Indiana Football Hit With Injuries To Kickoff Specialists

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana’s kicking depth has been challenged four games into the season due to injuries.

The Hoosiers ended their 52-14 win over Charlotte on Saturday with true freshman Quinn Warren as the kickoff specialist, following injuries to Derek McCormick against Western Illinois and Alejandro Quintero against Charlotte.

“I thought [Warren] did a really good job,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said Monday. “He’s done a nice job in practice. He’s taken advantage of his opportunity.”

Going into Saturday’s Noon ET game against Maryland at Memorial Stadium, it could be Warren’s job to keep as others work their way back, though Cignetti didn’t delve into specifics.

“[McCormick and Quintero] are sort of day-to-day, week-to-week,” Cignetti said. “And we’ll see what happens this week.”

After transferring in from Louisiana-Monroe, McCormick won the kickoff specialist job entering the 2024 season, but he exited Indiana’s Week 2 win over Western Illinois with an injury. McCormick attempted 11 kickoffs in the first two games, including nine touchbacks and one kickoff out of bounds. He averaged 63.2 yards per kickoff.

Initially replacing McCormick against Western Illinois was Quintero, who’s been with the Hoosiers since 2022. Listed as a punter on the roster, Quintero attempted one kickoff in 2022 and two in 2023. In four kickoffs at UCLA, one went out of bounds and none resulted in touchbacks, good for an average of 59.9 yards per kickoff. He limped off the field against Charlotte.

Warren, who joined the Hoosiers out of Brebeuf Jesuit Prep School in Indianapolis, attempted three kickoffs at UCLA and four against Charlotte. One resulted in a touchback, contributing to his 60.8 yards per kickoff. 

While some programs use the same player for kickoffs and field goals, Cignetti has chosen to separate these responsibilities. Redshirt freshman Nicolas Radicic has handled all place-kicking duties in 2024. He’s 2 for 2 on field goal attempts from 35 and 27 yards, along with a perfect 28 for 28 mark on extra points. 

Indiana’s kickoff unit has been solid no matter the kicker, with opponents averaging just 15.8 yards per return on 13 attempts.