Power Push – Hoosiers Hungry for More Football Success
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana keeps pushing the football envelope, keeps altering the perspective on what’s possible.
Last season’s 11-2 record-setting playoff achievement set the tone, and with spring practice looming, culminating with the April 19 spring game, work is well under way to sustain that success and build a perennial national power.
“You have high standards in everything you do,” says head coach Curt Cignetti, the architect of the remarkable turnaround that resulted in him winning nearly every major coach-of-the-year honor. “If you prepare the right way, you expect success. You don't have a lot of time to enjoy it because the next challenge is coming up and you've got to get ready and you've got to prepare for that accordingly or you're not going to have success.”
Satisfaction isn’t part of the process.
“The separator between good and great is never resting on your laurels,” he says. “I can promise you, this is a hungry, humble team. It’s working really hard in the offseason program. We've got to string together days and months heading into the fall.”
IU won last season with dominating offense (averaging 41.3 points) and defense (allowing 15.6 points). Ten of its 11 victories were by at least 14 points. Its only losses were on the road to the teams that played in the national title game – Ohio State and Notre Dame.
A second strong recruiting effort -- including one of the nation’s best transfer quarterbacks in Fernando Mendoza from Cal -- aims to sustain that success, and a top priority was the offensive line.
Last season under the direction of offensive line coach Bob Bostad, the only coach from the previous staff Cignetti retained, the line emerged as one of the Big Ten’s best units. Bostad is gearing up to do it again with key transfer additions in Kahlil Benson from Colorado, Zen Michalski from Ohio State, and Pat Coogan from Notre Dame.
Benson returns to the Hoosiers after a season at Colorado, where he played in nine games, and started four. At IU, he played in 25 games and started 17.
Michalski played in 29 games with one start at Ohio State, which won the national title this season. Coogan played in 30 games with 26 starts for the Irish, and helped them reach the national championship game.
“I'm excited about the guys we're able to bring in from the portal,” Cignetti says. “Kahlil did a really nice job here at offensive tackle the year before I came. Coogan started a lot of games at Notre Dame and played well. Zen started and played meaningful minutes at Ohio State.”
Add key returning veterans such as Carter Smith, Drew Evans and Bray Lynch, and IU seems positioned for another dominating line performance.
“I'm excited about what that line can look like, but it's a day-to-day process,” Cignetti says. “Like every other position, it’s earned not given. I try not to get too excited on the front end. I want to see it between the white lines.”
Offensive line newcomers, which also include freshmen Evan Parker from perennial state-of-Indiana power Carmel and Baylor Wilkin from Ohio, boost flexibility and depth, crucial given the length and physicality of the season.
“Competition is a great thing,” Cignetti says. “It makes everybody better. So, we'll have increased competition on the offensive line.
“Most of the guys up front can play multiple positions. They're smart guys. Maybe some of the interior guys wouldn't necessarily project well at tackle, but there's a few who could and vice versa.
“For some of the young guys, this is their opportunity to take another step. There are a couple that we think could be ready to take meaningful snaps and play successful football in the fall.
“That's the bottom line. If you can play successful football, we're going to find a role for you. We don't want to throw anybody out there before he's ready, that's for darned sure. I think we're in a position as a team where we shouldn't have to do that.”
Running back was another big recruiting need with the loss of Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton, who combined for 1,516 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Enter Roman Hemby, a transfer from Maryland who brings running and receiving versatility. Over 41 games and 38 starts, he totaled 2,347 rushing yards and 921 receiving yards with 27 career touchdowns. He twice earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten.
Last season against IU, Hemby had 165 all-purpose yards that included a running and receiving touchdown. He ran for 117 yards with a 75-yard TD run.
“He fits the bill what we look for because our backs do catch a number of passes,” Cignetti says.
“I was impressed with his game against us here in the fall and have been watching tape of him for a while. He's got a lot of experience, a lot of career total yards, whether it's rushing or receiving. We lost our top two guys, so he was a perfect fit for what we were looking for.”
IU boosted the tight end position with transfers Riley Nowakowski from Wisconsin and Holden Staes from Tennessee.
Nowakowski played in 40 games with 10 starts in five seasons with the Badgers, playing tight end, fullback, and linebacker.
“Nowakowski went to Wisconsin as a walk-on, a wrestler also,” Cignetti says. “He was at fullback, there was a coaching change, and moved to tight end. He’s an excellent blocker, good hands, a hardworking guy.”
Staes also played for two seasons at Notre Dame in addition to a season at Tennessee. He’s played in 34 games with 12 starts.
“Holden has good movement skills,” Cignetti says. “We'll see what he can give us both in the run game and the pass game.
“I'm glad we got those two guys because it was a position of need.”
IU added veteran receiving experience with Michigan transfer Tyler Morris. He played on the Wolverines’ 2024 national title team and had a 38-yard touchdown catch against Alabama in a national semifinal game.
“He's played a lot football, started a lot of games, made some big plays in some big games,” Cignetti says. “There's a real benefit in that, and I'm glad we got him.”
IU’s upcoming schedule opens with four-straight home games -- Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, Indiana State, and Illinois. It includes road trips to Big Ten champion Oregon and national semifinalist Penn State.
As far as his non-conference scheduling approach, Cignetti says, “I like winning games. I think most coaches do. We play nine Big Ten Conference games, which is more than most other conferences. I'm going to play who's on the schedule. And I think we got Notre Dame coming up down the road (in 2030 and ’31). I'm going to play who's on the schedule.”