The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to move to 5-0 on the season when they travel to Piscataway to take on Rutgers in Week 5. Curt Cignetti's squad rolled to easy non-conference wins against North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky, but was seriously tested in the Big Ten opener against Northwestern last Friday. Favored by three touchdowns, the Hoosiers were given all they could handle and escaped with a narrow six-point victory.
On paper, Indiana should be able to take care of business against 1-3 Rutgers. But as we saw last week, nothing is guaranteed. The Hoosiers have to clean up their game and navigate some key injuries, which undoubtedly brings some challenges in this Week 5 Big Ten matchup.
Here are three players that Indiana will be called upon to deliver strong performances on Saturday night against the Scarlet Knights.
QB Josh Hoover
As Indiana's QB1, Josh Hoover is heavily relied on week-in and week-out. But in Week 5, he could be asked to take on even more responsibilities.
Indiana's RB room is seriously banged up, as IU's top-four running backs all have some sort of injury designation heading into the Rutgers game. Khobie Martin has already been ruled out, while Lee Beebe Jr. and Sean Cuono are both listed as questionable. Turbo Richard is currently listed as probable, but he is coming off a high ankle sprain and may not be a full 100%. With several question marks surrounding Indiana's rushing attack, Hoover and the passing game need to be operating at a high level.
Indiana Football vs. Rutgers: How to watch, injuries, odds, and predictions
So far this season, Hoover has completed 56 of his 80 pass attempts (70% completion percentage) for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns. Most importantly, he has yet to throw an interception. He has yet to attempt 30+ passes in a game, but that could change in this one with Indiana's RB room dealing with so many injuries.
OT Carter Smith
In a game where Indiana could be more pass-heavy on offense, left tackle Carter Smith needs to shine. Smith has been among the best offensive linemen in all of college football over the past few seasons, and entered the 2026 campaign ranked as the No. 10 overall player in the country in ESPN's preseason player rankings. In Week 5, it's imperative that Smith has Hoover's blind side protected. Giving Hoover ample time to go through his progressions will be a key to victory for the Hoosiers.
Even with a heavily injured RB room, the Hoosiers will undoubtedly still want to establish the running game. Indiana has thrived at playing complimentary football under Curt Cignetti, and while they may not run as much as previous weeks, it's vital that the Hoosiers are still able to find some success on the ground. That process starts with Smith and the IU offensive line winning battles in the trenches and gaining an edge at the line of scrimmage.
CB Jamari Sharpe
Rutgers is not a strong offensive team, but their biggest weapon comes in the form of WR KJ Duff. Owning a 6'6" 225-pound frame, Duff has cemented himself was one of the top wide receivers in all of college football. Through four games, Duff ranks 4th nationally with 550 receiving yards and is tied for the NCAA lead with 7 receiving touchdowns. He is a potential future First Round NFL Draft pick, and presents a matchup nightmare for the Hoosier secondary.
CB Jamari Sharpe seems like the frontrunner to take on the responsibility of slowing Duff down. Sharpe is a reliable corner who began the season as Indiana's top cornerback. He missed some time with an undisclosed injury but returned to the field last week against Northwestern. But Indiana will leikly need more than one defender with constant eyes on Duff, so players like Jaylen Bell, Byron Baldwin Jr, Preston Zachman, and Amare Ferrell need to be ready when called upon as well.
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