BLOOMINGTON — IU football’s spring game has come and gone, bringing its 2026 spring camp to a close.
The Hoosiers avoided injuries during Thursday’s event at Memorial Stadium, and head coach Curt Cignetti said they only suffered one significant injury during spring at all — cornerback Ryland Gandy got rolled up on by another defender. The team was shorthanded in several areas, though, as a number of key players were still recovering from offseason surgeries or minor injuries accrued during spring. IU will now enter summer with eyes on the start of fall camp in late July or early August.
The spring game can only reveal so much, as a glorified scrimmage with real football still several months away. So analysis always requires grains of salt and caveats. That said, here are a few takeaways from Thursday.
A big turnout
Indiana football’s spring game has typically been very lightly attended. But times have changed in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are coming off a national championship, and the fans showed out in response on Thursday.
IU limited fans to the east side of Memorial Stadium, with recruits and families occupying a few rows on the otherwise empty west side. But the east side, at least for the beginning of the game, was pretty packed. The parking lots were jarringly full for a spring game, with tailgates going strong. The crowd got to cheer early as it watched quarterback Fernando Mendoza become Indiana’s first No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in 88 years.
“I thought it was a tremendous turnout, a lot of excitement with Fernando, the draft, and getting back on the field,” Cignetti said after the game. “Really appreciate the crowd coming out, and I thought it was a really good night.”
Marsh sticks out
Marsh drew criticism from Cignetti at the beginning of spring camp for wearing gold cleats. But while that may not have been the player Cignetti envisioned adding to his program, Marsh certainly looked like that on Thursday.
The Michigan State transfer showed what he can do on several occasions during the spring game. He was matched up against sophomore Jaylen Bell early and often, and that was a one-sided battle. Marsh drew two penalties — an uncommon sight at Memorial Stadium Thursday — from Bell. One of which came on a deep shot from Josh Hoover — one of his best throws of the night — which would’ve been a touchdown if not for the clear penalty.
IU will be relying on Marsh for that sort of game-breaking impact this fall. He could look even better when Indiana’s receivers are at full strength, when Charlie Becker returns to action.
Running game looks dynamic
A strong running game has been a constant throughout Cignetti’s tenure in Bloomington, and the 2026 team looks to have that same firepower.
Khobie Martin and Turbo Richard led the way on Thursday, and both players flashed. Martin took advantage of every opportunity he had last season as the No. 3 back, and he continued doing that in the spring game. And Richard’s nickname is apt — he can hit the jets in an instant. Both players displayed the sort of physicality that’s also come to define Indiana on the ground, unafraid of contact and fighting for extra yardage.
That duo should become a trio in the fall as Lee Beebe Jr. gets back from his knee injury.
“I think it’s a room that — if we can keep them healthy — I think is a strength,” Cignetti said. “I think Turbo and Khobie were very consistent this spring, and we fully expect Beebe to come back.”
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