After three weeks of practice and plenty of conversations with players and coaches this month, the final position-by-position look at IU football’s 2026 team turns to the offensive line - and the picture up front is pretty clear.
Bob Bostad remains the steady hand guiding the group. He is the only coach from Tom Allen’s tenure still on staff, having joined Allen’s team in 2023 before Curt Cignetti kept him in place.
That call has worked out well. Indiana was strong in the trenches in 2024 and even better in 2025.
The starting five has been settled for a while, and it stayed that way through fall camp.
Carter Smith, listed at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, is back at left tackle after earning Big Ten offensive lineman of the year honors and first team All-American recognition in 2025. He missed spring practice after offseason shoulder surgery, but looked every bit like himself in August.
Drew Evans, 6-foot-4 and 310, is set to start at left guard for the third straight season. Injuries have interrupted him the past two years, but when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best interior linemen in the country. According to PFF, he has never given up a sack.
Bray Lynch, 6-foot-5 and 307, takes over at center. This will be his third year as a starter, but his first at center after spending the last two seasons at right guard. His play picked up noticeably as the 2025 season went on.
On the right side, Adedamola Ajani, 6-foot-4 and 305, is the least experienced of the five and will handle right guard. He logged 361 snaps last season across both guard spots and right tackle, and the staff likes him best inside right now. He also played 35 or more snaps against Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, Miami and others.
At right tackle, Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner, 6-foot-7 and 320, is the man. It’s his first year on the outside, and like Smith, he has never allowed a sack in his college career according to PFF.
There wasn’t much real drama around the competition once spring ended. Curt Cignetti said these five were set before camp even began, and nothing in August changed that.
The closest battle was around center, where Lynch and a few others got work there, but Lynch was always the expected answer. Evans and some others have enough reps there to be ready if needed.
If Indiana needs help, Austin Leibfried looks like the next man up on the interior. The 6-foot-6, 303-pound third-year player saw 69 offensive snaps and 38 on special teams last season. Cignetti also pointed to redshirt freshmen Matt Marek and Baylor Wilkin, along with true freshman Sam Simpson, as younger linemen who stood out in fall camp.
The two main questions are depth and how quickly Lynch and Brunner settle into new jobs. That said, Indiana has already shown it can trust players with limited experience.
Evans and Lynch were unknowns two years ago and became core pieces anyway. If someone gets hurt, Bostad should have someone ready.
The schedule should also help. Indiana won’t be seriously tested in the first three weeks, which gives Lynch and Brunner time to get comfortable in their new spots.
As for a call, Evans feels like the one most likely to finally get broader recognition, with second-team All-Big Ten or better in play.
Overall, this looks like a strong unit. If Lynch and Brunner adapt and the starters stay healthy, this could be Cignetti and Bostad’s best offensive line in three seasons together. The run game and pass protection both have the look of top-tier groups.
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