Over the first week of practice, the IU football team has gone from wearing only helmets to light padding to full padding and full contact during Sunday's practice.
Head coach Kevin Wilson has seen more changes in the team than merely the amount of padding. He has seen the team developing more and more self-confidence, saying that although many people live their lives focusing on how others perceive them, he asks his players, "How do you perceive yourself?"
Wilson and his staff, including co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Kevin Johns, aren't rushing to make decisions about who will start on offense.
"It's so early right now," Johns said. "We're still two weeks away from getting out of camp to find out who's even going to make it through camp, so we'll see when that time comes."
Wilson said that between two-a-days, team meetings and other responsibilities, he and his staff haven't sat down and evaluated the quarterbacks in depth. He expects that the staff will talk about it sometime today or tonight.
Offensive players and coaches have noticed the defense raising its level of play over the past week.
"I think that they really trust the defense that the coaches are running right now," sophomore wide receiver Kofi Hughes said. "I think they really do like it and that's the biggest thing with the team right now: everybody's trusting the coaching staff and...the defense is really flying around everywhere, 11 (men) to the ball."
Wilson has had to work a little bit to make sure he gives the defense an appropriate amount of attention, as he has spent the majority of his coaching career dealing exclusively with the offense.
"I still see the game as an offensive person," Wilson said. "That's my view and so every once in a while I actually go and watch some of the defensive tape of the defensive coaches just to listen and see their view because I'm always thinking 'Man, that was a great play.' No, it was a really bad defensive play, and as a head guy, I have to go both views a little bit"
