Kalen DeBoer’s offense at Indiana comes versatility in the passing game.
Wide receivers, running backs and tight ends will all be pieces to the puzzle of improving the program’s offense this season.
When DeBoer was the offensive coordinator at Fresno State University in 2017-2018, tight end Jared Rice was the team’s second-leading receiver. He caught 55 passes for 664 yards and three touchdowns.
Rice secured the fourth-most receptions while gaining the sixth-most yards of all FBS tight ends. Redshirt sophomore tight end Peyton Hendershot will lead the way for Indiana’s tight ends this season under DeBoer’s coaching.
“I think they’re capable of doing the things that I like to do and the tight ends have been a heavy involvement in the offense,” DeBoer said at Media Day on Thursday. “It isn’t always receiving yards, but a lot of the times it is.”
The tight end position, like most skill positions in DeBoer’s offense, will be multifaceted and asked to run routes, catch passes, but also understand pass protection to aid the quarterback under center.
“There’s a lot that goes into that position, much like the quarterback,” DeBoer said. “The tight end I think is a position that needs to continue to grow.”
Hendershot played in 11 games and caught 15 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns to lead Indiana’s tight end group last season. He obtained a medical redshirt in 2017 after appearing in the first four games of the year.
This season, Hendershot is expecting to stay healthy while his position coach is optimistic he can be a solid contributor to every phase of the offense.
“The sky's the limit for Peyton, he has no limitations physically or athletically,” Indiana tight ends coach Nick Sheridan said at Media Day on Thursday. “I don’t see why he can’t be as dominant as a blocker in the Big Ten as any tight end that’s out there.”
----
• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals
• Like us on Facebook.
