Indiana’s Defense Faces Major Test Without Star Edge Rushers Ahead of Rose Bowl Clash With Alabama
As Indiana gears up for its Rose Bowl showdown against No. 9 Alabama, the No. 1-ranked Hoosiers are staring down a major challenge on the defensive side of the ball.
Two of their top edge defenders-Kellen Wyatt and Stephen Daley-are likely out for the entire postseason after suffering significant knee injuries. And with that, Indiana’s pass rush takes a serious hit just as the College Football Playoff begins.
Let’s be clear: replacing Wyatt and Daley won’t be easy. The duo combined for 65 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and eight sacks this season.
That’s not just production-it’s disruption. They’ve been the heartbeat of Indiana’s edge pressure all year.
Losing both at once means Indiana’s defensive line isn’t just plugging a hole; it’s reworking the entire front.
But if there’s a silver lining, it’s time. Indiana’s had over three weeks to prepare for this moment, and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines isn’t backing down from the challenge.
His message? The standard doesn’t change.
“Same with all positions, it’s always next man up,” Haines said during Sunday’s press conference. “So I expect that when Daniel Ndukwe’s number is called, that he’ll be ready-just like everybody that came before him and everybody that’s going to come after him.”
Ndukwe, a true sophomore, is the only defender Haines mentioned by name. He’s spent the season backing up Daley and contributing on special teams, but he’s now the most experienced option available to step into a starting role. And while Haines didn’t reveal much about how the rotation might shake out or what schematic tweaks are coming, he made one thing clear: it’s on him to put these players in position to succeed.
“Whether it’s Daniel Ndukwe or whoever shows up at field end, I need to put them in a great spot to be successful,” Haines said. “That’s what I get paid to do, and so I’ll fight my tail off to get that done.”
This isn’t the first time Indiana’s defense has had to adapt on the fly this season. Earlier in the year, All-American linebacker Aiden Fisher missed two games due to injury.
The Hoosiers had to reshuffle their linebacker corps, and while it wasn’t always pretty, they found a way to win. That resilience is something Haines is leaning on again now.
“We had some injury issues at linebacker during the middle of the year,” Haines said. “Whether it be Jeff Utzinger that shows up in there, Kaiden Turner-there’s a job description that needs to be done. Find a way to get it done, and then it’s on me to adapt the scheme to fit what those guys are capable of.”
That adaptability will be tested immediately against an Alabama offense that’s had its own struggles. The Crimson Tide are averaging just 3.4 yards per carry and have allowed 29 sacks this season.
On paper, that’s a matchup Indiana would love to exploit with a full-strength defensive front. Instead, they’ll have to get creative.
Expect Haines to adjust his pressure packages, possibly leaning more on blitzes from the second level or shifting alignments to create mismatches. The key will be finding ways to generate pressure without exposing the back end of the defense-something Indiana has done well all year.
Head coach Curt Cignetti, for his part, remains confident in the defensive staff and the players stepping into the spotlight.
“Bryant Haines does a great job coordinating our defense and we have a lot of confidence in our players,” Cignetti said last week. “And we’ll find the best solution that gives us the best chance to be successful.”
For Indiana, the mission hasn’t changed. The Hoosiers didn’t get to No. 1 by folding under pressure, and they’re not about to start now. But with Wyatt and Daley sidelined, the defense will need to dig deep, trust its depth, and lean on the coaching staff to scheme up answers-because Alabama won’t wait around for them to figure it out.