Joe Brunner got a small taste of what to expect at Indiana when he was a freshman at Wisconsin.
In his first year with the Badgers in 2022, Brunner was with Bob Bostad before Bostad left to become Tom Allen’s offensive line coach.
Also with Brunner in Madison in 2022 were some other names you might now: Drew Evans, Trey Wedig, and Riley Nowakowski. That was the last year of the Paul Chryst era at Wisconsin, and things haven’t been the same since.
Brunner saw the individual success his former teammates had after they made the move to IU. He saw the Hoosiers go 27-2 over the last two seasons, with repeat trips to the College Football Playoff and a national title. And he played against Indiana in 2025, and experienced first hand the physical and technically sound team he expected in a 31-7 loss.
So when Indiana came calling during the most recent transfer portal cycle, Brunner knew what he had to do.
“It’s easy as an older guy. You want to win, right? You want to be a part of a winning culture. If you are competitive enough that is all you want to do,” Brunner said Thursday in Bloomington after a spring practice.
“This is one of the best cultures in college football, if not the best. That makes it super easy to transition. You are around a bunch of guys that have played a lot of football, and they know how to welcome guys and bring them into a culture and let them develop themselves.”
A two-year starter for the Badgers with 35 games under his belt, Brunner is looking to make the most of his one year of eligibility remaining.
He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors after starting all 12 games on the Badger offensive line in 2025. Brunner posted four consecutive games with PFF pass blocking grades above 80.0 during Big Ten play, all against ranked teams (Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Indiana).
Brunner has experience playing both guard spots, so he should be able to step in for either Bray Lynch or Drew Evans when one of them takes over at center. He’s stepping into an experienced offensive line room that includes All-American Carter Smith as well.
But despite all that experience, and all the winning of the last two years, Brunner says no one is talking about the past.
The culture requires that. This is a new team, with a new mission. And Brunner rightfully feels like a key part of the equation.
“No one talks about what this team did last year,” Brunner said. “And I think that means a lot. You know, everyone’s moved past it, and this is a new team. To see the guys who were on the team last year come in and work and not speak on it and not say anything about it, but know that this is a new chapter, that’s special.”
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on X: @daily_hoosier and find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
