Indiana football fans were eagerly anticipating Camion Patrick’s return from injury two weeks ago against Wake Forest, but it didn’t happen. Then they were even more excited for him to play in the Michigan State contest last week – that didn’t happen, either. Now it seems that he is finally ready to make his debut against Ohio State this Saturday.
For a player that has never seen a snap for the Hoosiers, everyone seems to hold him in high regard. Patrick was initially a Tennessee commit, but then ended up spending his freshman season playing for East Mississippi Community College. Once he transferred to Indiana the following season, he began to have trouble finding the field. First it was due to academic ineligibility, then it was a knee injury suffered in training.
His return timetable has been very unclear. Patrick underwent knee surgery April 13th but was not ruled out for the 2016 season. Team doctors aimed for an October 1st return, which indicates that he is ready to go, but Wilson kept hinting that he may have been ready sooner. However, it is important not to bring a dynamic player like Patrick back from injury too soon, as he will be seeing a lot of the ball, and his knees will be vulnerable being tackled and making sharp cuts.
The redshirt Junior is a versatile offensive threat. He can line up at Wide Receiver, Running Back, and return kicks. The coaching staff were set on making him a running back until Simmie Cobbs Jr. went down with a season ending injury. Now Patrick will help fill that gap at his natural receiver position.
Last season, when Patrick hadn’t even taken a snap for the Hoosiers, Wilson went out of his way to tell the media that he was “the best football player on the team.”
It may take some time for him to get used to the speed of the game, though. His stamina and ability to take hits will be a factor, and he may shy away from some tackles to avoid further injuring his knee. That is, if the defenders can catch him.
It has already become evident that there is plenty of room to run for Hoosiers receivers. In just four games, Nick Westbrook has caught 18 passes for 370 yards, including touchdown passes from 49, 79, and 75 yards. Ricky Jones has hauled in 16 catches for 350, including a 65 yard bomb. With defenders needing to watch out for multiple receiving threats, Patrick can take advantage of mismatches.
Patrick can also be used in a variety of formations and trick plays such as a WR reverse. Wilson is known for calling up unconventional plays like in the Michigan State game where he had two plays where a non-quarterback threw a pass.
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With an offense that is already thriving, Wilson must be ecstatic to add yet another special player. He couldn’t arrive at a better time, either. Indiana is traveling to Columbus to take on #2 Ohio State on Saturday, and they will need all of the help they can get.
Indiana gave OSU a run for their money last year in a nail-biting 34-27 finish, but that was at home, and playing at The Horseshoe in front of 105,000 Buckeye fans is a whole different contest. This Hoosier team has already proven to compete with the best, however. Urban Meyer even told the media that this was the best Indiana team he has faced.
Perhaps Camion Patrick can be the difference maker for the Hoosiers. The offense will need to help the defense out a little more in this one, as they will have their hands full with OSU’s JT Barrett and Mike Weber. I’m predicting yet another shootout in this prime Big Ten matchup.