Fall camp for the Indiana Hoosiers is set to commence this coming Wednesday, August 5. Heading into Year 3 of the Curt Cignetti era, the Hoosiers are looking to keep their foot on the gas after going 16-0 and winning the National Championship last season.
Plenty of big names and significant production from last year's title team is gone, but Cignetti has re-stocked Indiana's roster with an abundance of talent. Some positions such as quarterback are pretty locked down, but there are several key position battles to watch throughout the course of fall camp.
The season opener against North Texas is one month away, and there will undoubtedly be a lot of developments that change the outlook of the roster in the coming weeks. But heading into fall camp, here's our best guess as to what the Hoosier depth chart will look like.
Indiana Football depth chart projection before fall camp begins
Quarterback
Starter: Josh Hoover
Backup: Grant Wilson
Depth: Tyler Cherry, Jacob Bell, Maverick Geske
Josh Hoover is the clear starter. Not much drama here. Cignetti went out and got Hoover from TCU early in the offseason, and the former Horned Frog brings plenty of experience and production with him––which has become a staple of Cignetti's portal quarterbacks throughout his tenure at Indiana.
At Big Ten Media Days, Cignetti stated that Grant Wilson will enter the season as Indiana's No. 2 QB. The redshirt senior will be entering his sixth year of college football. He spent two seasons at Fordham and two seasons at Old Dominion before coming to Bloomington last season where he served as a depth backup to Fernando Mendoza.
Tyler Cherry, Jacob Bell, and Maverick Geske round out the Hoosier QB room. Cherry is a name to keep an eye on for the future, as he is a former highly-touted 4-star prospect who could be line for a starting role in Bloomington down the road.
Running Back
Starter: Turbo Richard
Backups: Khobie Martin, Lee Beebe Jr.
Depth: Sean Cuono, Jayreon Campbell
It's no secret that Cignetti loves to utilize a running back by committee approach to the running game. Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black both reached the 1,000-yard mark last season, and multiple Hoosier running backs could be poised for big seasons in 2026.
Turbo Richard comes to Indiana from Boston College, where he racked up 745 yards, 5.2 yards per carry, and 9 touchdowns on the ground last season. A rising junior, the 5'9" 205-pound Richard figures to take on a leading role in the Hoosier backfield this season.
Khobie Martin should be in line for an increased role during his redshirt sophomore season. The Fishers, IN native totaled 505 yards on an impressive 6.5 yards per carry last season while finding the end zone 6 times. Senior Lee Beebe Jr. can also be a significant producer after going for 209 yards and a touchdown last season.
Wide Receiver
Starters: Charlie Becker, Nick Marsh, Shazz Preston
Backups: Davion Chandler, Tyler Morris, Myles Kendrick, Lebron Bond
Depth: Cade Kaiser, Bruno Massel IV, Hunter Stroud, Jackson Wesserstrom, Kortez Rupert
There is a lot to be excited about with Indiana's WR group heading into the new campaign. Charlie Becker is back after emerging as one of the best wideouts in the country last season. Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh joins the mix after leading the Spartans in catches (59), receiving yards (662), and receiving touchdowns (6) last season. Together, Becker and Marsh have a legitimate chance to be the most lethal WR duo in the country.
Becker and Marsh are the headliners, but this WR room has plenty of depth. Tulane transfer Shazz Preston is a highlight reel waiting to happen, and players like Davion Chandler and Tyler Morris are eager to carve out significant roles as well.
All in all, this may be Indiana's deepest positional group for 2026. The sky is the limit with this group of playmakers.
Tight end
Starter: Brock Schott
Backups: Andrew Barker, Blake Thiry
Depth: Parker Elmore, Trevor Gibbs
It will be interesting to see how the tight end situation develops throughout fall camp. Riley Nowakowski and Holden Staes are both gone, meaning Indiana's TE room is looking for someone to take control of the starting job(s).
All five TEs on the roster are either freshmen or redshirt freshmen, meaning there is plenty of youth and inexperience among this group. Brock Schott figures to be given the most opportunity from the jump, but nothing is set in stone.
Offensive line
Left tackle
Starter: Carter Smith
Backups: Baylor Wilkin
Left guard
Starter: Drew Evans
Backups: Evan Parker
Center
Starter: Bray Lynch
Backup: Matt Marek
Right guard
Starter: Adedamola Ajani
Backups: Sam Simpson
Right tackle
Starter: Joe Brunner
Backup: Austin Leibfried
OL depth: Chance Johnson, CJ Scifres, Ben Novak
Cignetti all but confirmed what the Hoosier offensive line will look like last week at Big Ten Media Days. According to the Hoosier head coach, the starting offensive line is slated to consist of LT Carter Smith, LG Drew Evans, C Bray Lynch, RG Adedamola Ajani, and RT Joe Brunner. He stated that Lynch and Evans both capable of taking over at center, so it will be interesting to see if anything changes from his initial projection throughout fall camp.
This is an experienced group, as all projected starters are either seniors or redshirt seniors with the exception of Ajani. A rising redshirt sophomore, Ajani saw time at right guard, left guard, and right tackle last season. Moving forward, it seems that Cignetti expects him to hold down the right guard spot.
Defensive line
Edge
Starters: Tobi Osunsanmi, Chiddi Obiazor
Backups: Daniel Ndukwe, Josh Burnham
Depth: Tyrone Burrus Jr, Quentin Clark, Kevontay Hugan, Ronelle Johnson
Tackle
Starters: Tyrique Tucker, Mario Landino
Backups: Joe Hjelle, Jhrevious Hall
Depth: Kyler Garcia, Keishaun Calhoun, Gabe Hill, Cam McHaney, Blake Smythe, Rodney White
Linebacker
Starters: Rolijah Hardy, Isaiah Jones
Backups: Jeff Utzinger, Kaiden Turner
Depth: Henry Ohlinger, Jacob Savage, PJ Nelson, Ja'Dyn Williams, Amari Kamara, Kaden McConnell, Clayton Allen
Indiana's front-7 features plenty of returning production. Up front, Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino are both back after sensational seasons a year ago. Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones are also back at linebacker, giving the Hoosiers a strong veteran core on the defensive side of the ball.
The EDGE rushers for the Hoosiers this season figure to be led by a pair of Kansas State transfers in Tobi Osunanmi and Chiddi Obiazor. Osunanmi appeared in 36 games over four seasons with the Wildcats, and is looking for a breakthrough campaign after missing half of last season with an injury. Obiazor appeared in 28 games over three seasons in Manhattan, and tabbed Honorable Mention All-Big 12. The year prior, Obiazor earned Honorable Mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors by conference coaches.
Cornerback
Starters: Jamari Sharpe, AJ Harris
Backups: Ryland Gandy, Jaylen Bell, Carson Williams, Zacharey Smith, Kasmir Hicks
Jamari Sharpe cemented his name in Hoosier football lore with his game-sealing interception in the CFP National Championship Game against Miami (FL). Now heading into his senior season, Sharpe could be on the cusp of becoming one of the top DBs in the Big Ten. Penn State transfer AJ Harris figures to be in line for the second starting job at cornerback, but Ryland Gandy is a name to watch in the competition.
Nickelback
Starter: Byron Baldwin Jr
Backup: Quan Sanks
Safety
Starters: Amare Ferrell, Preston Zachman
Backups: Garrett Reese, Seaonta Stewart Jr
Depth: Anthony Chung, Jamar Owens, Clay Conner, Heath Kizer, Lincoln Murff, D'Montae Tims
At the safety position, Amare Ferrell brings 41 career appearances and 28 starts to the Hoosiers this season. He figures to take on a leading role in the Indiana secondary. Seventh-year senior Preston Zachman is also projected to take on a big role after coming over from Wisconsin. He has 35 appearances and 20 starts under his belt, to go along with 7 career interceptions.
Special teams
Place kicker
Starter: Nico Radicic
Backup: Paddy McAteer
No surprises when it comes to kicker. Nico Radicic returns after drilling 18 of his 19 field goal attempts last season, which included a 4-for-4 mark from 40+ yards. He also went a perfect 87-for-87 on extra point attempts.
Punter
Starter: Billy Gowers
Backup: Quinn Warren
While Quinn Warren is the returning punter, the starting job figures to go to 30-year-old sophomore Billy Gowers, who transferred in from the University of Hawaii. Hailing from Australia, Gowers put together a solid campaign at Hawaii last season, as he landed over 50% of his 49 punts inside the 20-yard line and had just two touchbacks all season long. Gowers is poised for the starting role, but Warren is capable of delivering if needed.
Kick/Punt returner
Starter: Turbo Richard or Shazz Preston
Backup: Tyler Morris
There's no doubt that the biggest unknown for Indiana's special teams unit heading into fall camp is kick returning. Turbo Richard and Shazz Preston could be the front runners to earn the job, as both have experienced returning kicks as well as elite speed. Tyler Morris also saw plenty of action returning kicks during his time at Michigan, so he is definitely a name to watch. It will be interesting to see how this competition plays out.
Long snapper
Starter: Drew Clausen
Backups: Sam Lindsey, Jackson Tolle
Drew Clausen comes to Indiana via Iowa State. He was heralded as the No. 7 long snapper in the transfer portal by 247Sports, and owns a 6'6" 260-pound frame. Over the last two seasons, he started 24 games as the Cyclones' long snapper.
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