Projecting Indiana football's defensive two-deep depth chart ahead of spring practice

Projecting Indiana football’s defensive two-deep depth chart ahead of spring practice

Posted by author February 17, 2025 Football

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BLOOMINGTON — Curt Cignetti’s Indiana football defense got some big boosts for 2025 in the last month of 2024, when impact players like Aiden Fisher and Mikail Kamara decided to run it back for one last year in college.

That didn’t plug every hole, though. Cignetti and his staff did important work along the defensive line, in the secondary and on special teams, shoring up a defense that was among the best in the Big Ten last season.

How will that defense look on the field in the fall? Here’s an early projected two-deep going into spring practice:

Indiana edge rushers

Stud

Mikail Kamara, r-Sr., Daniel Ndukwe, So.

End

Mario Landino, So., Ta’Derius Collins, r-So.

There have been persistent suggestions Kamara will move to the stud position Lanell Carr occupied last year, working as more of an end/backer hybrid. Wherever he plays, it’s unclear who his opposite number is right now.

Speaking of unclear, Landino split his time between end and tackle last year. It seemed like his long-term future was in the latter spot, but IU has need at the edge and Landino impressed in bursts as a freshman.

Cignetti and his staff remained in the portal window until late on last winter looking for more edge help. Don’t be surprised if they comb the field after the spring season to see if there’s a quality player to add here, not unlike what they did with C.J. West at tackle last year.

Indiana interior defensive line

Tackle

Tyrique Tucker, r-Jr., Dominique Ratcliff, r-Sr.+

Tackle

Hosea Wheeler, r-Sr. OR Marcus Burris Jr., r-Sr.

The arrivals of Wheeler and Ratcliff address both experience and depth concerns here. Burris’ return helps too.

But don’t sleep on Tucker. He finished last season one of the 10 highest-graded interior defensive linemen in the Big Ten, per PFF. And that wasn’t on a small sample either — Tucker played 306 snaps. For comparison’s sake, West, the only IU interior DL graded higher, played 420. Tucker could be a breakout candidate in 2025.

There are some really promising young players, particularly in the incoming freshman class, here. If possible, Cignetti and position coach Pat Kuntz will probably want to hand them time to develop first.

Indiana linebackers

Mike

Aiden Fisher, Sr., Isaiah Jones, r-Jr.

Sam

Rolijah Hardy, So., Kaiden Turner, r-Jr.

Fisher is the lighthouse of the entire defense, as indispensable as any member of this team. Jones can play both spots and might even start over Hardy, though Indiana could also opt to keep him as a swing player spelling both positions to find him snaps.

Hardy left a quietly important impression on last season, finishing with 22 tackles, 5.5 for loss, plus two interceptions and two forced fumbles. At 5-foot-11 he’s slightly undersized, but he brings some of the same athleticism to the position that made Jailin Walker so effective.

IU might shuffle Jones and Hardy a bit here. We’re out over the ledge somewhat. But it’s possible.

Indiana cornerbacks

Boundary

D’Angelo Ponds, Jr., Jamari Sharpe, r-Jr.

Ryland Gandy, r-So., Jamari Sharpe, r-Jr.

Slot

Amariyun Knighten, r-Jr., TBD

This is a fascinating position for a few reasons.

Ponds is as chiseled into the starting lineup as perhaps any Hoosier, on either side of the ball. He has a case as the Big Ten’s best corner heading into 2025.

IU lost Jamier Johnson, its starter opposite Ponds last season, to the portal after it took Gandy and Knighten out of it. But Cignetti said on signing day the Hoosiers didn’t lose anyone projected to start here.

What’s perhaps more interesting are suggestions the Hoosiers might play more base nickel. Last season, IU rolled three safeties out most of the time, with either Amare Ferrell or Terry Jones Jr. playing in the slot. It wasn’t surprising to see Jones, therefore, listed as a corner on PFF, but he was very much a safety in a hybrid role positionally.

In theory, Indiana has the personnel now to play the other way, with a true nickel corner on the field in its base defense. There isn’t a ton of proven depth here, so if IU wants more three-corner looks, it will either need luck with injuries or youth to develop additional numbers. If that’s not in defensive coordinator Bryant Haines’ plans, Knighten and Sharpe probably just back up Ponds and Gandy.

Indiana safeties

Amare Ferrell, Jr. or Devan Boykin, r-Sr.+

Louis Moore, r-Sr.+ or Bryson Bonds, r-Sr.

Tons of experience here. But also a lot to replace.

Welcome back, Louis Moore, who returns from a one-year sabbatical at Ole Miss. Moore struggled with injuries last year but was very good for Indiana in 2023. Bonds backs him up at one of the most seasoned spots on the depth chart.

Ferrell was as underappreciated as an IU defender last season, finishing with 49 tackles, 4 for loss, with five passes defensed and four interceptions. He anchors the group, even as its youngest member. Boykin provides the depth necessary to protect and develop freshmen like Byron Baldwin Jr. and Seaonta Stewart Jr.

This all gets shuffled if IU goes back to more rover-heavy sets, with a third safety-type player on the field.

Indiana punter

Mitch McCarthy, Sr.

The Australia native transferred in from Central Florida between semesters. He slides seamlessly into the position left open by James Evans’ graduation following last season.

Indiana punt returner

TBD

It will be interesting to see where Indiana goes here. Last year, the Hoosiers put the bulk of this job on Myles Price’s shoulders and he excelled. When he needed spelling, Ke’Shawn Williams filled in ably.

Neither player was recruited to return punts. It became an added duty as the offseason developed. Cignetti will probably have his eye on two or three players worth tossing into the competition for this job, but who they are right now is anyone’s guess.

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