However, he isn’t mentioned as much as others on the Hoosiers’ star-studded offensive line, and opponents may not focus on him as much when game planning.
Opponents with top-level defensive ends like Ohio State’s Joey Bosa and Michigan State’s Shilique Calhoun might see someone like senior left tackle Jason Spriggs — who has been projected as high as the second round in the NFL Draft — and try to take advantage of Camiel instead. Camiel said he notices that.
He said knows people are more aware of a player like Spriggs.
“I’m just a kid from Texas trying to play ball,” he said.
However, he has earned praise from coaches and players with how he has handled tests from Bosa and Calhoun.
Senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld said Camiel played incredibly hard against Calhoun last week.
“Really against some top-level defensive linemen, he’s held his own and done more,” Sudfeld said.
Coaches and players agree improvement is key with Camiel. They said he had “matured” — both mentally and physically.
Everyone talks about his huge body, but it’s what he has done with it that Sudfeld said he believes has made the difference.
Sudfeld actually compares Camiel to himself when the two first came to the program.
Sudfeld said they were both tall, lanky guys who didn’t love the weight room, but he said Camiel really got behind IU strength and conditioning Coach Mark Hill and his staff because he knew physical development was essential to reaching the next level.
“I don’t know if Dimitric is overwhelmingly talented as an O-lineman,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “But he’s very, very big. Very long. He’s matured in strength level and, with that, his confidence.”
Few players mention the need to listen to coaches as much as Camiel. He directly addresses his vulnerabilities — like opening up his hips — and talks about needing to get better.
Wilson coached offensive linemen, such as Jammal Brown and Trent Williams, who were first round NFL Draft picks during his time as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma.
Wilson has seen great offensive linemen, and he lets his players know it.
“He always says that ‘you’re not one of those guys,’” Camiel said. “But I’ve used that as my motivation.”
That motivation could be part of how far Camiel has come.
Wilson told the media Monday about how he asked Camiel and senior center Jake Reed if they liked their role two or three years ago when they did not start.
He said a lot of guys will give up or walk out if they do not like their role, but guys like Reed and Camiel are starters now.
He asked how much more fun their roles are now.
“Because all they’ve done is matured, and they’ve stayed on task,” Wilson said. “They kept bringing it every day.”
Wilson has a certian vocabulary for how to define the level of some players. He has referred to Camiel in the past as a “dude,” but, when asked about the comment, he had to give it some thought.
“I don’t know if he’s a dude,” Wilson said laughing. “He’s a guy. He’s all right. He’s good. He’s playing well.”
Camiel has appeared in every game since his redshirt freshman season in 2013.
He rotated in every game that season. He started in five games in 2014 and has earned the full-time starting position at right tackle.
Maybe his progress can really be rooted in the tests put in front of him and how he has handled them.
Bosa and Calhoun are the cream of the crop, and blocking them isn’t a daunting task for Camiel.
“You definitely respect those guys,” he said. “But at the end of the day, they put their pants on the same way I put mine on.”
