Indiana right tackle Caleb Jones has plugged into his role fairly quickly in 2019 and is graded as one of IU's best offensive linemen through the first two games of the season, but he will face his toughest competition yet when Ohio State and NFL-ready defensive end Chase Young come to Bloomington.
Through two games this season, Indiana is one of six football programs to not give up a sack to an opposing defense, paving the way for redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to accumulate 523 passing yards.
On Saturday, the Hoosiers’ will take on an Ohio State Buckeyes’ front line that has churned out NFL-caliber talent year after year under defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Taking the reins as the opposing team’s best pass rusher in 2019 is junior defensive end Chase Young.
Young has been a game wrecker in Columbus since he set foot on campus. He’s earned playing time as a true freshman, and when he was fitted into a starting role a season ago, he notched 10.5 sacks.
“He’s certainly a special player and you have to have a plan in place,” Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer said of Young. “You see too many times in college football where there just isn’t an answer and you just leave those tackles on an island all day.”
The Indiana tackles that will be responsible for putting themselves in front of Young are senior Coy Cronk and sophomore Caleb Jones. Cronk has been a four-year starter with the Hoosiers, who’s played with consistency during his time in the program.
The question lies with whether Jones can handle the competition and take on one of the most physically talented edge defenders he’ll see all season.
“I came here to play big teams,” Jones said on Tuesday. “I’m excited and looking forward to the competition. I like to rise to the challenge. The bigger the crowd, I feel like the better I play. I’m definitely looking forward to playing against the best and being able to prove myself.”
At 6-foot-8, 358 pounds, Jones is a monstrous player at the right tackle position. Thanks to the handedness of Penix, Jones has become his quarterback’s blindside defender, a position that emphasizes protection.
“Whether it’s Peyton Ramsey or it’s Mike Penix, whoever I’m blocking for, I want to make sure that my quarterback remains untouched,” Jones said. “That’s my job as an offensive lineman. Knowing that he’s the blindside might put a little more pressure, but I try to put that in the back of my mind and just play my game.”
Jones will have the help of three seniors on the Indiana offensive line to prepare him for arguably the toughest opponent on the team’s schedule.
Cronk plays the same position as Jones, but on the opposite side, and fifth-year senior Simon Stepaniak can be found beside him.
Stepaniak said on Monday that Jones isn’t one to shy away from anything. He said he knows what he’s getting into and he knows what is expected of him to get better each day in practice.
So far this season, the veteran guard has given Jones stability on the right side of the line.
“It definitely gives me an extra layer of confidence knowing that he’s going to have his job and he’s going to get it done,” Jones said of Stepaniak. “Sometimes, maybe if I’m lacking, then he’ll be able to pick up the slack for me. I don’t want him to have to do that, I want to be able to take care of myself, but it is good to know that I have a little bit of cushion on the inside.”
There will be no margin for error against the No. 6 team in the nation on Saturday. DeBoer said there’s only a limited number of ways for the Hoosiers to double team Young or utilize running backs and tight ends to chip him at the line of scrimmage, meaning there will be times Jones is left one-on-one.
Young’s daunting presence precedes the impressive resume he’s acquired in just two games. He’s tallied five solo tackles (eight total), three sacks and three tackles for loss.
He’s a defender that can play on either side of the defensive line — whether he’s a stand-up outside linebacker or an edge with his hand in the dirt — as well as drop into short coverages at times.
The depth across the entire Ohio State defensive front allows its coaching staff to send pressures with fewer players, and utilize complex coverages on the back end.
From a numbers standpoint, it should be easier to compensate for, but the level of talent presented will play an obvious factor in this matchup.
“The difference between a team like that and a defensive end like this, as opposed to EIU or Ball State, they don’t have to do a whole lot of pretty, extra stuff,” Jones said of Young and the Ohio State defense. “They line up, they play a base defense and rely on their playmakers to make plays. So in a way, it’s easier, I guess you could say, but at the same time it comes with its challenges.”
At the end of the game, Jones won’t be worried about whether he held one of the nation's best defensive players to zero sacks. Football is a team game, and he’ll have to contribute if the Hoosiers stand any chance at defeating the Buckeyes for the first time since 1988.
“It doesn’t matter what my stats are,” Jones said. “it doesn’t matter how many plays are made by either team, I’m doing whatever it takes to get the win.”
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