Preseason Central: Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - With head coach Curt Cignetti's first fall camp with the Indiana football program slated on start on Wednesday, July 31, preseason honor and awards have already begun to trickle in.
Our Preseason Central page will keep you up-to-date with all of the happenings from the start of fall camp up to kickoff of the 2024 season versus FIU on Saturday, Aug. 31, inside Memorial Stadium. From updated awards, press conference, content from IUHoosiers.com insider Pete DiPrimio, and everything in between, it will all be housed in one place, Preseason Central.
DON'T MISS A PETE
Follow along with IUHoosiers.com staff writer Pete DiPrimio as he brings you an inside look at the Hoosier football program as it progresses through fall camp and into the season.
Fall Camp
Scoring Knack -- Shanahan Keeps Improving as Offensive Coordinator (8/26)
Learn and Grow: Cooper Jr. Eyes Receiver Breakthrough (8/25)
Forward Focus – Smith Set to Take Next Offensive Line Step (8/22)
‘Ball Guy’ – Passion Fuels IU's Defensive Coordinator (8/19)
‘Locked In’ – McCulley Developing into Complete Receiver (8/17)
Punter Evolution – James Evans Rates Among Nation’s Best (8/16)
Thudding, Separation, and Football Clarity (8/14)
‘Mindset and Talent’ -- Ponds Emerges as Shut-Down Cornerback (8/10)
Competition Thrives as Hoosiers Push Through August Camp (8/8)
Jailin Walker Back to Playing, and Loving it (8/6)
‘Awesome Journey’ – Carpenter Aims for Season to Remember (8/5)
‘Smart, Disciplined, Poised’ to Define Hoosiers (8/1)
Cignetti Pushes Win-Now Message -- Speak Big, Play Bigger (7/31)
Spring Ball
IU Finishes Strong in Transfer Portal (6/26)
Summer Brings ‘Confidence’ in Football Hoosiers (6/20)
Time To Start -- Wedig Set to Make Big Offensive Line Impact (6/11)
Healthy Kamara Expects Hoosier Greatness This Season (6/3)
Horton Sets Bar High For Debut Season at Indiana (5/23)
For Myles Price, Passion Sealed the Hoosier Deal (5/16)
Black Primed for Big Ten Opportunity (5/9)
Dominate – Ellison Runs to Help Bring a Hoosier Turnaround (5/3)
Offensive Potential Has Rourke Feeling the Love (4/25)
Touchdown Talent -- Sarratt Thrives By ‘Showing What He Can Do’ (4/17)
Fisher Poised to Be a Big Hoosier Hit (4/12)
Course Correction – Katic’s Return Boosts Promising Offensive Line (4/10)
Mangum-Farrar Aims to Prove He's ‘Stud’ Worthy (4/3)
Making Progress – Football Hoosiers Building for a ‘Big Jump’ (3/27)
Vision Quest – Cignetti Seeks IU Football Recruiting Edge (2/23)
Win Now – Cignetti Won’t Wait on Football Success (2/8)
MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
See and hear everything that head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosier student-athletes are talking about during fall camp media availabilities.
Day 1 - Curt Cignetti (7/31)
Day 2 - James Carpenter & Jailin Walker (8/1)
Day 4 - Curt Cignetti (8/5)
Day 5 - James Evans & D'Angelo Ponds (8/6)
Day 8 - Amare Ferrell & Carter Smith (8/8)
Day 9 - Curt Cignetti (8/12)
Day 11 - Omar Cooper Jr. & Donaven McCulley (8/14)
Day 12 - Bryant Haines & Mike Shanahan (8/16)
Day 14 - Curt Cignetti (8/19)
Day 15 - Jamier Johnson & Ty Son Lawton (8/21)
PRESEASON AWARDS & HONORS
From preseason player rankings to all-conference honors, here are the Hoosiers that people are talking about.
Shawn Asbury II | DB | Sr.
Arrives at Indiana after stops at Boston College (2021) and Old Dominion (2022-23) with 30 career appearances. An honorable-mention All-Sun Belt performer in 2023, he owns 130 career tackles 9.0 tackles for loss and 10 passes defended.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Safeties (No. 7)
James Bomba | TE | R-Jr.
A third generation Indiana football scholarship student-athelte, Bomba enters his fourth season with the program and is one of the most active in the community for the Hoosiers. He has appeared in 20 career games and caught his first career touchdown pass versus Michigan State in 2023.
- Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team
- Wuerffell Trophy Preseason Watch List
James Carpenter | DL | R-Sr.+
After five seasons at James Madison and a pair of All-Sun Belt honors, Carpenter brings 141 career tackles to Bloomington. His totals include 28.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks to go along with two interceptions and nine passes broken up.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Defensive Tackles (No. 3)
Cedarius Doss | DB | R-Sr.+
In a career that began at Tuskegee (2019-20) and a stop at Austin Peay (2021-23), Doss arrives at Indiana with 23 career games played at 15 starts. He made 63 career stops, 62 at APSU, owns four interceptions and 18 pass breakups.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Cornerbacks (No. 2)
James Evans | P | Sr.
Arrived in the United States without playing a snap of American football and has become the career leader in punting average at Indiana as the starting punter in every game since arriving in Bloomington.
- Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten (third team)
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten (third team)
- Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List
Aiden Fisher | LB | Jr.
Enters first season with the Hoosiers after two years and 23 games played at James Madison. Tabbed third-team All-Sun Belt in 2023 after producing 108 tackles with 6.0 tackles for loss and seven pass breakups.
- Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten (fourth team)
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten (fourth team)
- Butkus Award Preseason Watch List
Zach Horton | TE | Sr.
Made 23 career appearances with 11 starts over three seasons at James Madison (2021-23) and earned first-team All-Sun Belt as a junior. Posted 40 receptions with eight career scoring catches, six during the 2023 season.
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten (fourth team)
- John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List
Mikail Kamara | DL | R-Jr.
After four years at James Madison that included 23 career appearances, 22 starts and a season missed due to injury (2021), Kamara owns a tackle for loss in 21 of 23 career games. He was a second-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2023 with 52 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss.
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten (fourth team)
Nick Kidwell | OL | R-Sr.+
Appeared in 52 games with 34 starts along the offensive line over six seasons at James Madison (2018-23). Redshirted his initial season on campus and missed most of the 2023 season due to injury. His last 34 appearances have been starts as he earned second-team All-Sun Belt in 2022 and first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association in 2021.
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten (third team)
Donaven McCulley | WR | Sr.
With 31 career appearances - seven at quarterback and 24 at wide receiver - he enters the season with 64 career receptions and seven touchdown catches. An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2023, he had 644 yards receiving on 48 grabs (13.4 ypr) and six touchdown grabs.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Wide Receivers (No. 6)
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten (third team)
D'Angelo Ponds | DB | So.
Tabbed Freshman All-America by Football Writers Association of America and a Semifinalist for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award in 2023, Ponds was also selected second-team All-Sun Belt after he finished No. 11 in FBS in passes defended (15).
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Cornerbacks (No. 3)
- Lott Trophy Preseason Watch List
Myles Price | WR | Sr.+
In 42 games (25 starts) over four seasons at Texas Tech (2020-23) he was a two-time honorable mention Big 12 selection and accumulated 2,521 all-purpose yards. Totaled 1,751 receiving yards, 296 punt return yards, 207 yards rushing, and 59 kickoff return yards with 10 touchdown catches and two rushing scores.
- Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Preseason Watch List
Kurtis Rourke | QB | R-Sr.+
With 33 career starts at quarterback, a conference player of the year award and two All-Mid-American Conference honors, Rourke is one of the top returning passes in the FBS. He has 7,650 yards passing in his career with 50 career passing touchdowns and just 16 interceptions to his record.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Quarterback (No. 5)
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List
Elijah Sarratt | WR | Jr.
After stops at St. Francis (Pa.) and James Madison, Sarratt joins the Hoosiers after 124 career receptions and a pair of all-conference honors. He owns six career 100-yard receiving games, five games with multiple touchdown catches and leads all FBS true juniors with 21 receiving touchdowns and sits No. 2 with 1,890 yards receiving (Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona) entering 2023.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Wide Receivers (No. 2)
- Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten (fourth team)
- Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List
Jailin Walker | LB | Sr.
A two-time All-Sun Belt selection in three seasons at James Madison, he piled up 142 career tackles with 9.5 going for a loss. In his career he owns four forced fumbles, three interceptions and 3.5 sacks in 32 appearances.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Linebackers (No. 7)
Solomon Vanhorse | RB | R-Sr.+
Appeared in 37 career games with nine starts over six seasons at James Madison (2018-23) and missed most of the last two seasons due to injury. Became the 39th player in FBS or FCS since 1996 to return a kickoff for a touchdown, score a rushing touchdown and have a receiving touchdown in the same game (Towson, 11/20) and owns 1,910 career all-purpose yards.
- CSC Comeback Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
CJ West | DL | R-Sr.
Appeared in 39 career games with 110 tackles and 19.5 for a loss, West earned All-Mid-American Conference in 2023. His career totals include 7.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovered.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Defensive Tackles (No. 2)
Ke'Shawn Williams | WR | Sr.+
A 1,000-yard career receiver with over 107 catches in his career, Williams has appeared in 46 games with 11 starts in his career. He owns five touchdown receptions and has been a punt an kickoff returner in his career, as well.
- PFF Highest-Graded Returning Big Ten Wide Receivers (No. 10)
