2025 IUFB Preseason Position Preview: Special Teams

Indiana Hoosiers place kicker Nicolas Radicic (39) scores a field goal during the first half of a game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. Subscriber Content The Indiana Hoosiers were a bit of a mixed bag when it came to special teams in 2024. On the good side, place kicker Nicolas Radicic was nearly automatic on field goals and hit all 69 extra points. Myles Price and Ke’shawn Williams provided game sealing returns in the punt game. However, in the Hoosiers two biggest games of the year punt James Evans struggled. Against Ohio State he dropped a snap and misplaced a punt that led to 14 Ohio State points. In the playoff loss to Notre Dame, Evans struggled punting the ball as short punts tilted the field in Notre Dame’s favor. We’ll take a look at who IU has returning, who can replace departed pieces and whether or not IU will return more than five kickoffs this season. Special Teams Postion by Position Place Kicker: Nicolas Radicic Radicic set the single-season school record for extra points made in a season in 2024 and will continue his assault on the career record (161 Mitch Ewald). He also hit 10-of-11 field goals. There is plenty to love about Radicic. He has the right mindset for kicking and was successful in all sorts of nasty weather. However, there is still some mystery about what his in-game range is. While he hit some massive field goals, his long was just 41 yards. I am willing to say that the mystery will be solved at some point this year. Kickoff Specialist: Brendan Franke and Quinn Warren Frankie comes in from Texas State (previously Georgia Southern and Nebraska). He will likely be the main kick off specialist and backup on field goals. Franke has hit 70-percent of his 210 kickoffs for touchbacks, a key to that position. The Hoosiers kickoff specialists were the victims of poor injury luck last year as the top two went down early in the year. Quinn Warren stepped in beautifully and could be in position to take kickoffs should it be needed. Other Kickers on the Roster (Bryce Taylor and Josh Placzek) Taylor is a walk-on from Bloomington who has a big leg. He is a true freshman, so he probably does not factor into the mix, but he can be a factor in the future. Placzek is a redshirt freshman from Carmel (Ind.) and provides depth. Nov 9, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Martell Hughes (18) blocks a punt by UCF Knights punter Mitch McCarthy (40) during the first half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Punter: Mitch McCarthy McCarthy looks like the auto-generated punter you get after the one from your program graduates from CFB26. At 6’5” and 230 pounds, he is built more like a tight end than punter. However, he can boot the ball. McCarthy has a career average of 43 yards on 115 punts at UCF. He can pin people inside the 20-yard line well. He is replacing James Evans who set the program record for career punting average. The hope is McCarthy can avoid the consistency issues that Evans suffered from. Backup: Oludabe Baker Baker was a late addition to the roster, but the redshirt senior has experience punting in college and will probably be the back up. Baker has not punted since the 2022 season at Morehead College. He has spent the last two academic years in the Air Force reserves. Return Options (Solomon VanHorse, LeBron Bond, Makai Jackson, Jonathan Brady) The Hoosiers did not have much of a kickoff return game in 2024. I would expect Solomon VanHorse to assume those duties. He was very good at JMU. IU benefited from having two really good and aggressive punt returners last season. These hidden yards helped seal games against Washington and Michigan. True freshman LeBron Bond is electric with the ball in his hand and had a great high school career returning punts. Wide Receivers Makai Jackson and Jonathan Brady could be more veteran options there. Indiana's Lebron Bond (6) at Indiana University football practice on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. Long Snapper: Mark Langston Langston was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection last year. He was great and will be the starter again this season. Backup: Sam Lindsey Lindsey also has FBS experience as he played 11 games with Georgia State in 2023. He is only a redshirt sophomore and will likely take over for Langston next year. Outlook The Hoosiers should be one of the better special teams units in the Big Ten. They upgraded at punter and brought back one of the most consistent kickers in the country. If IU can get some explosive plays in the return game, they will become really, really tough to deal with. Preseason Position Previews Cornerbacks Wide Receivers Tight Ends Running Backs Safeties & Rover Defensive Ends/Stud Quarterbacks Offensive Line Defensive Tackle Continue to follow along with Hoosier Huddle’s coverage as we quickly approach opening kickoff! Subscribe to get access Read more of this content when you subscribe today. Log in

2025 IUFB Preseason Position Preview: Special Teams

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2025 IUFB Preseason Position Preview: Special Teams

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