IUplanet had a chance to talk today with new Hoosier
Adam Replogle’s high school coach, Coach
Ron Ullery of Centerville High School (OH). Replogle
decided to commit to Indiana yesterday, continuing IU’s recent recruiting run. He will join his brother, sophomore linebacker and former Centerville standout
Tyler Replogle on the Indiana squad in 2009.
Here’s what Coach Ullery had to say about Replogle’s decision to come to IU, playmaking ability, and potential as a Hoosier:
On Replogle’s performance and role in high school:
Well he was a great football player, he was kind of the anchor of our defensive front, he played nose guard for us. He kind of manned the middle, he made ton of big plays. By big plays for a nose guard I mean third and short, fourth and short, he would penetrate and make a tackle for a loss, and stop a drive, sometimes basically on his own. He had 25 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, which is a lot over the course of a season, and that’s not even counting quarterback sacks. He’s done a lot as a defensive force. He’s a real playmaker as an interior defensive lineman. [Replogle finished his junior campaign with 86 total tackles, 50 solo, 25 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles]
On what sets him apart as a player:
He plays very low, with great leverage. He’s extremely strong, very explosive off the ball, he comes off the ball very, very well, which really allows him to get great penetration. He uses his hands very well, he has strong hands, and he has great balance. It’s very difficult to knock him off his feet. He plays with a great motor, non-stop motor, just very intense. He’s very similar to his brother, Tyler, in those regards, just extremely intense with a passion for the game.
On what he may need to improve upon for the college level:
I think with any player you talk about every aspect of the game they want to improve. There’s really not a weakness in Adam’s game. He’s much faster than people give him credit for. He’ll run in the 4.8-4.9 40 range all the time. I think he just wants to continue to get bigger. You know, he weighs about 265-267 lbs. He’s a good basketball player too, so I think as soon as he gets through basketball season next year and can concentrate solely on getting ready for IU, I think he’ll get a lot bigger a lot quicker. So probably just as an interior lineman, just getting bigger, but there’s really no weakness in the kid’s game. He plays very, very well.
On how early he could make an impact:
I realize that in the Big Ten it’s difficult to contribute right away on the offensive or defensive lines because of the nature of the position, but I really think that Adam is one who can contribute very early, I just think he can. I think that defensive linemen probably can contribute a little bit earlier than offensive lineman at that level. I just think everything that he has going for him, his physical maturity already…He’s 265 lbs, a lean 265. That’s what all the coaches that came through said, they were so impressed with how the kid looked, and his body makeup, because he can put a lot of weight on. I think he’ll contribute early.
On his early decision to come to IU:
Adam was very, throughout the recruiting process, he was very open to every school that showed interest, and every school that offered him. I think it really came down to an Iowa-Indiana situation. He loved both places, he really liked both coaching staffs, he felt very comfortable both places…He said he decided this past Monday. The deciding factor was he definitely wanted to play in the Big Ten, and he wanted to play with his brother. They’re close, they’re a close family. He was able to play with his brother when he was a sophomore in high school and Tyler was a senior, and he enjoyed that, and he wanted to do that again.
On what IU has in the two Replogle brothers, Adam and Tyler:
They have two guys with a tremendous passion for football, that are just high character, high integrity guys from a great family. That will play hard absolutely all the time, they’ll give every ounce of everything they have to IU, and they’ll never have to worry about them away from the field. They’ll do everything the right way at IU.
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Thanks to Coach Ullery for the great interview!