Hoosiers Now

Indiana Football Position Preview: Defensive Line

Indiana hired Paul Randolph to replace Kevin Peoples as the defensive line coach. Randolph brings coast-to-coast college football coaching experience, and he's working with a deep combination of returning experience, talented transfers and young potential.

Jack Ankony

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Editor's note: In our nine-part "Position Preview" series, we'll break down the entire Indiana football roster leading up to the Hoosiers' season opener against Illinois on Friday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. In our third installment, let's take a look at the big guys up front – the defensive line.

After finishing second in the Big Ten in sacks in 2020, the Indiana defensive line failed to get the same kind of push in 2021. The Hoosiers were dead last in the conference with 17 sacks last season, and Indiana went from a team that relied on the strength of its defense to one that allowed a conference-high 33.3 points per game.

In an offseason with wholesale roster and coaching changes, Indiana brought in Paul Randolph to replace Kevin Peoples as the defensive line coach. Randolph's 24-year collegiate coaching career spans coast-to-coast, including stops at West Virginia, Alabama, Pittsburgh, Arizona State and most recently, Texas Tech. 

"Coach Randolph, he’s like a pass rush master," James Head Jr. said. "We’re pass rushing everyday focusing on little things, little moves that I’ve been missing. Making sure all our technique is where it needs to be at."

Randolph inherits a defensive line that lost two starters from last season. Ryder Anderson transferred from Ole Miss to Indiana before the 2021 season, and led all Indiana defensive linemen with 48 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss across 12 starts. Weston Kramer arrived at Indiana after four seasons at Northern Illinois, and he won Indiana's Defensive Newcomer of the Year Award after 12 starts in 2021. 

With the loss of this duo, Indiana coach Tom Allen expressed the need to add size and depth to the defensive line. He hit the transfer portal to add three expected contributors, while also bringing in freshmen that have stood out during fall camp.

Bulking Up

In order to compete in the trenches of the Big Ten, Allen knew Indiana had to add a few big bodies up front. Start with Patrick Lucas Jr., a 6-foot-3, 322-pound transfer from Ole Miss. Lucas was the No. 15 prospect in Alabama after an all-state career at Wetumpka High School.

He appeared in four games as a true freshman for Ole Miss, but tore his achilles against Alabama during the 2019 season. Lucas returned to play seven games at defensive tackle in 2020, but only saw the field once last season. 

Lucas arrived at Indiana last spring alongside Ole Miss teammate and fellow redshirt junior, LeDarrius Cox. Like Lucas, Cox is an Alabama native and an all-state honoree at McGill-Toolen High School, where he graduated ranked as the No. 19 prospect in Alabama.

Cox played all 10 games at defensive tackle for Ole Miss in 2020, but he was moved to offensive in 2021 and didn't see the field. Indiana will move Cox back to the defensive front in hopes he can solidify a run defense that ranked eighth in the Big Ten last year.

"I think LeDarrius Cox and Patrick Lucas Jr. give us some big bodies in there that have some mass that we haven’t had in the past," Allen said. "Both are working hard, doing a good job, learning all the time."

The third and final transfer along the defensive line is JH Tevis, who joins the Hoosiers as a redshirt senior. Tevis was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention at Cal in 2021, making 37 tackles, one sack, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three pass breakups in 12 starts. At 6-foot-4, 283 pounds said he's comfortable playing both defensive end and tackle, and he views the defensive line as a versatile group heading into the season.

"JH continues to be a really strong leader," Allen said. "Productive, really understands football, smart guy."

Young Potential

Key members of the highest-ranked recruiting class in Indiana football history, Nick James and Venson Sneed arrived in Bloomington last spring. Randolph said this allowed an extra semester to mature both physically and mentally, and Allen said they don't look like freshmen now.

At 6-foot-2, 295 pounds, James is a four-star recruit out of IMG Academy. Sneed is a a 6-foot-4, 257-pound three-star recruit, ranked just outside the top 500 out of Winter Park, Fla. And so far, sixth-year senior James Head Jr. has noticed the duo's eagerness to make an impact as freshmen. 

“Venson, he models who we are," Randolph said. "Toughness, tremendous fanatical hair-on-fire effort, and the willingness to learn, and extreme aggressiveness. He’s really held his own as a freshman."

Allen said it can be information overload for freshmen when they first join the team, but he's noticed James getting more comfortable as fall camp moves on. 

"[James brings] explosiveness, loves playing football, having fun, physically has a lot of physical tools down inside," Randolph said. "I’m really excited to see his development through camp.” 

The Veterans

Despite the loss of Anderson and Kramer, Indiana still returns a handful of veterans with plenty of experience in the Big Ten.

Demarcus Elliott returns for his fourth and final season at Indiana after beginning his career at Garden City Community College. Elliott has started 30 games at defensive tackle for Indiana since 2019, when he was an All-Big Ten honorable mention. 

Sio Nofoagatoto'a is back for his senior season, adding experience in 30 games across his first three years as a Hoosier. He's a preseason candidate for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.

James Head Jr. is using the bonus Covid season to play his fifth season for the Hoosiers. Head has been a constant contributor dating back to his freshman season in 2018 when he played in 11 games. In 2020, Head made a career-high five tackles in the win over Penn State, he recorded a sack against Michigan and recovered a fumble in Indiana's road win over Michigan State.

But Head missed the first five games of the 2021 season with a Lisfranc injury in his foot, creating a different mentality heading into the 2022 campaign.

"I am trying to attack everything with all I’ve got knowing this is my last year," Head said. "The urgency is a little more amped up. I’m attacking everything like it could be my last play."

Related stories on Indiana football:

  • RUNNING BACKS PREVIEW: Indiana's running back room is full of new faces following the departure of coach Deland McCullough and leading rushers Stephen Carr, Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Chris Childers. In replacement, Indiana hired NFL coaching veteran Craig Johnson and added Auburn transfer Shaun Shivers, North Carolina transfer Josh Henderson and speedy freshman Jaylin Lucas. CLICK HERE
  • DEFENSIVE BACKS PREVIEW: Indiana will lean on a veteran group of defensive backs for leadership in 2022 as the Hoosiers hope to bounce back from a 2-10 season. Coached by Brandon Shelby, this group is headlined by All-Big Ten players Tiawan Mullen, Jaylin Williams and Devon "Monster" Matthews. CLICK HERE
  • 'BIG MEN LEAD THE WAY': Matthew Bedford started eight games as a freshman in 2019, relying on brute force to hold his own. But after 27 starts across three seasons, he has a stronger knowledge of the intricacies of the positions, and he's taking responsibility to lead the offensive line in 2022. CLICK HERE
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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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