Attention Hoosier Nation-
Please welcome Brian Smith to our Under The Rock coverage.
Smith will serve as a guest columnist for all things IU football on this blog. His extensive football background dates back to his days as a Notre Dame football recruiting analyst for Irish Eyes (once a part of the Rivals.com umbrella; now an entity of Scout.com) and Blue & Gold Illustrated (formerly of Rivals.com; now an independent source of Notre Dame football coverage). He has watched countless hours of high school football players, interviewed recruits and published stories on various websites.
- Below is Smith's first column -
Springing Forward: First-Year Hoosiers to Watch
by Brian Smith
Special to Under the Rock
The Hoosiers 59th ranked recruiting class was, in a nutshell, vastly underrated. Yes, it's IU football, not known as a recruiting juggernaut, yet the talent signed by IU head coach Bill Lynch and his assistant coach staff surpassed the talent signed in any one recent Hoosiers recruiting class - by a mile and then some.
While the vast majority of freshmen will redshirt, the following freshmen are the best bets to see action next fall:
Duwyce Wilson, WR, 6-3, 190-pounds, Columbus, Ind., (East) - The acrobatic wide receiver amassed 1,258 yards, 14 touchdowns, and a gaudy 25.7 yards per catch average as a senior. The Hoosiers loss of Kellen Lewis necessitates at least one freshman to step forward and make an impact this fall. Wilson is the landslide front-runner to make the colossal leap from high school senior phenom to college freshman contributor. Wilson's talent and the Hoosiers need for explosive plays will not allow him to redshirt this fall. Lawrence Barnett, CB, 5-10, 180-pounds, Fort Wayne, Ind., (Bishop Luers) - Despite missing all but one of his senior season games due to a broken fibula, Barnett provides the physical prowess required to play "on an island" and compete against the best the Big 10 has to offer. Considering Indiana's needs in the secondary, and assuming Barnett's leg is fully healed, he will likely be provided ample opportunity to play next fall. Consider that Michigan, Ohio State, and Purdue, amongst others, utilize spread formations with four- and five-wide receiver formations, making it more likely the Hoosiers coaching staff will need a bevy of cornerbacks to play next fall. Barnett could see considerable playing time as a nickel or dime defensive back.
Edward Wright-Baker, QB/ATH, 6-2, 205-pounds, Jeffersonville, Ind. - Recruited to play quarterback for the Hoosiers, Wright-Baker brings gifts to the table that are not taught, they are innate. Running over, through, and around would-be high school defenders was probably easy for Wright-Baker. Now, Wright-Baker's talent fits into the Pistol offense well, but from more than one position. Quarterback draws, bootlegs, and designed quarterback runs will be a part of Wright-Baker's future with the Hoosiers. For the 2009 season, he could help out, at least potentially speaking, as a wide receiver and kick returner. Coach Lynch will have a difficult time not utilizing the talented physical gifts of the Jeffersonville native. The question becomes, at what position(s) and when will Wright-Baker play? The position(s) are far from guaranteed, but bank on the timeframe to be sooner as opposed to later.
