Kasey Teegardin is the Special Teams Coordinator. (He also coaches the Outside Linebackers.) Teegardin has 15 years of coaching experience including 8 seasons with Indiana. He has been the Special Teams Coordinator at Indiana since 2020 and had the same role at Valparaiso in 2012 and 2013 (four seasons total).
The Hoosiers finished 2021 tied for first in the country with four blocked punts. Last season IU also had two special teams touchdowns in a single game (vs Idaho) for the first time since 1969. Under Teegardin Indiana finished 2020 fifth in the nation according to ESPN’s special teams efficiency rankings.
Kicker Charles Campbell (Redshirt Senior) was second team All-Big Ten in 2020 and Big Ten Special Teams player of the Week vs. Rutgers that same year. Campbell is a perfect 46 for 46 on career extra point attempts. His career field goal percentage is 80.6 (25 for 31), good enough for second all-time in Indiana history. This includes an impressive 4 for 5 from 50 yards plus. Only Pete Stoyanovich's 6 career 50 yard field goals ranks better at IU. Campbell already ranks 10th all-time at Indiana in field goals and I project he will end the year also in the top 10 in extra points made and points scored by a kicker. He will likely also end up in the top 10 in points scored overall. Chris Freeman should be the back-up kicker.
Chris Freeman (Redshirt Sophomore) will inherit the Kickoff Specialist role and will back up Campbell as the kicker. Freeman has played in four career games including five kickoffs and two extra points made vs Idaho in 2021. Charles Campbell will be the backup kickoff guy.
It's no secret that Sophomore Punter James Evans had some inconsistency issues last season, which was his first as a punter at any level. Despite some struggles he still averaged almost 42 yards per punt, had 12 punts over 50 yards, and 13 inside the 20. Evans finished ahead of 3 punters in terms of average. Overall Net Punt is the more important metric and in 2021 Indiana finished ahead of Purdue, Northwestern and Nebraska in this category.
Don't be surprised to see more consistency from the Kiwi James Evans in 2022. If not Sophomore Alejandro Quintero, who transferred from Blinn College in Texas, has a good leg and can also kick.
In recent years Punts have become an increasingly transactional play in football. Offenses are going for it more on 4th down in response to what analytics tell us and punters are using different tactics including hang time, rugby style kicks, and directional punting to eliminate returns as a potential game changing play (I'm all for it). As of 2020 less than 30 percent of punts were returned in college football and I wouldn't be surprised if that number has decreased since then.
That said Graduate Wide Receiver DJ Matthews and Freshman Running Back Jaylin Lucas are listed as the punt returner on Indiana's two-deep depth chart. Matthews is coming off of a knee injury but showed explosiveness last year including that 83 yard touchdown return vs Idaho. In 2021 Indiana finished 3rd in the Big Ten averaging 11.1 yards per punt return.
Redshirt Freshman David Holloman and Transfer Senior Shaun Shivers are listed as the Kick Returners currently. In 2021 Holloman had 3 returns for 66 yards (22.0 average) including a long of 32 yards. At Auburn Shivers had 14 kick returns for 233 yards (16.64 average). In 2021 Indiana finished 6th in the Big Ten averaging 20.2 yards per kickoff return.
Senior Sean Wracher is the Long and Short Snapper for Indiana. He has played in 33 career games and has recorded two tackles. If the long snapper doesn't come up in conversation than he is doing his job. Redshirt Freshman Kurtis Robinson is listed as the back-up long snapper.
Punter James Evans is listed as the Holder and Punter / Kicker Alejandro Quintero as the back-up.
Overall the big thing with Special Teams is don't give up anything cheap when defending kickoff and punt returns. Don't be a hero, stay in your lane and use good technique. Keep the kickoffs in bounds. And you have to catch the kickoff / punt before you can return it. Muffing a punt or a kick is a great way to lose a football game. Catch it first. I expect Indiana to be in many close ball games this fall so solid special teams play will be a big key that could be the difference between winning and losing.
The Hoosiers finished 2021 tied for first in the country with four blocked punts. Last season IU also had two special teams touchdowns in a single game (vs Idaho) for the first time since 1969. Under Teegardin Indiana finished 2020 fifth in the nation according to ESPN’s special teams efficiency rankings.
Kicker Charles Campbell (Redshirt Senior) was second team All-Big Ten in 2020 and Big Ten Special Teams player of the Week vs. Rutgers that same year. Campbell is a perfect 46 for 46 on career extra point attempts. His career field goal percentage is 80.6 (25 for 31), good enough for second all-time in Indiana history. This includes an impressive 4 for 5 from 50 yards plus. Only Pete Stoyanovich's 6 career 50 yard field goals ranks better at IU. Campbell already ranks 10th all-time at Indiana in field goals and I project he will end the year also in the top 10 in extra points made and points scored by a kicker. He will likely also end up in the top 10 in points scored overall. Chris Freeman should be the back-up kicker.
Chris Freeman (Redshirt Sophomore) will inherit the Kickoff Specialist role and will back up Campbell as the kicker. Freeman has played in four career games including five kickoffs and two extra points made vs Idaho in 2021. Charles Campbell will be the backup kickoff guy.
It's no secret that Sophomore Punter James Evans had some inconsistency issues last season, which was his first as a punter at any level. Despite some struggles he still averaged almost 42 yards per punt, had 12 punts over 50 yards, and 13 inside the 20. Evans finished ahead of 3 punters in terms of average. Overall Net Punt is the more important metric and in 2021 Indiana finished ahead of Purdue, Northwestern and Nebraska in this category.
Don't be surprised to see more consistency from the Kiwi James Evans in 2022. If not Sophomore Alejandro Quintero, who transferred from Blinn College in Texas, has a good leg and can also kick.
In recent years Punts have become an increasingly transactional play in football. Offenses are going for it more on 4th down in response to what analytics tell us and punters are using different tactics including hang time, rugby style kicks, and directional punting to eliminate returns as a potential game changing play (I'm all for it). As of 2020 less than 30 percent of punts were returned in college football and I wouldn't be surprised if that number has decreased since then.
That said Graduate Wide Receiver DJ Matthews and Freshman Running Back Jaylin Lucas are listed as the punt returner on Indiana's two-deep depth chart. Matthews is coming off of a knee injury but showed explosiveness last year including that 83 yard touchdown return vs Idaho. In 2021 Indiana finished 3rd in the Big Ten averaging 11.1 yards per punt return.
Redshirt Freshman David Holloman and Transfer Senior Shaun Shivers are listed as the Kick Returners currently. In 2021 Holloman had 3 returns for 66 yards (22.0 average) including a long of 32 yards. At Auburn Shivers had 14 kick returns for 233 yards (16.64 average). In 2021 Indiana finished 6th in the Big Ten averaging 20.2 yards per kickoff return.
Senior Sean Wracher is the Long and Short Snapper for Indiana. He has played in 33 career games and has recorded two tackles. If the long snapper doesn't come up in conversation than he is doing his job. Redshirt Freshman Kurtis Robinson is listed as the back-up long snapper.
Punter James Evans is listed as the Holder and Punter / Kicker Alejandro Quintero as the back-up.
Overall the big thing with Special Teams is don't give up anything cheap when defending kickoff and punt returns. Don't be a hero, stay in your lane and use good technique. Keep the kickoffs in bounds. And you have to catch the kickoff / punt before you can return it. Muffing a punt or a kick is a great way to lose a football game. Catch it first. I expect Indiana to be in many close ball games this fall so solid special teams play will be a big key that could be the difference between winning and losing.
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