Indiana Football: Reakwon Jones headlines linebackers looking to shine

Despite losing some big names to the NFL, the linebacker core of the Indiana football program has great potential and talent.

With just a couple of days until the 2019 season kicks off for Indiana football, fans and players can’t wait to be apart of something special. This season has just about as much build up as any season has in the past.

Kane Wommack has taken over full reigns on the defensive side of the ball and looks to build on what has been a very respectable defense under Tom Allen’s regime. Though there is a lot of experience coming back, a lot of the big name upperclassmen that had been staples of the IU defense, especially at the linebacker position, are no longer in Bloomington.

One of the biggest question marks for the Hoosiers was how they were going to replace the production and careers of Tegray Scales, Chris Covington and most recently Dameon Willis at the linebacker position. To this point, it’s still unclear but as the season gets rolling, fans and coaches will find out quickly who will be built for Big Ten football.

As the only upperclassman in the linebacker core, Reakwon Jones now steps into a leadership position and is poised to lead the unit in 2019. Jones will be tasked with not only leading by example but also being the communicator for the rest of the defensive unit, something Kane Wommack has stressed this summer and through the start of fall camp.

"“Our fall emphasis, the three things that we always talk about in our defense, we will emphasize takeaways, tackling and effort, along with the fourth one this fall will be communication. We’ve got to be great communicators out there on that field.” Said Wommack at IU Media Day."

While Reakwon will be the main Jones on the field, sophomore Cam Jones is another member of the linebacker core that is looking to have a breakthrough this season.

Playing 11 games at the ‘husky’ position in Allen’s defense as a true freshman in 2018, he will move into the a hybrid linebacker position that will be able to showcase his athleticism when covering slot wideouts, or attacking the offensive line on a blitz.

Micah McFadden is another sophomore who played a major role as a true freshman, appearing in all 12 games and being a critical member of the linebacker rotation last season. This year, he is slotted to start next to Reakwon Jones come week one.

While Cam Jones is known more for his ability to read and cover the passing game, McFadden has a knack for the ball carrier and does a tremendous job at bouncing off of blockers in the run game. Having that sophomore duo playing at the same time will cause a headache for opposing coaches with their ability to play off of each other.

A name to keep an eye on is James Miller. Miller saw time last season but comes into this year as a redshirt freshman. Highly recruited out of high school, he chose the Hoosiers over his home state Florida State Seminoles. Miller has performed well this summer and carried the momentum he had from his lone start against Michigan in 2018 into fall camp with a lot of hype surrounding his name.

Two other names that will round out the rotation and should be crucial with the depth of the linebacker core are Thomas Allen and Cameron Williams. Allen, Tom Allen’s son, played in all 12 games last season and was a terrific role player on the defense, doing whatever was needed. Though he isn’t the star, his consistent play is something that can’t be overlooked as a rotational piece.

For Cameron Williams, the four-star freshman enters this season with some questions regarding how much he will see the field due to the depth that already exists. His talent is there however, no question about it.

With a combination of great speed and strength, he puts offenses in a tough spot as he can get past an offensive lineman with ease, but can also overpower a blocking running back as well. Don’t expect him to play a significant amount of snaps early on, but keep him in the back of your mind as a name that could sneak up the depth chart come season’s end.

The linebackers may be young as of now, but they have the talent to be a terrific group. Don’t be surprised if they outplay expectations and put the defense on their shoulders.