Indiana
Spring Game Provides Early Look at 2024 Indiana Football Depth Chart
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football held its spring game Thursday night at Memorial Stadium.
The offense defeated the defense 34-25 in two 15-minute periods with an altered scoring system. Thursday was the first chance to see the new-look Hoosiers under head coach Curt Cignetti, whose roster features plenty of newcomers.
Below is a rundown of how Indiana’s first team and second team offense and defense lined up in the spring game. The depth chart is subject to change, as players still have summer workouts and fall camp to make an impression on the coaching staff and earn more playing time. They can also enter the spring transfer portal during the second window from April 16 to 30, and there’s no deadline to choose a new school.
Cignetti didn’t specify which positions he might address through the portal, but he’s looking to add talent.
“I’m looking for the best I can get,” Cignetti said. “I’m not looking for any third teamers.”
Here’s how Indiana’s offense lined up to begin its first drive, with previous schools listed for first-year transfers.
QB: Kurtis Rourke (Ohio transfer)
RB: Justice Ellison (Wake Forest)
WR: Myles Price (Texas Tech)
WR: Elijah Sarratt (James Madison)
WR: Omar Cooper Jr.
TE: Zach Horton (James Madison)
LT: Carter Smith
LG: Drew Evans
C: Mike Katic
RG: Bray Lynch
RT: Trey Wedig (Wisconsin)
Injury notes: Wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. (23 receptions, 281 yards in 2023) was in uniform Thursday, but he did not play. Cignetti said April 2 he was dealing with a leg injury. James Madison offensive lineman transfer Nick Kidwell also did not play due to an injury that has kept him out the entire spring.
Here’s how Indiana’s defense lined up to begin its first possession.
DE: Jacob Mangum-Farrar
DT: Marcus Burris Jr.
DT: Robby Harrison
DE: Mikail Kamara (James Madison)
LB: Aiden Fisher (James Madison)
LB: Isaiah Jones
Rover: Amare Ferrell
CB: Jamari Sharpe
CB: Jamier Johnson
S: Shawn Asbury II (Old Dominion)
S: Josh Sanguinetti
Injury notes: Indiana was without linebacker Jailin Walker and defensive tackle James Carpenter all spring, and both are transfers from James Madison expected to contribute. Returning defensive end Lanell Carr Jr. also did not play Thursday. He started 10 games last season.
Here’s how Indiana’s offense lined up to begin its second drive.
QB: Tayven Jackson
RB: Kaelon Black (James Madison)
WR: Donaven McCulley
WR: Miles Cross (Ohio)
WR: Andison Coby
TE: James Bomba
LT: Cooper Jones
LG: Tyler Stephens (James Madison)
C: William Larkins
RG: Max Williams
RT: Austin Barrett
Here’s how Indiana’s defense lined up to begin its second possession.
DE: Ta’Derius Collins
DT: Race Stewart
DT: J’mari Monette
DE: Aden Cannon
LB: Josh Rudolph
LB: Kaiden Turner
Rover: Terry Jones Jr. (Old Dominion)
CB: Dontrae Henderson
CB: Lincoln Murff
S: Bryson Bonds
S: Nic Toomer
And for special teams, Derek McCormick and Alejandro Quintero rotated place kicking duties and made every extra-point attempt. McCormick took Indiana’s lone field goal attempt and missed from 51 yards out. Indiana chose not to punt at all on Thursday, but that job is likely secured by James Evans, a three-year starter under Tom Allen.
Moving forward, Cignetti and his staff will hit the road for recruiting in May after hosting several recruits at Thursday’s spring game. Current players will continue to work with strength and conditioning coach Derek Owings leading up to May 20, when Cignetti said the summer program begins.
Cignetti thought the team made progress during offseason workouts and spring practices, and he expects that to continue.
“Usually what we see in the summer is just a huge leap,” Cignetti said. “I expect to see that. Then another significant leap in fall camp. I think the number one thing right now is just some key positions on this football team we’ve got to strengthen a little bit.”
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- 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM IU FOOTBALL SPRING GAME: Curt Cignetti had his first spring game as Indiana’s head football coach on Thursday, providing fans with their first look at an overhauled roster. Here are three takeaways from the game. CLICK HERE
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s roster is on more equal footing with Miami, even though the star rankings have meant little to the final results in this year’s CFP.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) beat Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 despite having no former 5-star players in the starting lineup and just one former top 100 recruit.
The No. 10 Hurricanes (13-2) will have a pair of former 5-star recruits in their starting lineup but are only starting a total of three former top-100 prospects. It’s a sharp drop off in top talent from the likes of Alabama (14), Ohio State (10) and Oregon (eight).
| Category | Indiana | Miami | Oregon | Ohio State | Alabama |
| 5-stars | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 4-stars | 2 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 9 |
| Top 100 recruits | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 2-stars or below | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Indiana’s starting lineup still leads the way in overlooked recruits — it will start nine players that ranked 2-stars or below, including starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza — but Miami almost has more (four) than IU’s past three opponents combined (five).
The Hurricanes also has a more of a transfer laden starting lineup (11) than any of Indiana’s postseason opponents.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the recruiting rankings for this year’s participants in the CFP championship game:
Re-live IU’s 2025 season
Indiana football’s quarterbacks vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Quarterback | Fernando Mendoza (2022) | 2-stars (No. 2,149) | Carson Beck (2020) | 4-stars (No. 254) |
Indiana football’s skill positions vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Wide receiver | Elijah Sarratt (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Malachi Toney (2025) | 4-stars (No. 359) |
| Wide receiver | Omar Cooper Jr. (2022) | 4-stars (No. 299) | Keelan Marion | 2-stars (No. 3,390) |
| Wide receiver | E.J. Williams Jr. (2020) | 4-stars (No. 69) | CJ Daniels (2020) | 3-stars (No. 2,450) |
| Running back | Roman Hemby (2021) | 3-stars (No. 1,767) | Mark Fletcher Jr. (2023) | 4-stars (No. 149) |
| Tight end | Riley Nowakowski (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Alex Bauman (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,770) |
Indiana football’s offensive line vs Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Left tackle | Carter Smith (2022) | 3-stars (No. 730) | Markel Bell (2022) | N/A |
| Left guard | Drew Evans (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Matthew McCoy (2022) | 3-stars (No. 735) |
| Center | Pat Coogan (2021) | 3-stars (No. 613) | James Brockermeyer (2021) | 4-stars (No. 194) |
| Right guard | Bray Lynch (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,033) | Anez Cooper (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,149) |
| Right tackle | Kahlil Benson (2020) | 3-stars (No. 714) | Francis Mauigoa (2023) | 5-stars (No. 9) |
Indiana football’s defensive line vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Defensive tackle | Mario Landino (2024) | 3-stars (No. 2,398) | Ahmad Moten Sr. (2022) | 3-stars (No. 558) |
| Defensive tackle | Tyrique Tucker (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Justin Scott (2024) | 5-stars (No. 10) |
| Defensive end | Mikail Kamara (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Rueben Bain (2023) | 4-stars (No. 62) |
| Defensive end | Stephen Daley (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,987) | Akheem Mesidor (2020) | 3-stars (No. 636) |
Indiana football’s linebackers vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Linebacker | Aiden Fisher (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Wesley Bissainthe (2022) | 4-stars (188) |
| Linebacker | Rolijah Hardy (2023) | 0-stars (N/A) | Mohamed Toure (2019) | 3-stars (No. 1,024) |
Indiana football’s secondary vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Cornerback | D’Angelo Ponds (2023) | 3-stars (No. 1,966) | OJ Frederique Jr. (2024) | 3-stars (No. 784) |
| Cornerback | Jamari Sharpe (2022) | 3-stars (No. 826) | Ethan O’Conner (2023) | 3-stars (No. 673) |
| Safety | Louis Moore (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Zechariah Poyser (2023) | N/A |
| Safety | Amare Ferrell (2022) | 3-stars (No. 578) | Jakobe Thomas (2021) | 3-stars (No. 2,048) |
| Rover | Devan Boykin (2020) | 3-stars (No. 833) | Keionte Scott (2020) | N/A |
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
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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