Illinois Football: Breakdown of the Indiana defense against the Illini

Illinois football is going up against an Indiana Hoosiers team that has had some good defenses over the past few years.

The Illini offense showed some power in week zero, as running back Chase Brown tore up the Cowboys for 151 yards. He also earned some accolades in the days following. But will Brown be able to have a great encore performance?

Despite Indiana having a down season in 2021, they have a lot of returning pieces, and they were able to clean up in the transfer portal. Illinois’ offense could have a tough time.

Here is a breakdown of the Indiana defense against the Illinois football team.

Strength

In 2021, Indiana had a pretty average defense. They were between No. 60 and No. 80 in the country in both pass and rush defense. But I would say, heading into the 2022 campaign, their secondary is probably their strength.

Indiana is returning a lot of their playmaking talent in the secondary. The biggest loss for them is probably safety Raheem Layne, who was second on the team with 65 tackles. But this Hoosiers bunch does return some good pieces.

There were 31 pass deflections last season by Indiana, and 24 of those 31 pass deflections are back in 2022. Jaylin Williams, who had 11 pass deflections, returns. He also had 41 tackles last season. I also want to note that three out of the five players who had an interception in 2021 also return.

This Indiana defense gave up 239.3 yards per game through the air in 2021, which ranked No. 78 in the country. Indiana most likely strengthened their secondary in the offseason. They added Alabama transfer, Brylan Lanier, to the secondary. He should make an impact immediately.

With so much returning and transfer talent, they should see that number improve this season.

Weakness

Indiana might have a strong secondary, but I think their defensive line could take a hit in 2022.

The Hoosiers didn’t have a bad rush defense last season. They gave up 155.6 yards per game on the ground, which ranked No. 62 in the nation. But I could see that number dropping greatly starting on Friday night.

Ryder Anderson was the leader on the Indiana defensive line in 2021, but he has departed the program. Anderson was the leading defensive lineman with 48 tackles, and he was second on the team with 3.5 sacks.

The loss of defensive tackle Weston Kramer is also going to be a big blow for the Hoosiers. He was a solid anchor for Indiana with 35 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in 2021.

Indiana did try to bolster their defensive line this offseason, though. They added Myles Jackson from UCLA, JH Tevis from California, LeDarrius Cox from Ole Miss, and Patrick Lucas from Ole Miss. The Hoosiers knew they needed help, and they addressed that issue. But I still think this defensive line is patchwork, at best.

Coach

Overall, Indiana has had a pretty solid defense under Tom Allen. They have been inside the top 55 nationally in three out of five seasons so far. The one massive outlier was last year when Indiana gave up 33.2 points per game, which ranked No. 109 in the country.

Allen lost five out of the top nine tacklers from the 2021 squad, but he has replaced some of that talent via the transfer portal. As an Illinois fan, I know that relying on transfers to sustain success is a tough task. They come in and sometimes they don’t gel right away. This could be a rough first couple of games.

I think Allen is a solid defensive mind, though. I fully expect Indiana’s defense to be better in 2022. Their secondary is going to be tough for Tommy DeVito, but I think Chase Brown has a chance to run wild for Illinois on Friday night.

Key Players

One of the top key players for Indiana against Illinois is probably going to be linebacker, Cam Jones. Out of all of the returning players, Jones has the most tackles for the Hoosiers in 2021. He finished the year with 63 tackles, two pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and one sack.

Jones is going to need to play downhill to stop Brown. After an opening game of 151 yards, Brown has the confidence to run all over Indiana. Jones will be crucial if the Hoosiers want to keep Brown in check.

Another key player I want to point out is the transfers. I am grouping them together. Much like the offense with Connor Bazelak, transfers on the defense will determine how competitive Indiana is this season and on Friday night.

If Cox and Lucas can come into the Indiana program and clog up the middle of the defensive line, then Illinois will have some trouble running the football. I think Jackson and Tevis out on the edge could be tough as well. These four transfers will be a huge factor in whether or not Illinois can move the football.