Indiana’s 52-16 season-opening win over North Texas gave a pretty clear look at the Hoosiers’ offensive pecking order, and in a few spots, the first depth-chart puzzle pieces are already in place.
At quarterback, there wasn’t much drama. Josh Hoover opened as the starter and Grant Wilson backed him up, exactly as expected. Hoover also posted the best overall offensive PFF grade on the team in Week 1.
The backfield, though, offered a little more to sort through. Turbo Richard got the first series, which was one of the more notable early decisions.
Khobie Martin had been the No. 2 back, but he was injured on his second snap while pass blocking and appears to be dealing with a shoulder issue. With Martin likely to miss time, second-year back Sean Cuono looks like the new No.
- It’s still unclear whether Indiana will stick with three backs in games Martin misses, but Cuono should get a good amount of work against Howard next week.
Lee Beebe, Jr. is also positioned for a bigger role, and he was IU’s highest-graded back on PFF in Week 1, edging Richard.
Receiver usage matched expectations. Nick Marsh, Charlie Becker and Tyler Morris handled most of the snaps, while Shazz Preston, Davion Chandler, Lebron Bond and Jackson Wasserstrom were all part of the rotation. Becker earned the best receiving grade among players with multiple targets, and Indiana came out of the game without a single drop as a unit.
At tight end, Brock Schott and Andrew Barker both played, and they were even on the field together at times in 12 personnel. Schott got the first series and played more snaps, which makes him the starter for now.
Barker saw more action in obvious run situations. Schott caught one pass for 25 yards, but PFF was not kind to his blocking.
Barker graded better as a run blocker and didn’t log any pass-blocking snaps.
Up front, the two-deep looked about right, though there was one notable switch: Adedamola Ajani and Joe Brunner were swapped between right guard and right tackle at some point after Ajani had worked inside during fall camp. The backup line includes two true freshmen, Ben Novak and Sam Simpson. Austin Leibfried looks like the extra lineman when Indiana goes jumbo.
On the grading side, Drew Evans posted IU’s top pass-blocking mark, while Carter Smith finished with the best run-blocking grade.
The snap distribution backed all of that up. Ajani, Brunner, Evans, Smith, Bray Lynch and Hoover each played 47 snaps.
Marsh logged 43, Becker 42 and Morris 34. Schott was on the field for 30 snaps, Beebe for 25, Barker and Richard for 21 apiece.
Bond played five snaps, Leibfried five, Preston four, Wasserstrom three, Chandler two and Martin just two before leaving. Novak, Simpson, Matt Marek, Baylor Wilkin, Cuono, Wilson, Joe Hjelle, Mario Landino and Josh Burnham each appeared for one snap.
In Other News...
Indiana Backfield Suddenly Faces An Early Concern Fans Didn't Expect
Indianas backfield took an early hit in the season opener against North Texas when Khobie Martin went down with an upper-body injury in the first quarter and never returned. The setback came before he had even logged a carry, an unfortunate start for a running back who was expected to be part of the Hoosiers rotation this fall.
Martins absence matters because Indiana had planned to lean on depth in the running game, and losing a projected contributor that quickly forces the staff to adjust on the fly. The bigger question now is how long hell be sidelined and what the Hoosiers will need to do to keep the backfield on schedule if his recovery takes longer than hoped. [Read more 🡒]
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Harris was later seen limping after exiting, leaving Indiana to sort through the ripple effect at a position where depth can disappear fast. For a defense trying to set a tone right away, the question now is not just how long Harris will be out, but how the Hoosiers reshuffle the cornerback rotation if they need to keep moving without him. [Read more 🡒]
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For Mike Woodsons program, the visit is about more than simply getting Wabbington on campus. It is also a chance to sell the role Indiana can offer in the paint and show why the Hoosiers belong in the conversation with the other major programs pursuing him. In a recruiting battle that figures to stay crowded, every impression matters, and this one could be especially important. [Read more 🡒]