Names to know in 2016: Part 1: Camion Patrick
By TC Malik
Over the next couple of weeks I will be discussing some Indiana football players that you may have not heard of but should keep an eye on. Some of these players have flown under the radar as recruits, transferred to Indiana from high profile schools, or been forced to sit out a year due to various reasons.
Camion Patrick arrived in Bloomington last season and was expected to be a versatile threat in the passing game until he was deemed academically ineligible by the NCAA. Patrick, listed at 6’2, 225 lbs, finished one credit short of eligibility last season as he attempted to take an accelerated summer course, but didn’t go as planned. Indiana pleaded for the NCAA to give Camion another chance at eligibility, however they denied the appeal a week prior to the season opener.
“We do have a lot of backs and we do have a lot of receivers, and I think he’s the best of all of them.”
Patrick originally committed to play for Derek Dooley and Tennessee out of high school, but just like at Indiana, his academics prevented him and was forced to play at East Mississippi Community College. At the junior college, Patrick was catching balls from one of the best quarterbacks in the country, Chad Kelly, now the starting quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Kelly and Patrick were a talented duo for the Lions leading them to back-to-back National Championships before they transitioned into major college football. When Butch Jones accepted the position at Tennessee, he upheld Dooley’s offer to Patrick, but decided to write his own script and committed to Indiana instead.
During his time at East Mississippi Community College, Patrick impressed catching 42 balls for 631 yards to go along with 12 touchdowns. He was a huge red zone threat, almost a third of his catches were touchdowns, making him a big play threat for the Hoosiers this upcoming season. He also averaged a little over 15 yards per catch during his time at JUCO, putting him above what Mitchell Paige averaged last season at 12 yards per catch. Look for Camion to be a deep threat next season and a huge target for the Hoosiers quarterbacks in the red zone alongside Simmie Cobbs Jr.
Camion Patrick also dabbled in returning kicks during his time in junior college, averaging 13 yards per attempt on punt returns. While Indiana has a more than capable punt returner in Mitchell Paige, they’re still searching for kick returners. The staff seemed confused last season because they didn’t have one permanent kick returner and continued rotating out players to find the right fit. Damon Graham had the most returns for the Hoosiers in 2015, but his graduation has left a void at the position.
At East Mississippi Community College, Camion exclusively played on the outside as a wide receiver. However, during this offseason the Hoosiers coaching staff has explored the option of placing Patrick in the backfield as a running back.
It all started when Indiana was preparing to face the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes last season, the staff asked Camion to work on the scout team and impersonate the talented athlete, Braxton Miller in order to give the Hoosiers defense an idea of his skill set and game style. In doing so, Patrick spent much time in the backfield as Braxton Miller did in specific packages. Camion began destroying defenders and breaking off huge runs against Indiana’s defense and this is when the coaching staff finally realized they had something special in Patrick.
Sadly some unfortunate news has plagued Camion’s comeback for 2016. During spring practice in April, Patrick suffered a torn ACL and needed surgery to repair it. We don’t know the specifics of the injury or where Patrick stands right now. What we do know is that he should be cleared come Big Ten play in October, barring any major setbacks.
Coach Wilson can’t wait to get Patrick back on the field, stating, “We do have a lot of backs and we do have a lot of receivers, and I think he’s the best of all of them.” This just goes to show the confidence and promise that the head coach has in one of his most prized recruits.
Camion Patrick is a versatile player that most of the country has yet to experience. Not even most Hoosier fans know his name since he was ineligible to play last season and was hidden in the scout team. He will be sidelined for the non-conference portion of Indiana’s schedule, however, should return by the Big Ten conference slate. The rest of the country will soon get to know the athlete that has flown under the radar for far too long.