As Curt Cignetti officially takes over as head coach, Indiana football’s roster will likely see a lot of changes prior to the kickoff of the 2024 season.
Cignetti’s first offseason for the Hoosiers hits high gear today as the transfer portal is open for all schools.
Retaining impactful players from the returning roster is one of the most important steps for Cignetti. Over 20 players from Indiana have announced their intent to either enter the portal or move on to the NFL draft. Multiple high school commits are also re-opening their recruitments after the coaching change.
It will be up to Cignetti if he can convince players to stay, but that may not be the direction he opts for in every case.
Although players who have entered from Indiana’s squad can return, Cignetti will usher in his own plan of recruitment in the portal that may not include many returning players. Add on the fact that Cignetti will bring most of his staff from James Madison to Bloomington, and players from JMU could follow as well.
Either way, Cignetti has an important offseason upon him as the landscape of college football in the Big Ten evolves right in front of our eyes.
Here are the three most important offensive position groups his staff needs to target for fine tuning.
Click here for Indiana’s transfer portal announcements and other offseason activity.
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OFFENSIVE LINE
Based on performance in recent seasons and the current portal announcements, this should be a no-brainer for the Hoosiers.
All but one of Indiana’s starting offensive line from 2023 have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal. The only exception is Mike Katic, who will move on to the NFL draft.
OL coach Bob Bostad is expected to return as part of the new staff under coach Cignetti. Bostad helped the group make considerable improvement in both pass protection and blocking the run over the 2023 season and provided a lot of veteran experience to a poor-performing group the season prior.
This could be an area where Cignetti may retain the most players as a result of Bostad returning, but it could also open the door for considerable improvements to be made. Keeping Bostad around makes an attractive destination where portal recruits could go to develop.
Ultimately, the offensive line is an area of major concern and could make or break the entire offseason.
QUARTERBACK
Now for who they protect, that’s up in the air too.
Indiana’s uncertainty at quarterback is something fans have been used to for over a two-year span.
Both Brendan Sorsby and Dexter Williams announced they will test the waters of the transfer portal. Sorsby was IU’s starter over the back half of the season, throwing for 1,587 yards with 15 touchdowns. Dexter Williams did not see any action this season but he was Indiana’s starter at the tail end of the 2022 season.
Timothy Carpenter, Indiana’s lone quarterback commitment from the 2024 class announced his intentions to reopen his recruitment. Indiana followed suit by offering former JMU commit Alberto Mendoza from the same class.
Cignetti may have the ability to coax both Williams and Sorsby back with his track record at James Madison. Out of his five years with the Dukes, Cignetti coached four quarterbacks, all of which ended up winning conference player of the year on offense. Cignetti is also bringing his quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri along with him to Indiana.
As things stand at the moment, IU has two scholarship quarterbacks returning. One is Tayven Jackson, who has the intangibles to develop into a starter with some more offseason work and reps on the field. Broc Lowry has also made no announcement of moving on, so the developed freshman could also come into the picture.
Another interesting prospect is one of Cignetti’s own from JMU.
Current starter for the Dukes Jordan McCloud announced that he will enter the transfer portal following the 2023 season. McCloud threw for 3,413 yards with 32 touchdowns on the season. If he follows through with his plan, he’ll certainly be on Indiana’s radar in the offseason.
While the search for a signal caller still looms, Indiana will need some weapons for their quarterback to throw to.
WIDE RECEIVERS
This may be one of the more intriguing groups to keep an eye on as the Hoosiers move forward in the offseason. With Donaven McCulley announcing his intention to enter the transfer portal, the receiver room has holes.
The most obvious response for Cignetti would be to do all in his power to keep McCulley around. In only his second year as a receiver, McCulley made considerable improvement, hauling in six touchdowns on 644 yards. Even though the stats aren’t eye-catching, any witnesses of McCulley’s play in the back half of last season will tell you he’s a must-have.
Although McCulley is the only hit from the portal, Indiana is also losing veteran DeQuece Carter to eligibility. EJ Williams and Cam Camper also have decisions to make with one year of eligibility remaining.
So, if you’re Cignetti, what’s your pitch?
Well, it would be fair to start with mentioning that two of your starting receivers surpassed 1,000 yards on the last season. Add that on to the fact that they both made the All-Sun Belt Conference first team.
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