Indiana held its spring game on Thursday, the same night that last year’s offensive stars Fernando Mendoza and Omar Cooper Jr. were drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Here are the biggest takeaways from this year’s offense:
Tyler Morris will be a star
Heading into the 2025-2026 season, one of the buzziest names was wide receiver Tyler Morris. The Michigan transfer was poised for a breakout season before he suffered a season-ending injury last spring. Cut to this spring, and Morris has returned with a vengeance. Morris is completely healthy and showcased just what he can do on Thursday. He opened up the scoring with a 75-yard touchdown catch from QB Grant Wilson. By the end of the first quarter he had an unofficial stat line of 89 yards on 4 catches and a touchdown.
Speaking to the media after the game, Coach Cignetti said, “[Morris] has made some big plays in the last five or six practices, and that’s good to see. We’re going to need him. He’s an experienced guy who can probably play all three positions…I like what I saw out there.”
Starting QB Josh Hoover echoed these statements, saying, “T-Mo’s unbelievable, he’s got great feel, he’s played a lot of football…he’s a playmaker, makes plays on the ball, catches it well, and so [I’m] definitely looking forward to developing the chemistry with him.”
While receivers like Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh may receive more attention from opposing defenses to start the season, that will allow Morris to get open and start making plays for this IU offense.
Indiana has another talented running back room
A large part of Indiana’s success last season was due to the strength of its run game. Even after losing Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby to the NFL Draft, the Hoosiers are poised for another strong season on the ground.
Khobie Martin has been waiting for his time to shine over the past two years and it is finally here. The Redshirt Sophomore unofficially had 4 carries for 31 yards the first quarter of the spring game and showed enough flashes of physicality and home-run ability to get Indiana fans excited. Boston College transfer Turbo Richard seemed to be the perfect complement to Martin, rushing for an unofficial 38 yards on 8 carries on Thursday.
In addition to Martin and Richard, running back Lee Beebe Jr. also showed flashes of explosiveness as he continues to rehab from the season-ending injury he suffered last season. Indiana fans should get familar with this three-back rotation of Martin, Richard, and Beebe, as they will likely be making a lot of plays for the Hoosiers in the fall.
Josh Hoover will be fine
Josh Hoover must feel as though he has the weight of the entire state on his shoulders. The TCU transfer had to watch as his predecessor, Fernando Mendoza, was drafted with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft right before the spring game got underway. Hoover finds himself in an impossible situation, following up the greatest quarterback in school history. Every play he makes will be under an intense microscope, and he will be unfairly compared to Mendoza for his entire Indiana career. While his spring game performance may not have been anything to write home about, be sure that Hoover will figure it out during the season.
But don’t just take my word for it, Coach Cignetti said after the game, “[Hoover] has played a lot of football and I’m confident that he’ll come out of camp ready to play well and build off of his successes.”