CHICAGO — Heading into fall camp, Indiana head football coach is pleased with his team’s health.
The Hoosiers dealt with a lot of injuries during spring practice, with an abbreviated offseason after their national championship run. Players had less time than normal to have offseason surgeries and go through recovery processes ahead of spring ball.
But now, with more time passed and summer workouts completed, IU is looking healthier for fall camp.
“We got some little things where a guy might be limited to start camp, and by week two, he’s cranked up, ready to go,” Cignetti said Thursday at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. “But, yeah, we’re on the mend.”
IU’s tight end room was more decimated than any of its position groups this spring.
It’s already a young, inexperienced group, but they were heavily limited by injuries during spring ball. The room became so thin that Cignetti and his staff had to move players from other positions to tight end for some second or third-team reps, just because they needed someone there.
Grant Cain’s group remains the team’s biggest question mark going into the season. And health-wise, uncertainty still remains. Redshirt freshman Miami (Fla.) transfer Brock Schott is coming off hip surgery while he was with the Hurricanes. The Hoosiers were high on true freshman Trevor Gibbs coming out of high school, but he was limited in spring ball after a foot procedure. Redshirt freshman Andrew Barker suited up during spring, as did redshirt freshman Blake Thiry, who’s still transitioning from wide receiver to tight end.
“We’ll know a lot more after practice one, after the second week, after camp (ends),” Cignetti said. “That room is really young. Really young. … I’m really anxious to see Schott, Gibbs, and the progress Barker makes, and then we got a couple new ones that weren’t with us in spring.”
Offensive line shifts
Indiana’s offensive line was one of the team’s biggest strength during its run to the national title last season.
IU brings back a lot of that unit, with three full-season starters back in left tackle Carter Smith, left guard Drew Evans, and right guard Bray Lynch.
But some of those positions may be changing. Center Pat Coogan exhausted his eligibility, and Indiana didn’t add a clear-cut replacement in the transfer portal. Cignetti revealed an early look at how his team will adjust: redshirt sophomore Adedamola Ajani, who played both guard and tackle at times last season, is set to take on right guard duties. Lynch will start out fall camp at center, while Evans — despite playing center during spring ball — will remain at left guard. Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner will assume IU’s right tackle job.
“That’s the one thing Bob Bostad does a nice job of. Even in camp, he’ll move guys around guard, tackle, center, to develop that depth when something happens during a game in season,” Cignetti said.
Ajani looked like a key piece for Indiana’s future with the way he stepped up in 2025. He became part of a rotation at right tackle with Zen Michalski and Kahlil Benson during the College Football Playoff, when Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan occasionally utilized six players on the offensive line.
Cignetti indicated Thursday that Ajani feels more comfortable at guard than tackle. He also, seemingly, challenged the Indianapolis native.
“We’re looking for him to make a step. He’s a young guy. A lot of times these young guys try to have it both ways: fun at night, and then do the work in the building. You can’t have it both ways,” Cignetti said. “And he’s just gotta make a few better choices and decisions, get a little tougher mentally, so that he can play the way we want him to play from the first play to the last play.”
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