Long-time Hoosier is looking forward to his sixth season in an Indiana uniform.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana center Mike Katic has been around the block more than most. He’s transitioning into his sixth season of college football, so going from fall camp to game preparation is old hat.
“It’s like Groundhog Day every single day. You know, I keep getting better no matter how old I get. I try to get better at one little thing a day and overall become a better player,” Katic said Tuesday.
For Katic, who has played regularly for the Hoosiers since 2021, his final season comes with an extra twist. Going into the season, 27 of his 37 starts at Indiana have come at left guard.
This year, the plan is for Katic to be Indiana’s full-time center. He started at center in 2022 against Nebraska, but all of his 2023 starts came at left guard.
While Katic is a veteran, it’s still a tough switch. Responsibility at the position comes with quite a few more things to worry about.
“I’m learning to snap the ball and get my hands ready faster than at guard,” Katic said on Tuesday as Indiana prepares for its season opener against Florida International at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Katic said he’s getting more comfortable with playing center.
“I think it’s the close combat that I’m getting at center,” said Katic on one of the differences between the two positions. “At guard, there’s some ball space, but at center, you’re getting contact right away. I think that’s what I needed to adjust more.”
Katic noted that going against experienced defensive tackles James Carpenter and CJ West in practice has helped him get used to the new position.
“I think with our defense and the big guys we [have] up front, it kind of helped me take make strides into that aspect of it,” Katic said.
The major fall camp adjustment the offensive line has had to contend with is the season-ending knee injury suffered by intended right guard Nick Kidwell, who would have been a seventh-year player after coming with Indiana coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison.
Indiana isn’t blessed with experienced offensive line depth, so moving the pieces around is not an insignificant matter. Indiana’s guard options are another JMU transfer – Tyler Stephens – or redshirt sophomores Drew Evans and Bray Lynch.
Stephens has played 36 career games with 31 starts, and Lynch has played nine games. Evans has not played at the collegiate level either at Wisconsin, where he spent his freshman season in 2022, or at Indiana in 2023.
“I’m getting used to how they play,” said Katic on Evans and Lynch. “Their tendencies, picking up twists and games from the d-line. Combo blocks, it’s just about gelling and time. I tell them to stay focused.”
Katic gave a breakdown of his sophomore compatriots who will block with him.
“Drew does a really good job. His hands get wide at times, but he’s a super strong kid. He has a super strong leg drive. He stays on blocks and finishes really well,” Katic said.
“Bray is a super smart kid. He plays with great pad level. He’s a great finisher as well,” Katic added.
Katic gave no indication that any position switch is in-store. He spoke exclusively about playing center, even though it might be tempting for Cignetti to flip Katic to the guard spot he has so much experience playing at. Cignetti did note in his Monday press conference that Evans, Lynch and Stephens can “snap also”.
Katic has noticed a different mentality in the locker room with the coaching change to Cignetti. He’s looking forward to taking it out on the field.
“Last year, as a team, we didn’t really stay as connected as the season went on,” Katic said. “People were kind of checking out early. Once we knew we weren’t bowl eligible, guys were just not practicing or playing hard. I think the standard that Coach Cig brings, it’s not going to be like that. I’m just really excited.”
