Indiana football: No breakthrough in sight for Hoosiers

Defense

There’s almost no way Indiana can be anywhere near as good this year as they were on defense last year. They were nearly elite for the entire season, and, led by players like Tegray, routinely have good offenses a lot of trouble.

There will almost certainly be regression this year because just about everyone from last year’s defense is gone. Just three starters return, and two of them are in the backfield. That’s not a recipe for success in the Big Ten.

Just enough depth

It may not be all bad for the Hoosiers however. They used a ton of rotation last year, especially up front. That means that while a lot of starters are gone, they have players with experience stepping in.

Up front, Allen Stallings and Nile Sykes bookend a line that should be good, especially at getting to the quarterback. With Jacob Robinson at tackle, the only real new face is Jerome Johnson. Johnson may not even start, with Syracuse tackle Kayton Samuels transferring in for his senior season.

Linebacker is not nearly as friendly. All three starters are gone, including the aforementioned Scales, one of the nation’s best in 2017. Dameon Willis should be solid, but the Hoosiers need more than one linebacker. Help could come from several places.

The backfield should be the best unit on this defense. Andre Brown and A’Shon Riggins lead a cornerback room with experience, depth, and enough talent to survive the Big Ten gauntlet. Brown was solid last year and could be great this year.

The safety room is in a similar place. Jonathan Crawford could be an All-Big Ten caliber safety, and Khalil Bryant will serve as a worthy partner. The depth isn’t as good as it is at corner, but I have very few worries about this unit as a whole. Indiana should be very good against the pass in 2018.

X-factor?

The player that may make or break the defense for Indiana hasn’t been mentioned yet. Marcelino Ball, despite missing almost all of last season, is a legitimate star at nickel back.

He doesn’t have one true role, and will instead help cement both the linebackers and defensive backs. His athleticism and ability to make plays in the running attack make him a rare breed. If he’s as good as I think he’ll be, he could lead a very good, though probably not great defense.