In the uncertain times brought by the coronavirus, IU offensive line coach Darren Hiller said he wants his players to use a little bit of imagination.
The John Mellencamp Pavilion in Bloomington, like practice facilities around the country, has been unusually desolate this time of year. The seats in Memorial Stadium will be vacant on April 17 — the scheduled date for the annual spring football game.
Despite having meetings on Zoom, the IU football players are still left without spring practice. This offseason was particularly critical for the Hoosiers to build off of last season’s eight wins and maintain their ascent in college football relevance.
Originally, Hiller said he wanted his offensive linemen to grab some friends from their hometowns and go through drills to recreate the competitive atmosphere.
“With social distancing, we don’t want them doing that,” Hiller said during a Wednesday teleconference.
Instead, Hiller said he wants his players to drop into their stances and imagine a game-like situation where a play is being called. They can visualize being on the line, maybe in their front yards instead of the turf at Memorial Stadium, and communicate with the fictitious players on each side.
“I’m telling them to pretend they’re Peyton Manning calling an audible at the line of scrimmage,” Hiller said. “Play a game of football by yourself.”
IU’s offensive line, like the upcoming season, is surrounded by questions. The Hoosiers lost three steady presences on the line from last year. Simon Stepaniak and Hunter Littlejohn both graduated, and team captain Coy Cronk decided to transfer to Iowa.
Cronk suffered a severe ankle injury four games into the season last year but was still an influence on the sideline. Now, Hiller will have to construct a cohesive unit responsible for protecting an already injury-prone quarterback in sophomore Michael Penix Jr.
“When you wake up in the morning and brush your teeth and look in the mirror, are you getting out and doing the best you can from a preparation standpoint?” Hiller said. “When we get back, can we hit the ground running or are we going to be playing catch up?”
This year, however, Penix won’t have a reliable safety net in Peyton Ramsey, making the line’s performance even more crucial. Ramsey announced March 9 that he was headed to Northwestern for his final year of eligibility. The then-junior quarterback led IU to a win against Purdue in the regular season finale among his 11 appearances while Penix was injured.
Hiller floated out a list of possible players that have the potential to fill the void on the line. Senior Mackenzie Nworah, who started three games at right guard last season, and redshirt freshmen Tim Weaver and Mike Katic will look to step up. IU also brought in graduate transfer Dylan Powell from Stanford.
Hiller also said he hopes to see senior Harry Crider and junior Caleb Jones take on leadership roles. The duo appeared in all 13 games last season.
“I always liken the offensive line to the engine of the car,” Hiller said. “You can have a nice paint job and rims and tires. But if you don’t have a good motor, that car can’t get from point A to point B.”
Penix, junior running back Stevie Scott and senior wide receiver Whop Philyor showcased their potential playmaking ability last year. The Hoosiers ranked third in the Big Ten in total offense with 432.8 yards per game. But an improvement this season is dependent on the offensive line’s production.
While still recruiting and training, the coronavirus pandemic has opened up more time for coaches and players to be at home. IU’s first-year offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said he has enjoyed spending more time with his son and wife.
Sheridan watched his son take swings on the baseball tee and, he notes, is probably going to be a left-handed hitter. They’ve also had the opportunity to play basketball.
“I don’t think we’ve had this amount of consecutive days to be around our families,” Sheridan said. “I’ve tried to soak that up as much as possible.”
