5 who impressed from the IU spring game at QB, receiver, running back and offensive line

BLOOMINGTON – Curt Cignetti’s first spring season as IU football head coach concluded with Thursday’s open scrimmage.

Technically, Indiana’s offense defeated its defense, but Cignetti’s takeaways will have been more nuanced. He emerged encouraged about the forward steps the Hoosiers have taken, but with a warning.

“When you look back at Dec. 1,” he said, “the first day I took the job, when we had 10 offensive starters in the portal and many defensive guys, and really couldn’t even fill the team at that point, and where we are today; we’ve made progress. But we have a long way to go, and a short time to get there.”

Who might Cignetti have made a few mental notes of coming out of that spring game, as he turns the page to what’s left? Here are five Hoosiers who stood out:

Tayven Jackson, redshirt sophomore quarterback

Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke, who took snaps with the first-team offense Thursday, was the victim of broken protections and a handful of drops in key moments. And Cignetti was right to point out his second-team defense was shorthanded enough to weight the scales in the direction of the offense in those sequences.

But give Jackson — who finished the night 10-of-13 for 170 yards and two touchdowns — his due. He was hot early, completing his first eight throws. The play of the night was probably his sideline connection to Andison Coby in single coverage. If not that, then his touchdown pass in a tight window to Donaven McCulley from inside the red zone.

Jackson was also responsible for the lone interception on the night, but even that looked initially like a right-read-wrong-throw moment. Thursday looked more like the Louisville-game Tayven Jackson than Indiana might have seen over the back half of last season.

Andison Coby, senior wide receiver

In a wide receiver room stuffed with transfers (Cignetti took four in the winter cycle), Coby felt like a player who might have faded back a bit. But he didn’t look like it running with the second-team offense Thursday, finishing with four catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Again, some of that second-team work favored the offense purely on depth and experience. But Coby looked sharp and confident. He made multiple difficult or otherwise noteworthy catches. While some of transfers enjoyed more subdued evenings, Coby stood out.

On pure individual performance, he might have been the game’s offensive MVP.

Offensive line

Not one player, but a host of them.

Cignetti, not often given to effusive praise, has been guarded but positive about his offensive line through the course of spring practice. He’s reserved particular praise for Bob Bostad, the line coach and lone returner from Tom Allen’s last staff. And Cignetti’s given Bostad a veteran core to work with, one that showed up Thursday.

There were some dodgy moments, particularly when the defense got creative with its blitzes and fronts. But a healthy ground game sprung out of a strong blocking performance, and young linemen like Bray Lynch and Austin Barrett had good moments with the second unit as well.

This is one of the position groups that had to navigate spring practice at less-than-full health. If the depth chart is beefed up by summer’s end, Cignetti’s spring praise could evolve into fall reward.

Transfer running backs

OK, so I’m cheating. Can’t stop me.

IU took four transfers — Kaelon Black (JMU), Justice Ellison (Wake Forest), Elijah Green (UNC) and Ty Son Lawton (JMU) — this winter. Together, they have completely remade Indiana’s running back rotation, so much so that Trent Howland, who was coaxed out of the portal in the winter, reentered it come spring.

Those four transfer backs combined for 20 carries, 101 yards and two touchdowns Thursday. They managed a mixture of explosive runs and chain movers, consistently keeping their offense on schedule while grabbing big chunks of yardage when they were available.

Indiana got a couple involved in the passing game, and generally rotated well between all four. Together, they could set up a healthy run game come fall.

Aiden Fisher, junior linebacker

Cignetti said without a hint of humor that defensive coordinator Bryant Haines sleeps better at night knowing he has Fisher running his defense.

Across two seasons in Harrisonburg, Fisher tallied 113 tackles, and last season he was third-team all-conference. Now, he’s back with Haines in Bloomington, and so in sync the two sometimes settle on the same defensive call before one asks the other what’s next.

Fisher played well Thursday individually. But his importance to the wider scheme, in presence and communication, was also evident. If he stays healthy, IU has its defensive quarterback come fall.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.                                                                                                                                        

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 5 who impressed from the Indiana football spring game