Indiana Hoosiers 2024 Football Preview

The Tom Allen “Disrespect” era is over in Bloomington. It had it’s moments, such as going 6-2 in the 2020 COVID-19 season, but when success is dependent on perceived negativity from outside, it’s not sustainable over the long haul…as Allen’s 9-27 record over the last three seasons showed.

In is Curt Cignetti, who led James Madison out of the FCS and to a bowl game last season. Confidence is not something Cignetti is lacking; he’s brash, but unlike Allen, his confidence comes from his belief in what he’s doing rather than twisting the words of others into perceived insults. Success can make that sustainable, and Cignetti has that track record -thus far. But it’s a big jump from FCS to the Sun Belt, and now the Big Ten.

In this portal age, coaching transitions frequently seem to lead to greater roster turnover, though maybe not to the extremes that Deion Sanders went to at Colorado. Still, only three returning starters on offense stayed at Indiana, though five more followed Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana, so this year’s Hoosiers will look more like James Madison’s Armed Forces Bowl team than last year’s Indiana squad.

At quarterback, Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke (6’5” 222 lbs.), a two-time All-MAC honoree, is expected to take over. Frank Solich’s former quarterback completed over 63% of his passes for 2,207 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions; he also rushed for 219 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Sophomore Tayven Jackson (6’3” 211 lbs.) started five games for the Hoosiers last season, completing 61% of his passes with two touchdowns but five interceptions.

The running back room has been completely remade via the portal. Senior Kaelon Black (5’10” 210 lbs.) rushed for 637 yards and a touchdown with James Madison last year. Senior Justice Ellison (5’10” 211 lbs.) rushed for 548 yards and a touchdown for Wake Forest and senior Ty’Son Lawson (5’10” 207 lbs.) rushed for 548 yards last season for James Madison as well. Considering each of this incoming transfers were more productive than any of the departed Hoosier running backs, Indiana should be better running the ball in 2024.

Senior wide receiver Donaven McCulley (6’5” 203 lbs.) is one of the few returning starters for the Hoosiers; McCulley earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors last year, catching 48 passes for 644 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Hoosiers. Senior Myles Price (5’10” 185 lbs.) started 28 games at Texas Tech with 1,746 career receiving yards before transferring to Indiana. James Madison transfer wide receiver Elijah Sarratt (6’2” 209 lbs.) and tight end Zach Horton (6’5” 254 lbs.) were first team All-Sun Belt last season. Sarratt led the Dukes with 82 catches for 1,191 yards and eight touchdowns while Horton caught 27 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns. This is another group that’s Cignetti has upgraded.

Senior center Mike Katic (6’4” 315 lbs.) has been a three year starter at guard and center, while sophomore left tackle Carter Smith (6’5” 308 lbs.) started all 12 games as a redshirt freshman last year. JMU transfer guards Nick Kidwell (6’5” 317 lbs.) and Tyler Stephens (6’5” 307 lbs.) were multi-year starters for the Dukes; Kidwell is a two time All-Sun Belt honoree while Stephens was second team All-Sun Belt last season.

On defense, Indiana only has one returning starter, but adds five transfers from James Madison to speed the transition. The lone returning starter is defensive end Jacob Mangum-Farrar (6’4” 252 lbs.) who had 62 tackles last season. Junior defensive end Mikail Kamara (6’2” 268 lbs.) and senior nose guard James Carpenter (6’2” 284 lbs.) were multi-year starters at James Madision; Kamara was second team All-Sun Belt last season while Carpenter is a two-time All-Sun Belt honoree. Kent State transfer nose guard CJ West (6’2” 315 lbs.) is a three year starter who earned third team All-MAC last season.

Indiana’s linebacking corps is getting a complete Sun Belt makeover this season, led by junior middle linebacker Aiden Fisher (6’2” 232 lbs.) and senior weakside linebacker Jailin Walker (6’1” 215 lbs.). Fisher led JMU last season with 108 tackles, earning second team All-Sun Belt honors, while Walker, a two-time honorable mention All-Sun Belt honoree, was second with 61. Senior rover Terry Jones (6’1” 193 lbs.) was a first-team All-Sun Belt honoree at Old Dominion with 107 tackles.

Transfers are also expected to take over in the secondary. Sophomore cornerback D’Angelo Ponds (5’9” 165 lbs.) earned second team All-Sun Belt honors at James Madison last season with 51 tackles and 13 pass breakups. Senior safety Shawn Asbury (5’9” 197 lbs.) was fourth in tackles at Old Dominion last season with 93. Texas cornerback Jamier Johnson (6’0” 177 lbs.) and Arizona safety DJ Warnell (6’3” 200 lbs.) were backups who are now expected to start for the Hoosiers in 2024.

There’s no doubt that Indiana will look markedly different in 2024 than they did last season, and probably much better. That being said, Cignetti’s bold statements at Big Ten media days brought back flashbacks to 2017. When Cignetti was asked about how he’d adjust to the Big Ten from his FCS and Sun Belt background, he replied “they have to adjust to me too.”

We’ve heard that talk before, and we’ll see how that works this time in Bloomington. It didn’t in Lincoln.