Indiana Football Position Preview: Offensive Line

Starters Caleb Jones and Dylan Powell are gone, but the offensive line personnel is largely the same from 2021. Led by Matthew Bedford, Luke Haggard and Mike Katic, Indiana is hoping internal development under coach Darren Hiller leads to better protection in 2022.

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 seventh installment, let's break down the offensive line.

In first-year offensive coordinator Walt Bell's first meeting with the offensive linemen, there was a clear message.

"[Bell] harped tremendously that big men lead the way," senior offensive lineman Matthew Bedford said. "This offense goes nowhere without the o-line."

Indiana finished 2-10 in 2022 for a myriad of reasons – turnovers, injuries, a difficult schedule and a lack of takeaways, to name a few –  and offensive line play can be added to that list. Indiana allowed 29 sacks in 12 games last season, which was the third most in the Big Ten and tied for second on a per-game basis. The Hoosiers' passing attack gained 175.5 yards per game – 10th in the Big Ten – and their run game generated 3.2 yards per carry, which tied for 13th in the conference.

When offensive line coach Darren Hiller reflected on his group's performance, it came down to physicality. 

"I always try to tell these guys that pass protection, the word is passive, but the mentality can't be that way," Hiller said. "I think last year, and I don't like talking too much about last year, but I think last year we were a little bit soft in our protection."

Indiana lost two offensive line starters to graduation, including Caleb Jones, who started all 12 games at right tackle and Dylan Powell, the team's starting center. Bedford is back for his senior season, and he'll kick outside to right tackle to replace Jones after making 12 starts at right guard in 2021. Bedford started seven games at right tackle in 2020, eight games at left tackle as a freshman in 2019 and said on Thursday that playing tackle was his 'first love.'

With Bedford moving back to tackle, the starting right guard position is up for grabs. Redshirt junior Tim Weaver played this role in Indiana's season opener at Iowa in 2021, but it was his only start of the season despite appearing in all 12 games. Khalil Benson – a 6-foot-6, 313-pound three-star recruit from Southaven, Miss. – is listed behind Weaver in Indiana's first depth chart, and could make the case for playing time as a redshirt sophomore. 

Redshirt junior Zach Carpenter is a candidate to take over for Powell at center. Carpenter transferred from Michigan to Indiana before the 2021 season, making three starts at right guard for the Hoosiers. He started the Wolverines' final two games at center in 2020.

Redshirt junior Luke Haggard returns with 11 starts at left tackle under his belt from last season when he won Indiana's Chris Dal Sasso Award, given to the team's most outstanding lineman. The left side of Indiana's offensive line appears to be secured, as redshirt junior Mike Katic returns after making nine starts at left guard and missing three games with an injury. Katic won IU's Offensive Newcomer of the Year Award in 2020, appearing in six games.

"We challenged some of those guys to be better leaders, to be more physical, to play with a higher level of execution and preparation,” Allen said this offseason. “They just didn’t play good enough. Obviously, our whole offense struggled. There’s a lot of things that went into that, and they probably got more of the brunt of it than they deserved. That’s OK, that’s just reality. They’ve accepted it and responded.”

Indiana coach Tom Allen also dipped into the transfer portal to help the depth of the offensive line room with Parker Hanna. After redshirting as a freshman in 2017, Hanna started 33 games for West Texas A&M. He was an honorable mention for All-Lone Star Conference honors in 2021, helping an offense that averaged 34.3 points and 205.1 rushing yards per game. Hanna and the West Texas A&M offensive line allowed 1.3 sacks per game in 2021.

Indiana also brings in a trio of freshmen linemen that helped form the top recruiting class in program history. DJ Moore joins the Hoosiers as a four-star recruit, according to ESPN and Rivals, out of R. Nelson Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. At 6-foot-5, 318 pounds, Moore was ranked No. 11 among offensive guards in the class of 2022. He chose Indiana over Purdue, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others. 

"DJ, in one-on-ones, heavy, heavy hands," Bedford said. "Sometimes he can get a little out of control where maybe he'll miss one and a defender will get by him, but when he get them hands on you, you're stuck at the line and you ain't going nowhere."

Carter Smith arrives at Indiana as a three-star recruit from Olentangy Liberty High School in Powell, Ohio. At 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, Smith played offensive tackle and was also on the volleyball team. According to 247Sports, Smith was ranked as the No. 61 offensive tackle in his class, choosing Indiana over Northwestern, Tennessee, Auburn, Virginia and others.

"Carter, he's good in space," Bedford said. "He can move his feet, and again the hands, sometimes he misses hands, still working on him with that, but he has really good feet, really fast feet, he's able to move them." 

The third offensive lineman joining Indiana this offseason is Bray Lynch, a three-star recruit. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle chose Indiana over Oklahoma State, Duke and others. Lynch played high school football at Westlake in Austin, Texas, which is regarded as one of the top programs in the state. Hiller said he noticed early on that Lynch was ahead of the curve from a knowledge standpoint due to his high school experience. 

"When we're in meetings and going through our installs, a lot of the freshmen typically early on in their careers are asking very basic questions," Hiller said "Bray was asking questions that were a little more advanced so you could tell early on in the summer time that he had some natural football instincts

Related stories on Indiana football: 

• '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 way in 2022. CLICK HERE
• QUARTERBACK POSITION PREVIEW: Indiana coach Tom Allen has named a starting quarterback, but it won't be announced publicly until kickoff against Illinois on Sept. 2. Jack Tuttle and Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak have battled throughout fall camp for the starting job. Dexter Williams II, Grant Gremel, Brendan Sorsby and Will Jontz round out the room. CLICK HERE
• LINEBACKER POSITION PREVIEW: Indiana football's leading tackler from the last three seasons, Micah McFadden, is off to the NFL. Team captain Cam Jones will take over as the leader of the room, which brings in transfers Bradley Jennings Jr. from Miami (FL), Jared Casey from Kentucky and the top-rated recruit in program history, Dasan McCullough. CLICK HERE