Fall camp for the Indiana Hoosiers started up on Wednesday, which means that the start of the new college football season is right around the corner. Indiana opens the new campaign on September 5 against North Texas.
Between now and then, Curt Cignetti and his coaching staff will spend fall camp sorting out the starting lineup and depth chart at every position. While some starting gigs—like quarterback—are already locked down, others remain up for grabs.
As fall camp progresses on over the next month, here is the most intriguing Indiana position battle that Hoosier football fans need to keep their eyes on.
Indiana's second cornerback spot remains open
Last season, Indiana's starting cornerbacks were D'Angelo Ponds and Jamari Sharpe. Both put forth sensational campaigns and played big roles in Indiana's National Championship run. Ponds is now off to the NFL after being selected by the Jets in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Sharpe returns for his senior season, and he is poised to become on the of the top cornerbacks in the Big Ten.
With Sharpe taking one starting job, Indiana's other starting cornerback position is the subject of competition. That competition comes between returner Ryland Gandy and Penn State transfer AJ Harris.
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Gandy is a name that Hoosier football fans are familiar with, as he appeared in all 16 games last season. He was primarily used as a rotational piece in Indiana's CB room, and collected 12 tackles and a tackle for loss over sporadic playing time.
Harris comes to Indiana after spending one season at Georgia and two seasons at Penn State. He is a former 5-star prospect and was ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the 2023 recruiting class. Coming off a junior season in which he was an All-Big Ten defensive honorable mention in 2025, Harris was one of Indiana's highest-ranked portal additions over the offseason.
Ryland Gandy and AJ Harris battling for starting CB spot
There is a lot to like about both Gandy and Harris. Gandy is familiar with Bryant Haines' system, and has already shown that he can be a reliable contributor in the Hoosier secondary. Harris has played meaningful snaps in both the SEC and Big Ten, and has 34 appearances with 26 starts under his belt.
Gandy is battling a lingering injury he initially suffered in the spring. But after the first day of fall camp, Cignetti stated that he should be full-go next week. Cignetti went on to say that he is confident in Gandy's ability.
Cignetti also mentioned Harris. Specifically, the Hoosier head coach stated that he is looking for more consistency from the Penn State transfer. "AJ Harris has the ability, but still looking for the day-in, day-out consistency, play-in, play-out consistency," Cignetti said to the media on Wednesday.
At this time, Harris may be considered the favorite due to his overall experience. Plus, Gandy's lingering injury doesn't help his case right now. But all in all, this will be a fascinating position battle to watch unfold.
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