Indianapolis, IN
Why former starting CB Jaylon Jones is buried on Colts depth chart
INDIANAPOLIS — The fall Jaylon Jones has taken down the Colts depth chart has been one of the most surprising developments of this season.
Jones, a full-time starter in his first two years in Indianapolis, played only four defensive snaps against the 49ers on Monday, a night when Jones was the team’s clear-cut fifth cornerback despite injuries to Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward.
Monday night’s game was the fourth time in seven games that Jones has played fewer than five snaps, and from the sounds of it, even an abysmal defensive performance that hemorrhaged 440 yards and 41 points is no guarantee that Jones will be elevated on the depth chart for this week’s game against Jacksonville.
“We evaluate each guy each week, and certainly, everything will be up at that position to be evaluated going forward,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “We’ll look at all avenues.”
The team’s reluctance to play Jones stems from a hamstring injury that plagued the third-year cornerback throughout the summer.
Jones first suffered the hamstring injury during organized team activities in the summer, injured it again a couple of days into training camp and pulled it significantly again in the season opener, robbing Jones of precious time to learn how he fits in Anarumo’s scheme.
“Obviously, starting the year with the injury kind of set him back,” Colts defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said. “If we would have had him throughout all of training camp and continuing to play, obviously, I think he plays better.”
Jones has never been through an injury like that one.
He dealt with a significant hamstring injury in college that forced him to miss the first two games of a season, but Jones had never missed that much time before.
The experience taught him something.
“Trusting my process, man, understanding I need to do all the right things, make sure my body’s ready to go and I’m available,” Jones said. “A learning experience.”
The time in the training room seems to have driven a wedge between Jones and the field. Jones has played 149 defensive snaps in seven games this season, starting against Pittsburgh and Jacksonville, but he hasn’t been able to hold onto that spot consistently. In those snaps, Jones has limited opponents to 9 of 18 passing for 117 yards, a touchdown and an 89.4 rating when he’s the nearest defender in coverage, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
But Indianapolis has consistently chosen trade pickup Mekhi Blackmon over Jones in a pinch; now, undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards and street free agent Cameron Mitchell have passed a player who started 27 games the past two seasons and played 1,932 snaps for the Colts. Of those three, only Blackmon has a better rating against him than Jones (88.4) and he’s given up a higher completion rate.
Henderson rebuffed a question last week about whether Jones is a poor fit for Anarumo’s defense.
“None of them are perfect,” Henderson said. “Even the best ones have things in their game you wish you could tweak and change. … You try to grow them in the area he needs to grow, keep him confident in the areas that he’s really good at. If he’s in, use him to his strengths.”
Indianapolis believes the 6-2, 200-pound Jones is best suited to playing against tight ends.
“He’s doing well in the role that he plays,” Henderson said. “He’s going to go guard the really good tight end pass-catchers in this league.”
From a philosophical standpoint, the role sounds weighty, particularly for an Indianapolis defense that has given up the second-most yards in the NFL to tight ends this season.
Practically, Jones is playing more of a bit part.
Anarumo has talked a lot about getting more defensive backs onto the field to avoid pitting a tight end against linebackers regularly, and Jones seems to be the perfect solution.
Except that the Colts actually reserve those looks for a handful of passing situations each game. If a team attacks Indianapolis on first or second down, an opposing tight end is often looking for holes in the zone against Colts linebackers Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt.
“We don’t go into any game looking at linebackers covering tight ends at all,” Anarumo said. “Our deal is to try to match up, and that would be more in the true passing situations. … That was a little bit of the predicament last night.”
Jones is handling his reduced role without complaining publicly.
He has tried to focus on his own game, rather than the decisions that have kept him on the sidelein.
“Looking in the mirror, being consistent within myself, within my game,” Jones said. “Once I do that, I think it takes care of everything else. … Being consistent with my process, zoning in on the little details. I’m just happy doing my role, playing my role, trying to help my team win games.”
But it has not been easy.
“In moments like this, just growing,” Jones said. “I think I became more of a man this year, just because there’s going to be adversity in the road, there’s going to be bumps in the road, things like that, but I’m just doing my role, doing what I can for this team so we can win games.”
Even though it’s hard to play a big role in a team’s wins or losses when a cornerback spends all but a handful of snaps on the sideline.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
The Indianapolis Colts announced the addition of 12 undrafted free agents for the rookie minicamp beginning Friday:
>> Cam Ball, DT, Arkansas: Appeared in 50 games with 31 starts, making 138 tackles, 12.5 for loss with 3 sacks at 6-4, 310 pounds. Ball was a team captain last season, named to the 2025 AFCA Good Works Team and on the 2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
>> Austin Brown, S, Wisconsin: Received a $272,000 guarantee, a source told IndyStar. The 6-0, 199-pounder played in 50 games with 24 starts), totaling 142 tackles with eight passes defensed. Brown was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten choice (2023-25) and named CSC Academic All-District in 2025.
>> Tahj Chambers, LB, Mississippi: Played in 15 games in one season at Mississippi with 45 tackles and three passes defensed. The 6-2, 231-pounder also played in 43 games at Missouri State with 196 tackles, 17 for loss, 3.0 sacks and eight passes defensed. Chambers made the MVFC honor roll in 2022 and 2024 and was selected to the Missouri State AD’s Honor Roll in Fall 2022 and Fall 2024.
>> Sahmir Hagans, WR, Duke: The 5-11, 188-pounded played in 57 games at Duke with 152 catches for 1,586 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hagans also returned 24 kicks for a 31.5-yard average and two touchdowns and five punts for a 30.6-yard average with a score. He was a second team All-ACC selection as a return specialist in 2025 and named to the 2022 ACC All-Academic Team.
>> E.J. Horton, WR, Purdue: Played in 41 games between Purdue, Florida Atlantic, West Virginia and Marshall in a college career that began in 2020. He made 53 catches for 735 yards and four touchdowns.
>>Mitchell Melton, DE, Virginia: Played at Virginia and Ohio State as a 6-3, 253-pound defensive end with 60 tackles, 16.5 for loss, 8 sacks, 4 passes defensed and 3 forced fumbles. Last season he started 14 games at Virginia and was honor mention All-ACC.
>>Lincoln Pare, RB, Texas State: At 5-8, 190 pounds, Pare played in 38 games with 2,454 yards and 25 touchdowns on 477 carries, plus 78 receptions for 644 yards and 3 scores. Prior to earning second team All-Sun Belt last season, Pare played at Arkansas State. His last name is pronounced Pair-ee.
>>Nolan Rucci, OL, Penn State: At 6-8, 314 pounds, Rucci was a tackle at Penn State and Wisconsin, making 18 starts. He was honor mention All-Big Ten.
>> Raylen Sharpe, WR, Arkansas: At 5-9, 173 pounds, Sharpe was a receiver and ball carrier at Arkansas, Fresno State, Missouri State and Houston with 181 catches for 2,413 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus 12 carries for 122 yards and he threw a touchdown pass. He was honor mention All-Mountain West in 2024 and first team All-MVFC in 2023 while also running track in 2021 at Houston.
>>Geno VanDeMark, C, Alabama: Earned starts at right guard, left guard and center at 6-4, 314 pounds. Also played 18 games, with eight starts at Michigan State.
>>Jordon Vaughn, RB, Abilene Christian: He’s 6-3, 228 pounds and rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns on 179 caries in 30 games. Also played at Wyoming for two seasons.
>>West Weeks, LB, LSU: The 6-2, 230-pound linebacker appeared in 54 games between LSU and Virginia with 164 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 5 sacks.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The University of Indianapolis has launched an online learning platform designed to make college more flexible and affordable for working adults.
The university says UIndy Online, which will be offered beginning in the fall semester, will go beyond the traditional classroom. “As it shifts online, we have three new programs that we’re offering, said Chris Plouff, provost and executive vice president at UIndy.
The undergraduate degree programs include a bachelor’s degree in elementary education for paraprofessional educators, a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.
Students can enroll in accelerated seven-week courses with tuition set at $400 per credit hour. Plouff said, “We are offering a lot of new incentives for a lot of students who are coming into the programs. We have our first course free for a number of the students who apply to the program who come from any of our corporate partners, as well as any area community college.”
Veterans, and active-duty and reserve military personnel, and their families will also be eligible to have their first course free.
Plouff said the move is meant to reduce financial barriers while helping meet workforce needs across the state. “Because of the flexibility and how we build the program to be able to be workforce ready, as students come out of them, that the students will have lots of opportunities to be able to engage with their programs out in the fields of study while they’re doing that as well as being able to do that flexibly around their schedules.”
“We’re starting classes this fall, so we’re going to be ready to go in August with the program. Students are signing up today. We’ve had a number of students already contact us about getting started, and we’re really excited about launching those programs.”
UIndy is a private college affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Indianapolis, IN
IndyCar Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis start time, qualifying, race, how to watch
It’s May, so the IndyCar Series is camped out in Indianapolis, starting with the Sonsio Grand Prix, an 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Alex Palou has three race wins this season, including the last two. Kyle Kirkwood is trying to keep up.
Here’s what you should know about the race:
When does the IndyCar Series race in Indianapolis? When is the Sonsio Grand Prix? IndyCar Series schedule for the Indianapolis Grand Prix
(All times ET; all IndyCar sessions are on IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio and Sirius XM Channel 218)
Friday, May 8
- 8 a.m.: Indy NXT practice, FS2
- 9 a.m.: IndyCar practice, FS1
- Noon: Indy NXT qualifying, Fox Sports app
- 1 p.m.: IndyCar practice, FS2
- 4 p.m.: Indy NXT race, FS2
- 5:30 p.m.: IndyCar qualifying, FS2
Watch auto racing with a free Fubo trial
Saturday, May 9
- 11:30 a.m.: IndyCar warm-up, FS1
- 2:30 p.m.: Indy NXT race, FS1
- 4:30 p.m.: IndyCar race, Fox (green flag scheduled for 4:57 p.m.)
Watch IndyCar with a free Fubo trial
Where to watch the IndyCar race at Indianapolis? How to watch the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis?
TV: Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 9, 2026, on Fox. Green flag is scheduled for 4:57 p.m. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
IndyCar predictions for the Sonsio Grand Prix in Indianapolis from IndyStar’s Zion Brown
- Is Alex Palou inevitable? “It seems that he is. I think he wins his fourth straight race on the IMS road course.”
- Who will give Palou his biggest challenge? “Pato O’Ward. He finished second behind Palou in 2023 and ’25, and I think O’Ward has the best chance of spoiling Palou’s chance at a four-peat.”
- Who wins pole position? “I think Scott Dixon will be on the pole here for the third time.”
How much are Sonsio Grand Prix tickets? How much are tickets for Indianapolis grand prix?
Practice and qualifying tickets are $25; race tickets start at $45.
Sonsio Grand Prix tickets
Who won the IndyCar race at Indianapolis in 2025? Who won the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis last year?
Pole-sitter Alex Palou won by 6+ seconds over Pato O’Ward, with Will Power completing the podium. Palou has won three straight races on the Indianapolis road course. He won the Indianapolis 500 two weeks later on his march to a third consecutive series championship.
Who is leading IndyCar? 2026 IndyCar results
Alex Palou (three), Josef Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood have won races.
- Alex Palou, 205 points
- Kyle Kirkwood, 188
- David Malukas, 142
- Pato O’Ward, 136
- Christian Lundgaard, 131
- Josef Newgarden, 130
- Scott McLaughlin, 127
- Scott Dixon, 120
- Felix Rosenqvist, 109
- Graham Rahal, 106
- Alexander Rossi, 105
- Marcus Ericsson, 104
- Marcus Armstrong, 104
- Will Power, 89
- Rinus VeeKay, 79
- Dennis Hauger, 76
- Kyffin Simpson, 75
- Santino Ferrucci, 74
- Louis Foster, 60
- Romain Grosjean, 60
- Christian Rasmussen, 59
- Caio Collet, 59
- Nolan Siegel, 56
- Mick Schumacher, 44
- Sting Ray Robb, 42
How can I stream the IndyCar race at Indianapolis? How to stream the Sonsio Grand Prix in Indianapolis?
FoxSports.com, Fox Sports app
Watch IndyCar action on Fubo
How can I listen to IndyCar race at Indianapolis?
IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race). Mark Jaynes is the anchor, with driver analyst Davey Hamilton.
Will it rain during the IndyCar race in Indianapolis? Indianapolis weather forecast for IndyCar race
- Friday: Cloudy with rain likely. High in the mid 60s.
- Saturday: Sunny with highs in the low 70s.
IndyCar tire allocation, push-to-pass for Sonsio Grand Prix in Indianapolis
- Tires: Five sets primary and five sets alternate are available during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires for the first practice. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
- Push-to-pass: 200 total seconds are available in increments of up to 20 seconds per activation.
IndyCar schedule 2026
(*-street course; ^-road course; #-oval; all races on Fox, SiriusXM Channel 218; times are start of TV coverage, ET)
- March 1: St. Petersburg, Fla. * (Winner: Alex Palou)
- Saturday, March 7: Phoenix # (Winner: Josef Newgarden)
- Sunday, March 15: Arlington, Texas * (Winner: Kyle Kirkwood)
- Sunday, March 29: Birmingham, Alabama ^ (Winner: Alex Palou)
- Sunday, April 19: Long Beach, California *, (Winner: Alex Palou)
- Saturday, May 9: Indianapolis road course ^, 4:30 p.m. (4:57 p.m. green flag)
- Sunday, May 24: Indianapolis 500 #, 12:45 p.m.
- Sunday, May 31: Detroit *, 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday, June 7: Madison, Illinois #, 9 p.m.
- Sunday, June 21: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin ^, 2 p.m.
- Sunday, July 5: Lexington, Ohio ^, 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday, July 19: Lebanon, Tennessee #, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Portland ^, 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 16: Markham, Ontario *, noon
- Sunday, Aug. 23: Washington, D.C. *, TBD
- Saturday, Aug. 29: Milwaukee #, 2:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 30: Milwaukee #, 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 6: Monterey, California ^, 2:30 p.m.
IndyCar Series teams, drivers in 2026
(with team, car number and driver; *-Indianapolis 500 only)
- Abel Motorsports: 51, Jacob Abel *
- A.J. Foyt Racing: 4, Caio Collet; 11, Katherine Legge * (with HMD Motorsports); 14, Santino Ferrucci
- Andretti Global: 26, Will Power; 27, Kyle Kirkwood; 28, Marcus Ericsson
- Arrow McLaren: 5, Pato O’Ward; 6, Nolan Siegel; 7, Christian Lundgaard; 31, Ryan Hunter-Reay *
- Chip Ganassi Racing: 8, Kyffin Simpson; 9, Scott Dixon; 10, Alex Palou
- Dale Coyne Racing: 18, Romain Grosjean; 19, Dennis Hauger
- Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: 23, Conor Daly *; 24, Jack Harvey *
- Ed Carpenter Racing: 20, Alexander Rossi; 21, Christian Rasmussen; 33, Ed Carpenter *
- Juncos Hollinger: 76, Rinus VeeKay; 77, Sting Ray Robb
- Meyer Shank Racing: 60, Felix Rosenqvist; 66, Marcus Armstrong; 06, Helio Castroneves *
- Rahal Letterman Lanigan: 15, Graham Rahal; 45, Louis Foster; 47, Mick Schumacher; 75, Takuma Sato *; reserve driver, Toby Sowery
- Team Penske: 2, Josef Newgarden; 3, Scott McLaughlin; 12, David Malukas
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter.
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