7/27/2019 K Wilson - 7 24 13

1/4

visit our archives at asapsports.com

K Wilson - 7 24 13 1

An Interview With:

INDIANACOACH KEVIN WILSON

THE MODERATOR: We're joined byKevin Wilson.

COACH WILSON: Great to be back inChicago. A lot of great coaches, players walkingthe halls, but a lot of great media guys, a lot ofawesome coverage for Big Ten and appreciate you

guys covering us today.We're excited. Coming out of last year,

not the season we wanted. Maybe made somestrides on paper. Maybe a little bit better record.But we got a great school, making a greatcommitment and we want to build a winningproduct and start getting the victories that weneed.

The way you do that is with recruiting anddo it with player development. Thought we had areally good winter. Everybody always says that,but just the energy, leadership, we've worked veryhard with the group to kind of cultivate some

internal leaders with our football team to take someownership. So we got some -- a very positiveenergy as we're working hard.

One of our sayings when I first got therewas we're going to have fun working hard. Ourkids worked very, very hard in the winter. Gotten alot stronger.

There wasn't one day in spring practicethat I wanted it over. I thought we went throughthe motions. We're getting more physical. Wehave a lot of kids now that are going into their thirdyear of playing because we played 16 freshmentwo years ago, 11 freshmen last year.

We've got 19 starters back, guys, andthat's 19 offense and defense. We've got ourkickers back, our punters back. Our longsnapper's a big time player and returners.

We've got a lot of guys back. We've got agreat recruiting class and we're looking forward togetting started with our guys.

We've had 130 players on campus this

summer training. We'll have 105 for preseason.We've got a walk-on program that's kind of growingas well. Very, very good recruiting class, andwe're excited to see those young men. There's alot of good energy with what's going on.

Personnel-wise with our guys, we're very,very healthy. Came out of spring with no legitimateinjuries. And as we came off some minor things,we've got everyone full tilt and looking to be readyto go as we crank up practice next Friday.

Our freshmen will report on Wednesday,upperclassmen on Thursday. We'll crank it up onAugust 2nd. But we've got, I think, again, very

much more mature team.A lot of guys back. A lot of positive

energy, and a very, very healthy team. We'reunsettled at quarterback. Got three guys in a deadheat. It's not because I don't think we've got agood player. We've got three guys that are all veryunique, can manage us. Haven't seen someoneseparate through spring. I don't know if anyonehad any particularly horrible days. I think we canlook at some stat days and say: This guy's statswere better or worse.

But I thought we had a very, very healthycompetition. Those guys are great teammates,

great leaders, all three of them. I think they're allcapable of winning.I'd love to see one emerge. The reason I

don't have a quarterback here is because I'm notsure which one it is. If I did, I would have all threeof those guys representing us because they'rethree great leaders. Until I know which one isgoing to be our leader, I wasn't going to anointsomeone. They're going to earn it on the field.

Some depth at running back. TevinColeman out of Chicagoland, guy's a freshman,giving our returning starter a battle. Some qualityreceivers I think that can make some plays.Outstanding player tight end. I think our offensiveline is extremely undervalued in this league. I thinkwe've got one young man, for doubt, that will be aphenomenal player through his college and nextyear. And we have got four or five guys that aregoing to be upper level Big Ten players. We'llhave a good offensive line.

July 24, 2013

7/27/2019 K Wilson - 7 24 13

2/4

visit our archives at asapsports.com

K Wilson - 7 24 13 2

Defensively, a lot of guys back. Lost twodeep tackles. We're going to be a little younginside, but I think more talented. We have to makesignificant strides defensively. Quite honestly, it'sbeen embarrassing about how we played in ourfirst two years. So our effort, toughness, needs tobe better.

I think that's going to increase because wedid recruit some quality young players. There willbe more competition in practice to get on ourdefensive field in games. We'll need to play better.And I believe we're going to field some quality,quality special teams.

Mitch Ewald, our kicker is here, and I thinkhe may be the best in this league. He'll set everyrecord at Indiana for points. I think he's an NFLtype player, and you'll get a chance to see himwhile you're here.

Eight home games, all for nine conferencegames. And we're really looking forward to next

week. A lot of positive energy and, quote, being inthe Big Ten, it's time to take a big step this year.With that we'll go to questions.

Q. You guys have a lot of playersreturning. Seems like you still have a lot ofyouth on your team. I guess what is theapproach working with this group and gettingready to take it to the next level?

COACH WILSON: Great point. And wehave a lot of players returning that need to bebetter, because from where we were to where wewant to be, that's why I think it's critical that we did

have a positive winter-spring, and we'll see howsummer's been. I think hopefully that's been very,very positive.

But we're still maybe a sophomore-juniorteam. And we probably just signed on paper -- youdon't play the game on paper and you can't believeevery recruiting service and recruiting rating untilguys really perform.

But we probably have got the most giftedclass showing up as day one freshmen when weshow up next Friday. But we're really a juniorteam. Offensively, offense has a chance to bepretty solid.

But if you look at it, you've got Kofi Hughesand Duwyce Wilson. Kofi is here with us, a senior.Duwyce Wilson, a receiver. Ted Bolser, tight end.Stephen Houston as running back. That's the onlyfour guys that crack the two deep. Defensively,our best players will be our young players,freshmen and sophomores.

So we're building. We're growing. Weare, though, a veteran team. I think we're going tobe fifth or sixth in the country with returning guyswith starts. So we do have guys that are battletested. We have guys that are getting moremature, but I do think we're a young team growingand there's a lot of growth potential with ourfootball program in these next few years.

Q. Just what do you need to see at therunning back position, what has to happen forsomebody to separate themselves, or do youwant to rotate a little bit?

COACH WILSON: You know, if there'sseparation, great. I do think, most teams are goingto play with more than one running back. NFL,college, whatever. The physicality of the position,the hits as you go through the year, the pace ofplay.

So we played a couple, three running

backs every year. Stephen Houston is a qualityplayer. Catches the ball well. Need him to be avery consistent practice player, leader, and a veryphysical leader. For a big back, he plays withgreat speed and feet. Catches well. Love to seehim. Great without the ball. Great in blocking.Great in route running to spread and separate thedefense when he runs routes and really just bemore, more consistent, quality player, very goodplayer and good leader for us.

Tevin Coleman, a young man that's veryyoung. He'll be a second year, played as a truefreshman. Excellent returner, very talented kid.

And looking to see how he grows and does hereally take the next step to be an upper level playerfor us and in this league because I think he has achance to be. He was highly recruited. He's verygifted.

Then we have a couple of complementaryplayers. D'Angelo Roberts and a couple offreshmen we'll see and a couple of walk-ons.Right now looks like it will be those three guys.D'Angelo as complementary piece, and we'll seewith Tevin and Stephen. Coming out of spring, it'sthose two guys. And quite honestly, Tevinprobably had the better hands coming through

spring. He had a tremendous spring practice.

Q. You talked about the quarterbackbattle. How has the criteria changed for youover the years? You had a quarterback battleevery year you've been here. How do you look

7/27/2019 K Wilson - 7 24 13

3/4

visit our archives at asapsports.com

K Wilson - 7 24 13 3

at it differently this time?COACH WILSON: The first year, I didn't

know if we could throw it in the ocean and whatnot.Last year we were kind of young and unproven.And Tre (Roberson) had played a little and we hadthose young guys. And the difference, I think Treis -- Tre's back healthy and I think better than hewas. But with Cam Coffman getting 10 starts,which is actually our most -- he's played moresnaps than anyone, and Nate Sudfeld beingextremely gifted, it's a pretty unique deal.

We need to play -- for our program to win,have the year we're capable of having, we need tobe dynamic at quarterback. We can't be averageand let the complementary pieces give us thevictories that we need for our program and our fansand alums and school.

So our quarterback's gotta be a differencemaker. Those three guys are capable, but who isgoing to be different and take it to the next step?

We'll be a lot more mobile at quarterback.We were going to be mobile with Tre. We

were mobile with the other two guys. But when Tregot hurt and we just had those two guys left, thatwas really all we had, we had to be very smart lastyear as young players protecting them. Theamount of hits they take and the exposure we putthem through, the contact, and really just forconfidence so they don't get out there and getshell-shocked and get battered. So we played alittle left-handed and wasn't able to play with a fulldeck.

We also did not handle the adversity of

losing our starting quarterback. We led the leaguein passing, blah, blah, blah, all that junk. Once ourquarterback got hurt, we lost five straight games.

A good football team needs to play withmore than one running back and we need to havemore than one capable quarterback. And this yearwe will see if we can because our quarterbacks aretalented, but we haven't proven we're going to wina lot. So the criteria is we need someone that'sgoing to be a difference maker, be dynamic andhelp us win.

At the same time, I'm excited -- and I thinkthe difference between our offense and defense is

competition. We have quality players on offensethat are fighting to get on the field. Our challengeis with our defensive recruiting this year, we'll starthaving some defensive competition to have betterplay from our defense. And hopefully have ouroffense start to go from being kind of average tobeing kind of really decent.

Q. When you look at what you weretalking about the dynamic of your quarterback,what is the deciding factor in your mind inregards to the dynamics? Is it arm strength?Is it his moxie on the field, off the field? Canyou expand on what you mean by that?

COACH WILSON: For example, with ourthree players, maybe greatest arm strength is NateSudfeld. Tall. Very smart. Young player, verygood.

Maybe greatest moxie might be CamCoffman. He's a little daredevil. He'll take someshots and take some chances. Great anticipation,vision.

The best athlete of the crowd is probablyTre Roberson.

So they're all uniquely different.What we're going to do is run our spread

offense, be a little bit up tempo. We'll throw theball in space and try to be a team that can throw it

pushing 70 percent, which we have yet to beat. Inthe high 50s or mid 50s, first year, low 60s lastyear. This game has evolved with protection andquality route running and people understandingspacing.

You have got to throw the ball at 67, 70,72 percent. So one, the ability to complete theball. Two, the ability not to move the offense but toscore. Our offense moves the ball but we don'tscore points proportional to moving the ball. Andgood teams score points. When you score points,you win games. You don't win games by gettingyards. You win games by crossing that G line or

not letting them cross the G line. So it's points.So what we're looking for -- they're all

different with those different attributes. But apassing percentage that keeps us on schedule. Aguy that gets to the fringe zone and gets his teamin the end zone and a guy that's going to protectthe football.

Q. You talked about the youngdefensive players and recruiting class comingin. Can you just elaborate on that andrealistically how much of an impact can theyhave this being their first year of college ball

regardless of how high ly touted they are?COACH WILSON: Their talent levelappears to be seeing some of them in personmyself as gifted as many guys we've been playingwith. Watching them, whether it be a camp,watching them in person.

7/27/2019 K Wilson - 7 24 13

4/4

visit our archives at asapsports.com

K Wilson - 7 24 13 4

Now, again, since T.J . Simmons is the onlyone that's been here because he graduated early,that we saw, quote, lift, run, workout, practice,that's going to be a two-deep impact player atlinebacker. Young man from Lakeland, Florida.

15 of those recruits are on defense. Theskill set's pretty good on defense. We promised noone you're going to play and start. But I think we'llhave competition.

I think some of those young D linemen aregoing to give us competition and depth. And Ithink the linebackers, which we need to besignificantly better at linebacker, are going to giveus some competition, and I'm really excited aboutthe corner and safety guys.

I think a lot of those guys are going to be, ifnot two deep, fringe two deep, we'll see when thebullets start flying some of those guys get on thefield. My inclination says you'll probably see someof those guys on the field. Might be some growing

pains, but we'll be growing with guys that are fasterand more talented. That's exciting to me.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.FastScripts by ASAP Sports