TheHoosier.com's D.J. Fezler has maintained a weekly snap counts page for Indiana's true freshmen, which can be found here, and using that page, TheHoosier.com put together a guide for setting expectations for the true freshmen on the roster in the Gator Bowl.
Indiana head coach Tom Allen talked to the media Monday before Indiana's final practice in Bloomington on Dec 24 morning. He was asked about true freshmen being available in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, as many freshmen have been needed to add depth in certain areas of the roster but might not want to be used in an effort to maintain redshirts for the 2019 season.
Allen said he would not play a freshman who had already played four games this year "just to play them for the bowl game."
With that information in mind, these are the true freshmen that can be expected and which can not be expected to potentially see the field, given their numbers after the regular season.
Freshmen with four games played
C.J. Person is the lone Hoosier true freshman to have played four games at this point in the season. Person has been crucial in the depth of the defensive tackle position for Indiana this season, as he's filled in for Demarcus Elliott and Sio Nofoagatoto'a, most notably when he was in for the late-game snaps as Penn State drove down the field to score.
Allen was adamant in that if a freshman has played four games, he will not play in the Gator Bowl.
"That's the rule," Allen said about the standard set by the staff.
Allen said the staff is "working through" how to find that depth if it needed again.
Freshmen who have already burned their redshirt
Indiana has played many freshmen in 2019. It's been noted repeatedly how young this roster is, as the Hoosiers welcomed in two of their best recruiting classes in program history after the staff under Allen began to set its foundation. That young talent has bubbled to the surface and had an influence much earlier than anticipated, so the following true freshmen will be available for the Gator Bowl after playing five or more games this year.
- Tiawan Mullen – 12 games
- David Ellis – 12 games
- Sean Wracher – 12 games
- Sampson James (if cleared medically) – 11 games
- D.K. Bonhomme – 11 games
- Sio Nofoagatoto'a – 9 games
- Matt Bedford (if cleared medically) – 8 games
Freshmen who can play without burning redshirt
Allen and the staff made a conscious effort to use their young talent but not in excess in 2019. There are some talented young contributors who will be key players in the future but need to continue to develop before hitting the field regularly, and the Hoosiers have maintained their redshirts in order to keep them in Bloomington for another year and maximize those additions.
These are freshmen who can play in the Gator Bowl without burning their redshirts.
- Gary Cooper – 3 games
- Larry Tracy – 3 games
- Cam Williams – 2 games
- Beau Robbins – 1 game
All other true freshmen – aside from Josh Sanguinetti, who underwent season-ending surgery after recording two games played – will be available but likely won't see the field after not playing at all in 2019.
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