Indiana’s spring game is here.
IU takes the field at Memorial Stadium at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, on Big Ten Network, in the first extended look at Curt Cignetti’s team. The Hoosiers have a little over four months before they kick off the 2024 season against FIU in Bloomington.
The spring game is, obviously, much different than a real game, and should be taken with a grain of salt. But it will be the first opportunity for fans to see the group Cignetti has assembled for the coming year and how much progress the team’s made through spring camp.
Here are a few things to watch for on Thursday night.
Quarterbacks
The most important position on any football team is always worth keeping an eye on. But it’s particularly the case when the likely starting quarterback is new to Bloomington and playing for a new staff, in a new system.
Kurtis Rourke has had a good spring, by all accounts, while adapting to IU after transferring from Ohio. He’s building rapport with his receivers and making strides as a passer under Tino Sunseri and Mike Shanahan. The spring game will be the longest look we get at Rourke all spring, and potentially, at all before the season opener on August 31.
And while the redshirt senior appears likely to start for IU, the backup quarterback battle will also be noteworthy. Redshirt sophomore Tayven Jackson and true freshman Tyler Cherry are IU’s second and third-string quarterbacks, in some order. But it’s not yet evident who will be Rourke’s primary backup, and the spring game could provide an early look at who the favorite is to claim that job.
Pass rush
Indiana’s pass rush was inconsistent last season.
Andre Carter had a nice season, but opponents were sometimes able to key in on him and limit his impact. And IU just didn’t have enough other rushers who were consistently getting home and pressuring opposing quarterbacks. A more productive pass rush could’ve made a big difference for last year’s defense, and this year’s squad has a chance to improve in that area.
Lanell Carr Jr. picked it up in the second half of the season, starting with the two-sack game at Michigan, and he’s back in the fold for the coming season. Jacob Mangum-Farrar is moving to the “stud” position in Bryant Haines’ defense, which will see him rushing the passer more often. IU would greatly benefit from his continued production in a new role.
Among newcomers, JMU transfer Mikail Kamara may be the most intriguing player in this group. He was named second-team All-Sun Belt last season, and though he finished third on the team with 7.5 sacks, that would’ve led Indiana. With three forced fumbles and 18.5 tackles for loss last season, he would’ve been one of IU’s top pass-rushers. If he can establish himself in the Big Ten, Indiana’s defensive front could be much improved.
Fellow JMU transfer James Carpenter is similarly promising, but he’s missed IU’s spring camp with an injury. But the spring game will be a chance for Kamara and others to prove their value to fans. It’ll be the first sign of whether Indiana’s pass rush can truly improve going into the 2024 season.
Old regime vs new regime players
This, obviously isn’t a specific position group. But it’s one of the biggest storylines of spring ball.
Cignetti has talked frequently about establishing his standards for the program and wanting to “eliminate the old Indiana” mentalities. It’s felt like when he’s publicly praised players, it’s mainly been for new players added by his staff this offseason, and when he’s publicly called out players, it’s been holdovers from the Tom Allen era.
The spring game will give some insight as to how that dynamic is playing out so far. No, it won’t be 11 newcomers or returnees on either side of the ball; but do the new Hoosiers have an edge in Cignetti’s mind? How is that impacting roles and reps? Generally, who stands out the most from both groups of players?
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