Who is the face of IU football?
With quarterback Nate Sudfeld gone, that’s the biggest question the Hoosiers face as they head into the fall.
IU Coach Kevin Wilson is answering that question in a big way by sending senior offensive linemen Dan Feeney and Dimitiric Camiel to the Big Ten media days, which take place Monday and Tuesday in Chicago.
Before even talking at the podium, Wilson is sending a clear message — the offensive line will be the foundation and the identity of this year’s team. That’s not a bad foundation to have.
Feeney comes back as a their cornerstone and is one of the most highly regarded guards in the country. He was named an All-American last season. Camiel started every game last season and has 17 career starts. Those two will prove to be a great foundation to the line since Jason Spriggs and Jake Reed have graduated.
The rest of the line only has 21 career starts between the different linemen, but it’s clear Wilson knows he can lean on them to step in and be the base of this team.
Using your offensive line as a building block is smart — your offense can only be as good as your line is, especially with an inexperienced quarterback.
And the Hoosiers offense can be brilliant this year.
IU is stocked to the brim with skill position talent. After losing Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard in consecutive years, junior Devine Redding looks to be another star running back in the Hoosier lineage.
The receiving core has two Biletnikoff Trophy candidates in junior Simmie Cobbs Jr. and junior Ricky Jones. The duo caught 104 passes last season and had nearly 2,000 combined receiving yards.
The Hoosiers also return senior Mitchell Paige and sophomore J-Shun Harris who is returning after missing all of last season with an injury.
That’s a stacked wide receiving core, full of both speed and efficient options. One of those four receivers or Redding could easily by the face of IU football, but Wilson is leaning on his offensive lineman to represent IU in Chicago.
This says a lot about what he thinks of his offense — Wilson believes it all starts up front. This makes a lot of sense, as a strong offensive line is the foundation of every great team.
Look at the lines of the last two national championships. Alabama and Ohio State both had two of the best in the country when they took home the title. They both had above average players at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, but wouldn’t have been able to get there without their offensive line.
IU’s offense is different because of its tempo and its skill positions. Wilson is undoubtedly an offensive innovator. By choosing to highlight the offensive line, he’s throwing it back to old-school football while still having his usual offensive flare. It’s the best of both worlds.
The Hoosiers have a huge question at quarterback and that needs to be discussed at media days. The skill positions will offer the fireworks of the offense, but with the Big Ten on notice, Wilson is showing off his line.
