predicted during the summer would have a phenomenal season, was suspended indefinitely Tuesday. It was his second suspension this season after being held out of IU’s week one win against Southern Illinois.
Last week, the junior defensive lineman spoke with the Indiana Daily Student about dealing with being the last of those three.
“It’s like a big bull’s-eye on me,” he said.
Latham said he still thinks about the 2013 class everyday. Every time he practices and goes out for a game, he said he feels he needs to make things happen to honor those expectations of being the class to turn IU around.
Wilson and defensive line coach Larry McDaniel both said sometimes Latham freelances, or tries to make a big play, instead of sticking to his assignment and allowing the scheme of the defense to make the play.
McDaniel said it goes back to being such a highly touted recruit out of Indianapolis’ North Central High School, back when he was so much bigger and stronger than everybody that he could freelance and get away with it.
“It’s really kill the man with the football,” McDaniel said on Latham’s high school days. “See the ball. Tackle the ball.”
In three active games this season, Latham has compiled 10 tackles and two sacks. Even on plays that have not resulted in a statistic, Latham can often be found hitting or applying pressure to the opposing quarterback.
When talking about his week one suspension, Latham considered how his and his teammates’ suspensions could hold IU back.
“Sitting out hurts the team,” he said. “All of us sitting out hurts the team. We all need to be out on the field.”
But Latham will not be on the field for the IU’s matchup with No. 1 Ohio State this Saturday.
Most weeks, Latham and junior defensive tackle Ralph Green are listed together on the depth chart at strong side defensive tackle. But this week, Green was listed at nose tackle and sophomore defensive tackle Robert McCray was listed as Latham’s backup.
It remains to be seen how the suspension will change the lineup, but Green is experienced at Latham’s spot, and McCray recorded one of IU’s three quarterback hits against Wake Forest.
As much as media have asked about Latham’s growth and what his ceiling can be, Latham’s status is now pending a proceeding with the IU Office of Student Ethics.
In August, Wilson said Latham was the best he has seen him since joining the program. Now Latham will be off the field for the Hoosiers’ biggest opponent of the season.
“The story is hands-down Darius Latham is the best I’ve seen him in work ethic, body ethics, buy-in, giving it all he’s got, doing this daily, doing a lot of great things players do in preps,” Wilson said in August. “I think he’ll have a phenomenal year.”
