Indiana Football Position Preview: Transfer-Heavy D-Line Looking For Breakout Years

Next up in our Indiana football position preview series, the defensive line, which has been a major focus in the transfer portal in the last two offseasons. On Friday, we talked with defensive line coach Paul Randolph and Indiana defensive linemen Andre Carter, Philip Blidi, Patrick Lucas Jr. and Marcus Burris Jr. following the first week of fall camp.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No position on the Indiana roster has more transfers than the defensive line. Eight new faces have joined the group during the last two offseasons, and Paul Randolph took over as the position coach before the 2022 season.

Head coach Tom Allen has emphasized bulking up the defensive front in recent years, and the transfer portal has been a perfect vehicle, as six transfers are expected to heavily contribute when the 2023 season kicks off.

Allen and Randolph's hope is that this influx of size and talent translates to a stronger pass rush and clogged up running lanes, two areas where Indiana has struggled recently. 

On Friday, we talked with Randolph and Indiana defensive linemen Andre Carter, Philip Blidi, Marcus Burris Jr. and Patrick Lucas Jr. – all incoming transfers from the last two offseasons – to get a sense of where the group is at following the first week of fall camp.

"We all know competitions breeds greatness, so to me, that's the best thing about [having new personnel]," Randolph said. "You've got six new guys that are all fighting for three spots, and so it's going to be heightened every single day, the level of competition."

Personnel

• #1 Andre Carter: redshirt senior, 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, 46 games at Western Michigan
• #51 Patrick Lucas Jr.: redshirt senior, 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, 12 games at Ole Miss, 12 games at IU
• #91 LeDarrius Cox: redshirt senior, 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, 13 games at Ole Miss, 12 games at IU
• #96 Philip Blidi: senior, 6-foot-3, 295 pounds, 35 games at Texas Tech
• #98 Trey Laing: senior, 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, 12 games at Southern University, one season at East Mississippi State Community College, two seasons at South Florida
• #57 Julian Kameristy: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-2, 260 pounds
• #64 Race Stewart: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-3, 310 pounds
• #69 Carl Biddings IV: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot, 295 pounds
• #92 Marcus Burris Jr.: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, eight games at Texas A&M
• #55 Venson Sneed Jr.: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-4, 265 pounds, two games at IU
• #58 Aden Cannon: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-5, 260 pounds
• #90 J'mari Monette: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-4, 290 pounds
• #93 Robby Harrison: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, three games at Arizona State
• #99 Nick James: redshirt freshman 6-foot-2, 285 pounds, four games at IU
• #49 Ta'Derius Collins: freshman, 6-foot-4, 235 pounds

Top expected contributors: Andre Carter, LeDarrius Cox, Patrick Lucas Jr., Philip Blidi, Marcus Burris Jr., Nick James, Venson Sneed

Indiana defensive line coach Paul Randolph congratulates the defense on winning the scrimmage during Indiana football's Spring Football Saturday event at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 15, 2023 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Veteran transfers stepping in

Four of Indiana's top defensive linemen began their careers at other schools, but are now expected to play major roles in Bloomington. 

It all starts with Andre Carter, an incoming transfer from Western Michigan, who was named Indiana's defensive MVP of spring practices. He's continued to stand above the rest during the first week of fall camp, thanks to his ability to play both defensive tackle and defensive end at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds. Carter is the early favorite to lead the Indiana pass rush, and he's excited about what fellow transfers Philip Blidi, LeDarrius Cox and Patrick Lucas Jr. bring to the team.

"This is the best d-line I've ever been a part of to be honest, collectively, as from down to size and just the ability to play hard and be able to execute and have discipline," Carter said. "A lot of transfers, man, that are really looking forward to breaking out this season and have an ultimate repetoire of pass-rush moves in their bag, which is going to allow not only for them to make plays, but for me to make plays, as well, because [opponents] won't just be able to key me, they'll have to key everybody on this d-line because they're playmakers."

Carter also pointed to transfers Lanell Carr (West Virginia) and Myles Jackson (UCLA) as impact players, and we'll discuss them further in the outside linebacker position preview.

"I think we are bigger and more athletic," Randolph said. "Which allows for more playmakers, guys that can do the same thing, take two [opponents.] Our whole thing is two-for-one. I tell them Mr. Randolph loves two-for-one, right, so we love to go two-for-one. If we can do that, the linebackers are going to be great. If we're doing that, the linebackers are going to pull one of 'em off us at some point, and now we've got to be ready to make a play. And I think we are athletic enough now to make the play when it's presented to us.

Indiana's Andre Carter (1) prepares during fall camp for Indiana football at their practice facilities on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Young linemen competing for playing time

Last fall, Allen said defensive linemen Venson Sneed Jr. and Nick James "don't look like freshmen, the way they move and the way they do things." Both Florida products didn't play much as true freshmen, but after a year of additional growth and development, Randolph thinks they have a chance to contribute in meaningful ways in 2023.

"[Sneed] being explosive, his athleticism, his work ethic, those are things we love about him," Randolph said. "Nick [James] is explosive, explosive, and his weight's up to where we want to be, so we're excited about him. The athleticism that Nick possesses is going to allow him to be a playmaker also."

One of Indiana's more notable additions from the transfer portal this offseason was Marcus Burris Jr. A former four-star, top-150 recruit out of Texarkana, Texas, Burris joins the Hoosiers after appearing in eight games across two seasons at Texas A&M. Randolph said Burris has added important depth due to his interchangeable style of play at multiple positions.

Randolph shared insight into what he's looking for from the defensive linemen in fall camp that will ultimately help him decide roles throughout the group.

"Attitude and effort early, and just trying to be the standard. So you're mindset of physical, violent, aggressive and then finishing, which is we call, 'break the stack.' When the ball is outside of my area, I'm breaking the stack. I'm going to the ball. So energy, effort, physicalness, we still can get that in the way we practice, which is who and what we want to be. But to me, the finish, the burst to break the stack to the ball and just being explosive."

The bottom line

Much has been made of Indiana's apparent struggles on the offensive line during the last two seasons, but the defensive line has been near the bottom of the Big Ten in a few important statistical categories as well. Indiana ranked 11th in the Big Ten in 2022 in both run defense and sacks, and it wasn't much, if at all, better in 2021, ranking 8th in run defense and last in sacks.

Andre Carter was perhaps the most important addition on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, and early signs point to him being a pass-rushing force. If guys like Cox, Lucas, Blidi and Burris can fill in around him in a productive manner, Indiana could have it's most daunting defensive line since 2020, when it finished second in the Big Ten in sacks and fifth in run defense.

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