What will Indiana football’s depth chart look like in season opener? Our final prediction

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s roster looks a whole lot different than the last time fans watched the team play.

With the 2023 season-opener against Ohio State fast approaching, The Herald-Times has put together predictions for what the depth chart will look like on Sept. 2 based on how players performed during portions of practice open to the media and what the coaches have said.

Matt Hohlt put on scholarship 'Those are the ones you can't wait to award.'

Here’s our predictions:

Quarterback

• The starter: Tayven Jackson, R-Fr.

• The reserve: Brendan Sorsby, R-Fr.

Indiana hasn’t given any indication what they plan to do at quarterback. They split reps evenly whenever reporters were allowed to see practice and their performance during those times — some good/some bad — was in line with how the coaching staff they had played through the early portion of fall camp.

So how did we break the tie? Jackson is the more mobile of the two, and that’s not insignificant with the Hoosiers incorporating plenty of read-option looks that are more dangerous when the quarterback is a threat to run. He still has plenty of room to improve as a pocket passer, but that should develop with time. It’s close enough that it could go either way on Sept. 2.

Take a look: Four bold predictions for Indiana football in 2023

Running back

• The starter: Jaylin Lucas, So.

• The reserves: Josh Henderson, Sr.; Christian Turner (R-Sr.)

The designations here don’t really matter. All three running backs will get reps and Lucas will also get plenty of snaps at wide receiver in addition to his receiving duties. Henderson is a good pass catcher in how own right out of the backfield— he was third on the team in receiving last season with 274 yards — and that will help him carve out a role.

The well-traveled Turner will come in handy as a short-yardage back. He’s only averaged 4.0 yards per carry during his carry, but he’s forced 46 missed tackles and rushed for 55 first downs over the last two seasons.

Wide receiver

• The starter(s): Cam Camper, Sr.; E.J. Williams Jr., Sr.; Kamryn Perry, R-Fr.

• The reserves: Andison Coby, Jr.; Omar Cooper Jr.; DeQuece Carter, Sr.

Camper being available to start the season is a big boost for the offense. The coaching staff has raved about Perry’s development, but expect Carter to get plenty of reps at slot. They both have explosive-play potential that was missing from Indiana’s offense last season. Williams could be the difference-maker if he finally lives up to the potential he showed as a true freshman at Clemson. The Hoosiers hope consistent reps will help him find an improved level of consistency.

Tight end

• The starter: Aaron Steinfieldt, R-So.

• The reserves: Bradley Archer, R-Sr. OR James Bomba, R-So.

The tight ends will rotate based on their skill sets. That should make Steinfieldt the primary pass-catcher as Indiana looks to replace AJ Barner’s production. Barner transferred to Michigan after catching 28 passes for 199 passes and three touchdowns. Bomba will get plenty of reps as a blocker in the run game. Archer, who transferred from Stanford, provides some depth.

Offensive line

The starter(s): 

• RT: Matthew Bedford, R-Sr.

• RG: Kahlil Benson, R-Jr.

• C: Zach Carpenter, R-Sr.

• LG: Mike Katic, R-Sr.

• LT:  Carter Smith, R-Fr.

Things went bad for Indiana on the offensive line right out of the gate last season when Matthew Bedford suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1. Bedford showed no signs of the injury during fall camp and that improves the Hoosiers outlook in a big way.

Carter Smith would be the only starter without starting experience, but he opened the fall with the first-team offensive line and stayed there. He got a taste of collegiate experience against Ohio State last season against Ohio State and is listed at 12 pounds heavier (6-foot-5, 305-pounder) than he was a year ago.

The reserves: 

• RT: Joshua Sales, R-So.

• RG: Noah Bolticoff, R-So.

• C: Bray Lynch, R-Fr.

• LG: Max Longman, R-Sr.

• LT: Copper Jones, R-So.

Longman was a nice get out of the transfer portal for the Hoosiers as insurance on the offensive line thanks to his experience, versatility (he’s started games at both guard and tackle) and familiarity with Walt Bell’s system. They nabbed Bolticoff out of the portal as well and he’s moved around this summer as they have tried to find the best place for him. Jones and Sales look the part at tackle, but are still developing.

Defensive end

• The starter: Andre Carter, Sr.

• The reserve: Marcus Burris, R-So.

Carter has turned heads from the moment he stepped on campus. He was the most impactful player on the defense in the spring and picked up right where he left off in the fall. He’s also taken on a leadership role in hopes of molding the younger players behind him including Burris. There might be an adjustment period for Burris, who is playing full-time on the edge for the first time since high school, but he has a ton of upside.

Defensive tackles

• The starter(s): LeDarrius Cox, R-Sr.; Philip Blidi, Sr.

• The reserves: Patrick Lucas, R-Sr.; Robby Harrison, R-Fr.

Indiana bulked up in a big way over the last two years at defensive tackle. Cox and Lucas came in last year from Ole Miss and will move up from the back end of the rotation to more prominent roles this fall. Blidi has impressed and could also get reps at defensive end in certain situations. He got inconsistent playing time for Texas Tech — a theme for many of the incoming transfers — but his best games came when he played 20 or more snaps. That’s a good sign with him set to land a starting role.

Bull

• The starter: Lanell Carr Jr., Sr.

• The reserves: Myles Jackson, R-Jr. OR Anthony Jones, R-Fr.

Carr was paired up with Carter throughout camp during portions of practice open to the media and the coaching staff said he was one of the biggest standouts of the fall.

He flashed his potential down the stretch last year with eight quarterback pressures in West Virginia’s final four games. His performance against Oklahoma State showed why Indiana was so interested. He played 55 snaps — he rushed the passer 15 times and was dropped back in coverage on 20 snaps —  and got high marks in all areas, according to Pro Football Focus. That flexibility would give Matt Guerrieri some real flexibility as a play caller.

Linebacker

• The starter(s): Aaron Casey, Sr.; Jacob Mangum-Farrar, Sr.

• The reserves: Kaiden Turner, R-Fr.; Matt Hohlt, R-So.

The first-team linebackers are a no-brainer. Casey is one of the most experienced players on the roster and has shown improvement every year he’s been in Bloomington.

It’s hard to envision he won’t be selected as a team captain given his increasing leadership role. It would be surprising to see him land All-Big Ten honors for a second straight year. Mangum-Farrar, a sixth-year player like Casey, makes this one of the most experienced positions on the defense.

Cornerback

• The starter(s): Kobee Minor, R-Jr.; Jamier Johnson, Jr.

• The reserves: Nic Toomer, R-Jr; Jamari Sharpe, R-Fr.

This is one of the more interesting spots on Indiana’s two-deep. The Hoosiers really leaned on their two starting corners (Tiawan Mullen and Jaylin Williams) last year, but they might rotate more this fall as they look to find the most effective pairing. James Monds III and JoJo Johnson are also in the mix here.

Johnson, a junior college transfer via Notre Dame, was the last player in Indiana’s 2023 class to arrive on campus and did a nice job of making up for lost time during fall camp. He’s still probably behind the others, but things could change come midseason.

Husky

• The starter: Noah Pierre, R-Sr.

• The reserve: Jordan Grier, Jr.

Pierre has bounced around the secondary during his career, but has settled in at Indiana’s husky position, a hybrid safety and linebacker spot. He falls more on the safety line of the spectrum given his size and coverage skills. Grier is a bit bigger and there were a string of fall practices where he really stood out.

Safeties

• The starter(s): Josh Sanguinetti, R-Sr.; Louis Moore, Sr.

• The reserve: Bryson Bonds, R-Jr.; Philip Dunnam, So.

Sanguinetti and Moore get the nod coming out of camp, but Dunnam is coming up fast. The three-star was a key special teams contributor last season and got some extended playing time on defense in losses to Penn State and Ohio State. The Hoosiers will look to get him ore snaps this season given his high upside.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on Twitter @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: What will Indiana's depth chart look like in season-opener?