After watching three weeks of practice and talking with the players and coaches this month, it’s time to take a final position-by-position look at IU football ahead of the 2026 season.
First up is the defensive line.
THE COACHES
Indiana has continuity with its defensive line coaches.
Interior: Indiana native Pat Kuntz is in his fifth season with Curt Cignetti. He also spent two years as an IU grad assistant in 2016-17.
Outside: A Cincinnati native, Buddha Williams joined Cignetti’s staff in 2024, coming over from Colorado State.
THE MAIN MEN
Veterans Tyrique Tucker (6-foot, 305), Mario Landino (6-foot-4, 290) and Joe Hjelle (6-foot-3, 305) anchor the inside, while Daniel Ndukwe (6-foot-3, 243), Tobi Osunsanmi (6-foot-2, 250) and Josh Burnham (6-foot-4, 260) are the main weapons on the outside. Chiddi Obiazor (6-foot-5, 280) can play inside or out and should provide some versatility to the scheme.
Those seem like the main seven, at least at the moment. They all have significant college experience. There are likely to be multiple All-Big Ten performers in this group, with Tucker and Osunsanmi the headliners going into the season.
A YOUNG PICK TO CLICK
There’s a spot for another rotational player on the interior, and the up-and-comer generating the most buzz right now is true freshman Blake Smythe (6-foot-2, 283). Landino saw the field as a true freshman, and he sees the same potential in the Franklin, Ind. product.
“He’s flashed in ways where he showed twitch and intelligence,” Landino said of Smythe. “But there’s also little freshman things and mistakes that always come up and things that we need to work on. He’s not a complete player yet, I’m not a complete player yet, but that’s what we strive to be is complete players. He’s done a good job.”
ONE CONCERN
We’ve gotten this far without even mentioning the 2025 national leader in tackles for loss, and another 2025 starter for IU.
That’s because at this moment, defensive end Stephen Daley (6-foot-1, 273) and stud Kellan Wyatt (6-foot-2, 257) are both ineligible. Both are pursuing a fifth year of eligibility in the courts and continuing to practice with the team while things get sorted out.
It’s hard to call this a concern, but it is the biggest question mark at the moment. Indiana can be very good up front without Daley and Wyatt. They can be a complete nightmare to go up against with them.
BOLD PREDICTION
Two of the outside guys generating the least buzz during the offseason might just have the biggest impact.
Ndukwe had some big moments in big games last year after Wyatt and Daley went down with injuries. He’s no doubt motivated, especially after the staff brought back Wyatt, and brought in Osunsanmi. In his third year with this staff, Ndukwe could be ready for a breakout.
Burnham had a higher success generating pressure on pass rushes than Wyatt and Daley a year ago while with Notre Dame. His size and athleticism really pops in practice, and similar to Daley, he seems like a really good fit for this scheme.
Look for Ndukwe and Burnham to both be at or near the top of Indiana’s leaders in either sacks or tackles for loss.
THE OUTLOOK
With or without Daley and Wyatt, this group is a clear strength of the 2026 Hoosiers. In fact, it’s one of the best defensive lines in the nation. Paired with defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, this front is going to wreak havoc all season, generating plenty of takeaways that generate points and short fields for the offense.
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