Indiana football is back in action.
The Hoosiers held their first practice of spring ball on Thursday at Memorial Stadium. They’ll have 13 practices over the next four weeks leading up to the spring game on April 18.
Head coach Curt Cignetti met with the media after Thursday’s practice. Here are a few key points from that press conference.
Day one
This was Cignetti’s first practice after taking over as head coach at IU in December. So there’s plenty of adjustment for everyone, both coaches and players.
“Day one it’s how you do things, and this was new for everybody today,” Cignetti said. “It was new for me to go out on the field and practice. Like, how do I even get to the field from my office, and I figured that out and found the shortest way. Then, I go out there and the tight ends and receivers and running backs stuff is in the wrong spot, so that was new.”
Cignetti said he’s always opened spring ball the Thursday after spring break. That gives the staff a few days after players return from the break to get them physically prepared for practice, to avoid soft tissue injuries in the first few days.
Indiana’s 10 transfer portal additions from James Madison would be more familiar with the way Cignetti runs practices and conducts spring ball. Running back Kae’lon Black is one of those players, and Cignetti said the redshirt junior stepped up in a leadership role Thursday because of that.
“I think we are still developing and learning about the guys,” Cignetti said. “At the end of flex (period in practice), we always have somebody talk, have a few guys out front, and Kaelon Black talked today, who was at JMU and was a running back, because he talked one time last year and had a lot of juice. We want that guy to kind of grab everyone’s attention.”
Cignetti also expressed some willingness to move players around to different positions, as necessary, to ensure the team is playing its best 11 players on both sides of the ball, even if that’s not needed right away. And that has already begun — cornerback Nic Toomer lined up at strong safety during Thursday’s practice.
Quarterbacks
IU saw roster turnover at nearly every position, and quarterback was no different.
Brendan Sorsby transferred to Cincinnati after his solid end to the season. Tayven Jackson and Broc Lowry stuck around, and the Hoosiers added two other key quarterbacks in the offseason. Redshirt senior Kurtis Rourke transferred to IU from Ohio, and four-star Tyler Cherry committed from Center Grove High.
While nothing is set in stone yet, Thursday’s practice shed some light on the pecking order among the quarterbacks to start out the spring.
“Every year has been a little different, but there was a year at [James Madison] where we had three guys – my first year there – that we thought were fairly equal and we gave them all a day. The second year, we did the same thing,” Cignetti said. “Rourke went with the ones today, Tayven with the twos and Cherry with the threes.”
Wide receiver
Indiana’s wide receivers are one of the most intriguing position groups on the team.
The Hoosiers added several experienced receivers in the transfer portal in the offseason. Miles Cross (Ohio), Ke’Shawn Williams (Wake Forest), Myles Price (Texas Tech), and Elijah Sarratt (James Madison) each finished among the top four receivers on their previous teams — Sarratt was particularly successful, recording over 1,000 yards for the Dukes.
Combining those players with Donaven McCulley, Omar Cooper Jr., and E.J. Williams Jr. gives Indiana a lot of returning production at receiver. Cignetti knows he has a lot to work with in that room.
“There is a lot of production, and we want to promote competition. Everything is earned, not give, and no one has a job. Some guys have a body of work, and I’m talking about all positions right now. Everything is earned on the field. There is no entitlement, nor can there every be,” Cignetti said. “That room has a lot of older guys that have made plays in game, and I am excited about their potential to help us win football games.”
Kamryn Perry announced on social media Thursday afternoon — several hours after practice concluded — his entry into the transfer portal. But the Hoosiers still have plenty of depth at receiver.
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