With only two games left in the season, the freshmen have spent plenty of time learning about the college game and in some cases running the scout team offenses and defenses. The newcomers have had plenty of time to develop and adjust to the speed of the college game, even if they have spent their first season in an IU uniform learning the opponents' play book.

Each week in the closing part of the season, we'll get an update with each position coach on how the freshmen are developing. In this edition, we spoke to secondary coach/defensive coordinator Joe Palcic and linebackers coach George Ricumstrict about the development of the freshmen defensive backs and linebackers.

Defensive backs

Chris Adkins

Adkins is a 6-1, 186-pound defensive back from Indianapolis. At Warren Central, he played running back at first but made the switch to full-time cornerback as a senior.

Joe Palcic on Adkins' development:

"We have high hopes for him competing for a starting job next year as a young guy. Good athleticism, good speed. We like his natural height. You can't coach tall corners. He's done a good job and I think he'll have a chance in the spring."

Has he kind of started to take on the look of a cornerback?

"At Warren Central his junior year he played some running back, but his senior year he was a full-time corner. So we knew he could play corner or safety because he has the size to play some safety. He's played both for us, so he'll play both this spring. We'll probably move him back to corner because that's where we lose two seniors. We've got Austin Thomas and Nick Polk back at safety, so we'll throw the numbers at corner and let the best two come out of that."

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