Indiana’s first week of fall camp has already given Curt Cignetti a pretty clear picture in a few key spots, and the biggest themes are easy to spot: the quarterback is in place, the defensive front looks loaded, and a couple of jobs are still very much up for grabs.
The Hoosiers open the new season on Saturday, September 5 with a home matchup against North Texas, and the buzz around Bloomington is only getting louder after a perfect 16-0 season and an National Championship. With Cignetti heading into his third year, camp has been all about sorting through new faces, building the depth chart, and figuring out where the real competition still lives.
At quarterback, Josh Hoover is the obvious next man up after Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman-winning run. Hoover didn’t spend much time with the first-team offense last week, but that was intentional.
Cignetti held both Hoover and backup Grant Wilson out of full reps so younger quarterbacks like Tyler Cherry could get extended work. Even so, there’s no mystery here: Hoover is set to be Indiana’s QB1, and the staff appears comfortable with where he is heading into the season.
That confidence makes sense when you look at what Hoover brings with him. He arrives in Bloomington with 31 starts and nearly 10,000 passing yards from his time at TCU.
He’s also already drawing praise from teammates. “Josh is one of the hardest workers, he texts me all the time,” said WR Charlie Becker when speaking to the media last week.
“Like every weekend, or during the weekend, he asks me do you want to throw.”
Hoover’s fit is also part of the appeal. He knows the RPO-heavy system Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan want to run, which makes him a natural match for what Indiana wants to do offensively.
On the other side of the ball, the front-7 may be the most intimidating part of this roster. Indiana was already in good shape there, but a recent eligibility ruling from a U.S.
District Court judge in Colorado changed the equation by bringing Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt back for another season. That only deepens a group that was already shaping up to be one of the team’s strengths.
The Hoosiers return their top five sack leaders from last season: Rolijah Hardy (8), Isaiah Jones (7), Tyrique Tucker (6), Stephen Daley (5.5), and Mario Landino (5). Add in EDGE additions Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor from Kansas State, plus Josh Burnham from Notre Dame, and the result is a front with a lot of talent and even more layers. The depth is the part that really jumps off the page.
The most interesting roster fights right now are at cornerback and tight end. Jamari Sharpe is back and looks ready to take on a bigger role in the defensive backfield with D'Angelo Ponds off to the NFL, but the other starting corner job is still unsettled. That battle is shaping up between Penn State transfer AJ Harris and returner Ryland Gandy.
Harris brings the more extensive resume. He has 34 appearances and 26 starts, with meaningful experience in both the SEC and Big Ten.
He was also an All-Big Ten defensive honorable mention last season. Gandy, meanwhile, played in all 16 games last season, though mostly in a rotational role.
He could be headed for more snaps this fall, and this is one of the clearest competitions to watch as camp continues.
Tight end is even thinner. All five TEs on the roster are freshmen or redshirt freshmen, and together they have just 17 snaps of college football experience.
Brock Schott accounts for 16 of those after his redshirt freshman season at Miami (FL) last year, but the overall lack of experience and depth at the position stands out. It’s a spot Indiana fans will be watching closely as fall camp moves forward.
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Curt Cignettis Fall Camp Update Put Several Hoosiers In Focus
Curt Cignetti used a post-practice media session in the second week of fall camp to put a sharper spotlight on where Indiana stands as the preseason rolls on. The Hoosiers have been working through player development and overall team progress, and Cignettis update touched a wide group of names, including Byron Baldwin, Rolijah Hardy, Joe Brunner, Khobie Martin, Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley, while also offering a look at the offensive line, tight ends and defensive line.
The broader message was less about any one rep than about how the roster is sorting itself out after last seasons national championship run. Cignetti also addressed leadership roles and the challenge of keeping the team motivated, which makes the details of camp feel especially relevant as Indiana tries to turn early practice buzz into something more durable before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
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The matchup is part of a growing list of confirmed dates and opponents for Indianas 2026-27 slate, which is what makes these smaller announcements worth watching this time of year. Every new entry helps clarify how the non-conference portion is coming together, and for Indiana, those games matter not just for wins but for building rhythm before the regular season settles into the grind the Hoosiers will eventually be judged by. [Read more 🡒]