Author: Mike Schumann

UPDATE AT 8:15:  Ballo is not starting but expected to play.  Luke Goode gets his second straight start. UPDATE AT 7:40:  Ballo is going through pregame and appears as though he’s planning to play.  Meanwhile, Rutgers star Dylan Harper is not in uniform and will not play tonight in Bloomington.  Brian Fonseca of NJ.com is reporting Harper is dealing with an illness.  Harper is fourth in the nation at 22.8 points per game. The original story follows. Indiana center Oumar Ballo is listed as questionable for their game against Rutgers. Ballo was in uniform for the Hoosiers last game against…

As Indiana looks to fill a void at right tackle, one prospect they’re trying to land lives in their own backyard. Transferring Ohio State offensive tackle Zen Michalski is from Floyds Knobs, Ind. and attended Floyd Central H.S. Indiana is one of the main schools Michalski is focused on, along with Kansas State. The 6-foot-6 and 319-pound Michalski has appeared in 19 games for the Buckeyes, and will have one year of eligibility remaining — his redshirt senior season. Michalski was a four-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class. He was the No. 229 overall player, the No. 22 offensive…

Indiana will have transferring Tennessee defensive back Christian Harrison on campus for a visit this weekend according to a report. He is the son of 15-year NFL veteran, two-time Super Bowl champion and a two-time Pro Bowler Rodney Harrison. Harrison played the hybrid safety role (Indiana’s rover) at Tennessee.  He should have two seasons of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-1 and 191-pound Harrison has played in 24 career games with four starts.  He has totaled 29 tackles, three TFLs, half a sack and one pass breakup in his career. In 2024 Harrison played in 12 games and posted 20 tackles including…

Indiana is not done looking at potential additions to the cornerbacks room. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Pittsburgh defensive back Ryland Gandy was in Bloomington for a visit on Wednesday. The 6-foot and 180-pound Gandy was a starter for Pitt in 2024.  He played in all 13 games and produced 40 tackles and one pass defensed. According to PFF he played 766 snaps and had a 63.4 coverage grade and 33.7 tackling mark.  PFF says he missed 15 tackles and was targeted 54 times for 28 receptions and 19.6 yards per catch. Gandy played in all 12 games in 2023,…

James Madison may continue to giveth for the Hoosiers in 2025. According to multiple reports, transferring JMU offensive lineman Tyshawn Wyatt will visit Bloomington on Thursday. Wyatt suffered a season-ending injury against Old Dominion on Oct. 28 of 2023 while playing for Curt Cignetti at JMU.    He missed the entire 2024 campaign. The 6-foot-4 and 318-pounder was preseason Second-team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2024. Wyatt has played in 35 games during his time at JMU and has the background to play multiple positions in 2025.  He missed recently played left tackle in 2023 prior to his injury.  He started…

Big Ten titles and national titles. When it comes to team goals, that has been IU coach Mike Woodson’s refrain since he was hired in 2021. Indiana hasn’t been in the conversation for a national title in a long time. And only once have the Hoosiers been anywhere near the top of the league in Woodson’s three seasons, when they finished 12-8 and in a second-place tie in 2023, albeit three games out of first. Indiana opened conference play last month with a win over Minnesota and a loss at Nebraska, pushing Woodson’s Big Ten record to a pedestrian 32-30…

Indiana has a solid core returning to a defense that seemed to improve as 2024 rolled on and ended up as one of the nation’s best. But the Hoosiers lost a lot of key contributors, and they have some critical holes as we turn the page to 2025. Here’s a position-by-position look at where IU still has openings to fill on the defense, ranked by areas of greatest need to the least. For a similar look at the offense, GO HERE. 1. (tie) SAFETY:  The return of Louis Moore from Ole Miss was good news for IU.  He can potentially…

Indiana is through the nonconference portion of its schedule along with two December league games. And as we do each year at this time, it’s time to take a look at where the Hoosiers stand nationally in the advanced metrics. Big picture, here is where IU ranks overall according to three of the main analytic resources.  Obviously the NCAA’s NET tool is used to select the field of 68 in March. NCAA NET Ranking:  No. 65 (14th in Big Ten) KenPom:  No. 56 (13th in Big Ten) Bart Torvik:  No. 56 (13th in Big Ten) Overall Indiana is the 59th…

Indiana has already made five additions to the 2025 offense via the transfer portal, adding several players who appear set to be key contributors next fall. But the Hoosiers still have needs on that side of the ball after multiple starters and other regulars were lost to eligibility. Here’s a position-by-position look at where IU still has holes to fill on offense, ranked by areas of greatest need to the least. 1. OFFENSIVE LINE:  As we outlined last week, this is the biggest position of need on the offense.  Indiana ostensibly needs to add an interior veteran to replace Mike…

Indiana’s defense has a returning foundation to build on a wildly successful 2024 season. On the defensive line, at linebacker, and now at cornerback, IU will have returning All-Americans, all led by Broyles Award finalist coordinator Bryant Haines. Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds confirmed on Monday he is returning to the Hoosiers for the 2025 campaign. “There seems to be a lot of confusion,” Ponds said in a video he posted to his X account.  “Let’s get the facts straight.  I’m not done yet.” Run it back!! @IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/SenS3QeRdI — D’Angelo Ponds (@DangeloPondss) December 30, 2024 Ponds was named a second-team All-American…