NFL Draft Report: Indiana DE Bobby Richardson Leads NCAA With Three Sacks

Aug 30, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive tackle Bobby Richardson (95) sacks Indiana State Sycamores quarterback Mike Perish (15) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

After one week of the college football season, an unexpected name leads the nation in sacks. It’s senior defensive lineman Bobby Richardson from Indiana, a player who didn’t record a single sack all of last season.

Apparently he’s making up for lost time.

Richardson did lead all Indiana defensive linemen in tackles last season, but finished with no sacks and just 3.5 tackles for loss. Those type of numbers won’t get you on the radar of many NFL scouts, but performances like the one he had against even Indiana State will.

Richardson displayed an ability to get around the edge pretty quickly as well as provide pressure from the interior. As a 6’3″ 285 pound defensive lineman, he has versatility to play both inside and outside.

In a preseason ranking list, he was placed 149th out of 150 of Big Ten players to watch. Apparently he’s out to change that as soon as possible.

Starting off the season with three sacks, three tackles for loss, and causing those kinds of problems for an offensive line will certainly draw some positive hype and attention.

Richardson might not be on his way to first round status by any means, but it’s interesting to look around the country at the players who showed up in week one, and this kid was one of them. He was named Indiana’s defensive player of the week, obviously.