I’m working under the assumption that IUFB is probably done in the portal and we’re nearly set with the current roster. I use this space to talk about the depth chart as I see it at this moment in time. Depth charts are extremely fluid, especially when practice starts so these are subject to change but the points I’m making, typically, are still what I believe even if I make a switch because until we get reports from live practices, I’m just guessing.
You can find the working Google Sheet here as well as checking the Hoosier Huddle message board where it is a pinned topic.
It’s updated with current class, weight, height, total scholarship, walk-ons and more. I recommend viewing on a desktop and not on Twitter or any “preview” type browser. It looks much better in almost any browser than the one Twitter has. Also, you can click on the players IU profile which I update as soon as players are given a page on the IU website.
Today I’m going to hit the offensive line position. IU currently has 37 scholarships on offense and 35% of those scholarships are going to offensive line (13).
The Starter Tier
Outside of QB, OL is the most important position on the football field, in my opinion, because, as fomer HC Kevin Wilson would say, “you can only call what you can block”. And IU could call a lot of stuff last year because they could block…which led them to a National Championship.
Heading into Spring Practice, we typically see areas where guys look to ascend the depth chart and maybe take control of a starting role they may not have had but the OL is probably as set as set can be from where I sit.
LT Carter Smith will be a preseason All American in ’26 after an All American season in ’25. Not much else to say but I’ll throw out some stats just so people get how good he was:
- In 1376 career pass blocking snaps, Smith has given up just 8 total sacks…2 each of his 4 years.
- Smith ranks 4th in Pro Football Focus overall grade among al OL returning
- Smith allowed just 9 total pressures in ’25 with 3 coming against Miami in the National Title
- Despite having the 2nd most snaps of any returning OL, his 9 pressures allowed were tied for 25th overall in least amount allowed…he’s also tied with my next OL to talk about.
That next player is the only transfer portal addition to the OL and it’s former Wisconsin OG Joe Brunner. Brunner allowed just 9 total pressures in ’25 as well. As good as Brunner was, he did that in 155 less snaps. Brunner grades out as the 66th over all returner by PFF and they had his pass blocking (63rd) better than his run blocking (80th) but his 66th overall is in the 66th percentile among returners.
Either way, the 6’7 Brunner was a massive addition and fills the hole left by the graduation of C Pat Coogan. I don’t think IU will be messing with Drew Evans at LG even though that is the position Brunner played at Wisconsin. My guess is that Brunner shifts over to RG as a steadying, veteran force on that side with new starting RT Adedamola Ajani set to take over.
Evans and Smith clearly have elite chemistry on the left side. Evans is a perfect 21-0 when he suits up for IU as he was injured during midweek practice before the Michigan game in ’24 and missed 4 games in ’25. The bottom line on Evans: he’s a solid interior OL player with good size and ranks 25th among returning OL’s in PFF grade.
I thought one of the bigger issues with the offense as the season wore on was the inability of the right side of the OL to get that elite play that the left side (and center) gave you. IU cycled through Ajani, Bray Lynch, Zen Michalski and Kahlil Benson.
The way I see it, Bray Lynch will move inside to center. Lynch is in the 47th percentile among all OL by overall PFF grade. He struggled as the competition ramped up but this is a kid who has 1864 career snaps…he’s seen it all. I also think he’s got the smarts to call out protections and will benefit from having an elite vet like Brunner next to him rather than a revolving door at RT where he tries to overcompensate and then makes mistakes himself.
Adedamola Ajani will be just a redshirt sophomore in ’26 but he’s already made massive strides just within the season last year. He played a snap at every position but center in ’25 while making four starts, including the Rose Bowl and finished the year with 361 total snaps. 112 of those came at RT where I think he’s going to be the starter in the Spring and into ’26.
Ajani’s natural position is probably guard given that he’s 6’4 but he’s super athletic and has long arms which is probably why OL Coach Bob Bostad feels good with him as the starter at RT. Ajani struggled to pass block against Miami’s elite pass rushers Ahkeem Mesidor and Reuben Bain but so did Carter Smith…an All American. The fact that they trusted him enough to start the Rose Bowl and National Title game means something to me. Ajani finished in the 66th percentile among all OL for PFF grade in ’25 as a redshirt freshman playing all over the line. He’s ready.
I think this starting 5 has a chance to be on the same level as the ’25 vintage and probably better than the ’24 vintage, especially after the ’24 team lost Drew Evans before the Michigan game.
The Depth Tier
Typically, you’d feel pretty good about having 8 guys on the OL that you think can play. The 5 starters and then guys you can think are solid back ups.
IU lost a solid back up in OT Evan Lawrence to San Diego State in the portal. He was entering his redshirt sophomore season. Seems like a kid that wanted to start playing right away and eventually transfer back up into the B1G or SEC. Lawrence played in 7 games but I think when Smith came back and Ajani passed him for the RT spot, the writing was kind of on the wall.
It can be really hard to get a sense of where guys stand when they play such a small amount of snaps, typically in garbage time, but I think the next three that the staff feels good about are, in no particular order, G Matt Marek, T Baylor Wilkin and do it all, C/G/T Austin Liebfried.
Starting with Liebfried, he has the length to basically play anywhere. He played in 7 games, all at Center in ’25 and acquitted himself well, albeit a small sample of just 69 snaps by PFF and the eye test. I said “do it all” earlier and I really think he can be a swing player. He’s 6’6 and athletic. Clearly the staff liked him at center enough to have him play exclusively there when he did play. He won’t start this year unless he passes Lynch, I think he’s the first up on the interior if any injury occurs.
Baylor Wilkin was just a freshman last year but played in the 4 games allowed to keep his redshirt. Wilkin came to IU as a more undersized OT that needed to add weight. Well, he was up to 290 before the ’25 season and showed good athleticism in HS. He played 32 snaps last year, all at guard, but I still like him as the back up OT.
Marek is an iOL all the way. He’s thickly built 6’3, 308lbs soon to be redshirt sophomore played 30 snaps as a back up last season and, again, looked fine in a small sample.
The above three guys are all in line to start at some point in the future. All will be trying to prove themselves this Spring and Fall to that end moving forward.
The Freshman at Spring Practice Tier
I’m putting redshirt freshman OG Evan Parker in this category. He didn’t play a single snap in ’25. He was the 1523rd overall prospect by 247 composite ranking and clearly the 6’4 iOL needed seasoning. He played at Carmel HS in Indiana so he played good competition in both practice and during games, but he must work on his athleticism again this spring and fall to be moved ahead of the young guys.
Benjamin Novak, Sam Simpson and CJ Scifres are all on campus right now gearing up for their first Spring Practice schedule. It’s super important, especially for OL, to get into the college weight, conditioning and nutrition program early if possible and these three will likely only see time on the field as back ups in ’26.
OL has, traditionally, been the hardest spot for Indiana teams to compete with the big boys. But with Bob Bostad running the OL and Curt Cignetti running the program, IU has leveled up in the portal…next spot to get those higher ranked guys is from the HS ranks.
Novak, Simpson and Scifres are likely all developmental prospects at this point.
Novak’s HUDL shows decent bend and athleticism to get to the second level and plays through the whistle. That’s essentially what you’re looking for, especially in OT prospects. Novak was the 882nd rated prospect by 247 composite while be listed as an iOL by the services. I think they hope he’s a OT prospect.
Simpson was IU’s first commit in the ’26 class. He played LT in HS, but he’s a pure iOL at the next level given his 6’3 size. HUDL shows a kid who uses leverage and power to destroy HS DE’s and 247’s composite had him as the 919th best recruit in the country out of River Falls, WI. Again, another intriguing prospect that is going to take a couple years to develop but the tools appear to be there.
Finally, CJ Scifres. Scifres was the lowest ranked commit in the ’26 class. The Greenwood, IN (Center Grove HS) native ranked 1978th overall by the 247 composite. His HUDL shows a powerful iOL that needs a lot of work on his athleticism and bend. He’s clearly a developmental prospect but he played at a good program and has the size to eventually, potentially, carve out a role as an iOL. But being on campus early is the best way to start if you’re a prospect like Scifres.
Kenton Mondeau isn’t on campus until the fall, so he’ll be behind the others but he’s still an interesting prospect at 6’7. His HUDL shows a kid that plays with a mean streak through the whistle and has the length to hopefully stick at OT, probably the right side but you never know.