Spring Football 2025 – Safeties and Rover Preview, Depth Chart and Superlatives
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Written by: TJ Inman
2024 was a milestone and memorable season for the Indiana Hoosiers. Curt Cignetti’s first season in Bloomington resulted in a stunning 11-1 regular season record with the lone loss coming in Columbus against eventual National Champion Ohio State. Indiana made the College Football Playoff and battled Notre Dame before falling in South Bend and ending the season at 11-2. It was a school-record for wins and Curt Cignetti was honored as the National Coach of the Year. As IU begins preparations for the 2025 campaign, there is an unprecedented amount of attention on the program.
Hoosier Huddle is gearing up for the spring with individual position group previews. Today, we examine two more parts of IU’s talented secondary: safeties and rovers. The Hoosiers lost quite a bit to graduation after last season, mainly the rock-steady Terry Jones and Shawn Asbury. However, Amare Ferrell returns and the group was bolstered by the addition of North Carolina State transfer Devan Boykin and returning Hoosier and Ole Miss transfer Louis Moore.
Losses
Shawn Asbury – 69 tackles (third on team)
Terry Jones – 39 tackles
Josh Sanguinetti – 24 tackles
DJ Warnell – 4 tackles in four games played
Nic Toomer – no recorded stats
Tyrik McDaniel – 1 tackle in four games played
Newcomers
Devin Boykin – RS SR transfer from North Carolina State
Louis Moore – RS SR transfer from Ole Miss
Byron Baldwin – FR from Baltimore, Maryland
Two-deep
Indiana’s base defense featured two linebackers along with two safeties and a hybrid player called a “Rover”. Additional defensive backs or a third linebacker are often subbed in but for the purposes of this preview, we will project the starting lineup with two starting safeties and a Rover. One of the best parts of this personnel grouping is the versatility and flexibility of many of these players. Amare Ferrell can play safety or Rover. Louis Moore and Devan Boykin can do the same. Slot corner Amariyun Knighten could play Rover, if needed. That versatility could really come in handy if injuries crop up during the season.
Starting Safeties – Amare Ferrell (Junior) and Devan Boykin (RS Senior)
Now a junior, Amare Ferrell has already played in 25 games and has established himself as a fan favorite. The talented playmaker from Florida started all last season and was fifth on the team in tackles with 49. He began as a Rover but transitioned to safety and partnered with Shawn Asbury at the back of IU’s defense. Ferrell led the team with four interceptions and he is a potential All-Big Ten player for the 2025 season. His new partner at safety is North Carolina State transfer Devan Boykin. Boykin appeared in 45 games over five seasons with the North Carolina State Wolfpack but he missed all of the 2024 campaign after injuring his knee in preparation for the Wolfpack’s 2023 bowl game. Boykin was a full-time starter in 2023 as North Carolina State allowed only 20.8 points per game and Boykin was fourth in tackles and first in interceptions on that squad. He was a big addition and should step right into the starting lineup now 18 months out from his injury.
Starting Rover – Louis Moore (RS Senior)
A familiar name is back in Bloomington to finish his collegiate career. Louis Moore started at Navarro Community College in 2020 and spent two seasons there before transferring to IU prior to the 2022 campaign. He was a surprise for the Hoosiers and quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff, appearing in all 12 games that season. Moore moved into the starting lineup and started ten games during the 2023 campaign before leaving for Ole Miss after Tom Allen was fired. Moore played in 11 games and started in two for the Rebels. Moore entered the transfer portal and was quickly linked to Indiana and was accepted back into the program by Curt Cignetti and the players, a telling sign of how well-respected Moore is as a player and as a person. His best spot with IU was Husky and Rover is very similar so that is where we have him slotted for the 2025 campaign.
Rotation – Bryson Bonds, Jah Jah Boyd, Byron Baldwin
Again, I think it is important to mention the versatility this group of players offers. Bryson Bonds is a special teams dynamo and very experienced. If required, he can step in and provide snaps at Rover or at one of the safety spots. Jah Jah Boyd is a redshirt freshman that was a key piece of Curt Cignetti’s first recruiting class. He is a dynamic and quick athlete that had the potential to play receiver but was slotted on defense when he arrived in Bloomington. He redshirted the 2024 campaign and I think his best spot might be Rover. He'll definitely see some playing time this coming fall and his performance in the spring will be the first step to determining just how much. Out of all of Indiana’s incoming freshman, Byron Baldwin is probably the one that would deemed “most likely to play in 2025”. Curt Cignetti would probably prefer to redshirt all of his freshmen and that might end up being the case but Baldwin has the size and athleticism to get on the field at safety. The former four-star recruit from Baltimore is a terrific prospect.
Surprises
DeAngelo Ponds gets all of the much-deserved love but it was Amare Ferrell that actually led the team in interceptions. Devan Boykin led the North Carolina State Wolfpack in picks during the 2023 campaign and is now his partner in the secondary at safety. I am making the bold prediction that the duo will combine for ten interceptions during the upcoming season.
Confidence Level
I have supreme confidence in the starting trio of players. Ferrell, Moore and Boykin have played a whole lot of football and they have all done so at a high-level. If those players stay healthy, IU will have a terrific back-end of the defense. The only concern for this group comes if one of those players gets hurt. The Hoosiers have the experienced Bonds and dynamic athletes like Boyd and Baldwin but plugging one or two of those guys would cause a potential downturn in play. The concern level should not be terribly high but it’s fair to point out that uncertainty behind the starters should be there right now.