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Indiana offensive lineman Michael Katic has seen it all.

His first game in an Indiana uniform was the Hoosiers' program-shifting overtime win against Penn State in 2020. Since? His record as a Hoosier is 11-20.

His first year saw him win Indiana's offensive newcomer of the year award. His expectations for his time in Bloomington were likely very high. However, the past two seasons have been worse than anyone could have forecasted, and the scapegoat for those shortcomings has largely been the play of the offensive line; a unit in which Katic is a cornerstone player.

"The past two years have not been good for the O-line," Katic admitted Tuesday after spring practice. "We kind of want to prove to all the noise out there that we can play, we can protect and we can be dominant on the field."

Katic graduated from Indiana this past December with a degree in criminal justice. He redshirted the 2019 season and earned multiple scout team player of the week awards while he waited for his turn on the Hoosiers offensive front.

Now, Katic will enter the 2023 season with a new offensive line coach in Bob Bostad, after Darren Hiller, who Katic had spent the two seasons under his tutelage, was fired in the middle of the 2022 season.

There's no doubt Katic has the experience and maturity to navigate the situation and struggles that may arise from a switch in leadership, but he says Bostad's years of experience make the first-year Indiana coach's potential impact undeniable.

"He brings a lot of intensity to the room," Katic said. "You can tell he knows what he's doing, I mean, he's coached in the NFL, he coached a while at Wisconsin. He knows the ins and outs of the offensive line and how to coach it."

Bostad's voice booms through Indiana's indoor facility during practice. You can feel the intensity Katic talks about when you're in the building. He isn't just intense though, as Katic said breaking down film with Bostad is very tedious, addressing each position and each matchup as meticulously as he can.

The first-year offensive line coach is inheriting a wealth of experience up front. Katic has spent three years playing alongside center Zach Carpenter, and when Matthew Bedford returns from his ACL injury, that will be the fifth season Katic and Bedford will have played together

Khalil Benson also comes in with a lot of snaps under his belt from last season.

However, Carter Smith has been at tackle playing alongside Katic during spring practice, and his replacement of Luke Haggard has taken a bit of an adjustment according to Katic.

"You get in this weird transition phase when you play with a guy for so long and then a new guy comes in," Katic explained. "I'm just trying to use my experiences to get him up to speed on how I play and I'm trying to get a feel for how he plays... He brings a mature style to the game."

Indiana, like any team in the country, will largely depend on their offensive line for any success scoring the ball. They have one of the best quarterbacks the program has seen in a while in Tayven Jackson, and if he can get ample protection to play up to his potential the ceiling for this upcoming Hoosier team will rise by the week.

Furthermore, with a dynamic backfield consisting of Josh Henderson and Jaylin Lucas, the excuses are growing few and far between.

Katic knows that, and he admitted he can't worry about whatever quarterback will be taking snaps. He trusts they will make plays and he knows he and his fellow offensive lineman have to do the same.

"The outside noise is giving us the motivation," Katic said. "We know we can do it, we know we can be a good group. We just have to execute and put all the pieces together."

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