BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the past two Indiana football seasons, when you looked back to see who was returning kicks? You saw No. 12 in a Hoosier uniform ready to go to work.

Jaylin Lucas handled kick returns almost exclusively in 2022 and 2023 and then added punt return duties in 2023.

He was explosive too. Lucas scored three kick return touchdowns, one of them kick-starting a comeback in 2022 as the Hoosiers overcame a 31-14 second-half deficit at Michigan State to eventually earn a 39-31 victory in overtime.

Lucas, however, was part of the exodus when Curt Cignetti replaced Tom Allen as head coach. Lucas will ply his trade for Florida State in 2024.

Along with Lucas, every other Hoosier who had multiple returns also left the team or ran out of eligibility after the 2023 season. So get used to some new faces.

Personnel

#18 Solomon Vanhorse: graduate student, 5-foot-8, 185 pounds, played seven games at James Madison.

#4 Myles Price: senior, 5-foot-9, 183 pounds, 42 games at Texas Tech.

#5 Ke’Shawn Williams: senior, 5-foot-9, 189 pounds, 46 games at Wake Forest.

Top expected contributors: Myles Price, Sean Vanhorse, Ke’Shawn Williams.

Contributors who departed from the 2023 team: Jaylin Lucas (to Florida State).

Transfer infusion

Myles Price, Ke’Shawn Williams and Solomon Vanhorse.

What do they have in common? Those three Hoosiers are the only ones on the roster with five career returns or more – and they all come to Indiana from different places.

Of the trio, the most intriguing is wide receiver Myles Price, a transfer from Texas Tech. Price will have an impact on Indiana’s passing game, but he is also explosive as a punt returner.

Price returned nine punts for Texas Tech in 2023. He was below the minimum NCAA standard to qualify for the punt return average crown.

That’s a shame for Price, because his average of 21.8 yards in nine punt returns would have put him a yard ahead of Southern California’s Zachariah Branch, the NCAA punt return leader.

As is common in 2020s football, many teams kicked away from Price in 2023. He played in 10 games in 2023 for the Red Raiders, but only returned punts in six of them. In just one of those games did he return more than one punt.

Given that he broke punt returns of 43, 33 and 29 yards, it’s no wonder opponents wanted no part of him. However, Price remains determined to get his first career punt return touchdown.

“I need to get some touchdowns,” Price said during a spring press conference. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I’m doing a good job fielding the punts and getting a lot of yards, but I don’t have a touchdown yet.” 

On the kick return side, Wake Forest transfer Williams averaged 19.8 yards on 33 career kick returns for the Demon Deacons.

Williams returned kicks in all four of his seasons at Wake Forest. He averaged 23.4 yards in 2023, though with only eight returns to his credit.

Cignetti signaled that he wants competency on kick returns.

“Not many kicks get returned,” Cignetti said. “When you look at it, it’s some 30%. But we’ve got guys that are good with a ball in their hand. The most important thing to me is at the end of the play, we have possession of the ball.” 

Vanhorse came from James Madison, where he returned three kicks and two punts over two seasons for the Dukes. He had punt returns of 35 and 25 yards against Bucknell in 2023.

A running back in a crowded backfield, Vanhorse’s path to the field might be via return duties. Cignetti said all three were good punt and kick return candidates.

Four other players – Miles Cross, Kaelon Black, Elijah Green and Justice Ellison – all have either a kick or a punt return on their career ledger, but none are expected to be part of the return mix in 2024.

Returning talent

As mentioned, Indiana doesn’t return any of its return crew from 2023. Omar Cooper Jr. does have four career kick returns, but they occurred in 2022. Camden Jordan returned one punt for the Hoosiers in 2023.

The bottom line

It will be interesting to see what Big Ten opponents do with Price. Given his explosiveness, enemy punters might avoid him entirely. If that equates to positive field position for the Hoosiers, his presence is worth it even if he doesn’t get to show his stuff.

Lucas will be missed on kick returns. Williams was serviceable at Wake Forest and Vanhorse could be good, but until proven otherwise, those two will have to show they can match Lucas’s standard of recent seasons.