Indiana
Indiana Offensive Lineman Nick Kidwell To Miss 2024 Season With Injury
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana offensive lineman Nick Kidwell will miss the 2024 season due to a knee injury.
Kidwell transferred from James Madison to Indiana this offseason, and he was expected to be the Hoosiers’ starting right guard in 2024. At 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds, Kidwell appeared in 52 games with 34 starts at James Madison, playing both right tackle and right guard.
Kidwell was named first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association in 2021 and second-team All-Sun Belt in 2022. He was in line to finish his college career at James Madison in 2023, but he suffered a season-ending injury four games into the season. He received a medical hardship waiver, which granted him a seventh season of collegiate eligibility at Indiana in 2024.
“He was one of the best two linemen in the Sun Belt had he stayed healthy last year,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said of Kidwell.
Following Indiana’s first practice of fall camp on July 31, Cignetti mentioned Drew Evans and Bray Lynch as two young lineman that could provide depth for the Hoosiers this season. Evans transferred from Wisconsin to Indiana last season, but he has not played in any games during his two-year college career.
Lynch was a three-star recruit in the class of 2022 out of Austin, Texas, and he has played 71 total snaps in 10 games on the offensive line and special teams across two seasons with the Hoosiers. Kidwell’s injury now heightens their importance to Indiana’s offensive line.
Indiana returned two starters on its offensive line from last season: Carter Smith and Mike Katic. Smith started all 12 games at left tackle last season, and Katic, who has played 39 games in his Indiana career, moved to center this offseason.
Indiana also added Wisconsin transfer Trey Wedig, who was expected to start at right tackle prior to Kidwell’s injury. Tyler Stephens transferred to Indiana this offseason from James Madison, where he appeared in 36 games with 31 starts, playing left tackle, left guard and right tackle. Stephens earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2023 and provides versatility for the Indiana offensive line.
With just over two weeks until Indiana’s season opener against Florida International on Aug. 31, offensive line coach Bob Bostad is tasked with finding a new starter in place of Kidwell. On Monday, Cignetti said there was still competition for starting spots on the offensive line, and now Kidwell’s injury further ensures that.
But if one thing is certain, Cignetti is confident in Bostad’s coaching ability.
“He’s a veteran with a great reputation,” Cignetti said on Monday of Bostad. “He really works his guys. He’s a tough guy, Bob is, a little bit old school, which I like. But that’s such a critical position, and it takes a while to mesh in terms of things I’m used to doing or we’re used to doing offensively and in terms of what he’s done, come together, and I like the way that process has gone. He’s a real asset, a winning edge. I know he’s going to get the most out of the offensive line.”
The Indiana Hoosiers are heading to the College Football Playoff National Championship and they have barreled through some of the best teams in college football to get there.
The National Championship Game is set, with the Indiana Hoosiers facing the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Monday, Jan. 19. The matchup was officially locked in when Indiana took down the Oregon Ducks in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, 56-22. After the Hoosiers’ 38-3 win over Alabama, I would not want to be the team standing in their path.
But for Indiana fans, they could not have asked for a better season. You can celebrate all of those big moments, from the Big Ten championship and Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman win, to the Rose Bowl victory with unique sports prints. Then, cap it off with gear at Fanatics heading into the National Championship.
Here is a look at what to shop for the latest Hoosier’s championship gear at Fanatics:
Shop Indiana Hoosiers championship gear
Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Matchup Total Showdown T-Shirt
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Final Stop T-Shirt
Miami Hurricanes vs. Indiana Hoosiers ’47 College Football Playoff 2026 National Championship Game Matchup Hitch Adjustable Hat
Shop Indiana Hoosiers Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl gear
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Locker Room T-Shirt
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Hometown Pride Hoodie
Indiana Hoosiers College Football Playoff 2026 Peach Bowl Champions Locker Room Rise Adjustable Hat
Michigan State narrowly escaped with a home win against the now 8–7 Northwestern Wildcats. The Spartans struggled mightily in the first half, entering the break down seven points after scoring just 28 points. Michigan State committed eight turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and went 6-of-11 from the free-throw line.
After a sluggish start, the Spartans regrouped and took control in the second half. Michigan State shot 14-of-27 from the field after halftime, playing with better pace and ball movement.
Jeremy Fears, who picked up two early fouls and began the game 0-of-4 from the field, responded with a strong second half. He finished the game shooting 4-of-7 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Overall, Michigan State was far more composed in the second half against the Wildcats. However, with a matchup against Indiana looming, the Spartans will not be able to afford another slow start like the one they experienced against Northwestern.
Scouting Indiana
Indiana has undergone a similar offseason transformation to another Big Ten opponent Michigan State has already faced: the Iowa Hawkeyes. After parting ways with head coach Mike Woodson, the Hoosiers hired former West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries.
DeVries began his head coaching career at Drake, where he posted an impressive 150–55 record. Over his final four seasons with the Bulldogs, he led the program to 108 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
DeVries also went 79–33 in Missouri Valley Conference play, captured three MVC titles, and guided Drake to six of the program’s 11 20-win seasons before leaving for West Virginia.
In his lone season with the Mountaineers, DeVries engineered a significant turnaround, improving West Virginia from a 10-win team to a 19-win team.
Now at Indiana, DeVries has continued that trend of rapid improvement. In Mike Woodson’s final season, the Hoosiers finished 19–13 and missed the NCAA Tournament. This season, Indiana has already reached 12 wins and appears firmly back in the postseason conversation.
The Hoosiers are led by senior guard Lamar Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston. Wilkerson is averaging 19.5 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range.
Indiana has been strong on both ends of the floor. According to KenPom, the Hoosiers rank 30th nationally in offensive efficiency and 28th in defensive efficiency.
As Michigan State prepares to face Indiana, the Spartans will need to clean up their first-half execution to keep pace with one of the Big Ten’s more balanced teams. Indiana’s efficiency on both ends of the court, combined with DeVries’ proven ability to elevate programs quickly, makes this a difficult matchup. For Michigan State, a complete 40-minute performance will be essential if it hopes to build momentum in conference play.
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The Oregon Ducks’ season has ended in heartbreak for the second-straight season. They advanced farther than they did last year, reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals before they succumbed to the red-hot Indiana Hoosiers.
In the days leading up to the rematch, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning spoke about what needed to change from the last matchup, and the turnover battle was one of the things he spoke most passionately about. There is no way he can be happy after the Ducks lost the turnover battle 3-0, with each one leading to easy points for the Hoosiers.
Offensive coordinator Will Stein was asked to reflect on this aspect after the game, and he had this to say, “We just spotted these guys 21 points. You know, it’s hard to win when you turn the ball over three times in your own territory, plus a pick six.”
Oregon’s defense wasn’t great in this game either, but a lot of their struggles were the result of being asked to shut down an Indiana offense that was often set up in or near the red zone. Stein acknowledged this in his answer, telling reporters, “You don’t do anything good for your defense in that aspect. So obviously, poor job by us taking care of the ball, and it was obviously the big difference in the game.
The Hoosiers scored 28 points off Ducks turnovers, which ended up being the key difference in the 34-point loss. It also doesn’t feel farfetched to believe that Oregon would have played with much more fire if the turnovers didn’t put the game out of reach.
This game will leave a sour taste in this group’s mouth because they know things will never be the same. Stein and Tosh Lupoi are going off to lead their own teams now, along with a ton of uncertainty about which players will remain in Eugene after this loss.
The Ducks had a prime opportunity to achieve glory, but they came up just short yet again thanks to a slew of giveaways.
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