Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Indiana football is officially back on the field for spring practices! Coach Curt Cignetti has taken the reigns of the Hoosier program and expectations are at nearly an all-time high, despite not yet playing any games. There was a lot of roster turnover this offseason, so as we kick off spring practices we wanted to give a preview of all the players on the team. Today, we’ll highlight the cornerback group.

(On March 20th we posted a breakdown of the safety position written by TJ Inman, if you want the full defensive secondary preview check out that post. There very well could be some overlap between the two positions once the roster fully takes shape in the fall).

Josh Philostin – Freshman, 5’11 179 Pounds

Syracuse was a contender to flip Philostin’s commitment after Indiana’s coaching change, but ultimately the Hoosiers were able to reel in the high 3-star, top-500 ranked corner out of West Palm Beach, Florida. Philostin’s game is all about speed; he competed in track as well as football in high school and projects as a coverage specialist because his speed allows him to keep pace with wide receivers. He played a lot of receiver his senior year in high school as well, so he has solid ball skills. Adding strength will be a priority for him at the Power Five level.

JoJo Johnson – Redshirt Junior, 5’11 184 Pounds

Indiana is the third college on Johnson’s resume after starting his career at Notre Dame, transferring to Iowa Western Community College, and ultimately joining the Hoosiers in the fall of last season. He appeared in all twelve games last year and started to come on strong towards the end of the season – ten of his 12 total tackles came in November, plus he added one pass breakup. Johnson projects as a second-string corner right now.

Kobee Minor – Redshirt Senior, 6’0 183 Pounds

The Hoosiers are in need of experienced guys at the corner position, and Kobee Minor fills that role well. He has appeared in 34 games with nine starts over his four years of college, starting his time at Texas Tech before transferring to Indiana before last season. Last year was a great year for Minor; he appeared in 11 games with nine starts and earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media panel. He logged 29 tackles over the year and defended four passes. He projects as a starter heading into next season.

Jamier Johnson – Redshirt Junior, 6’0 177 Pounds

The Indiana cornerback room went through a rehaul before last season and Jamier Johnson was intended to be the premier lockdown guy after transferring from Texas, but the injury bug nagged him all year and he ultimately was only able to play in four games. He notched five tackles and a pass defended in the time he did play. This year he hopes to remain healthy and assume the position as the number one corner, alongside Kobee Minor.

Dontrae Henderson – Freshman, 5’11 178 Pounds

A few guys have joined the Indiana roster because of their connection with Cignetti at James Madison, and this is true for Dontrae Henderson. Henderson was a 3-star James Madison commit that followed the coach he committed to to Bloomington. His only Power Five offer was the Hoosiers, so this is a “trust in Cignetti” kind of player. He has good size for a corner and will continue to develop this season.

Jamari Sharpe – Redshirt Sophomore, 6’1 185 Pounds

Sharpe has all the physical tools and size that Power Five schools are looking for in corners, now it’s time to truly blossom under new defensive backs coach Ola Adams. He’s got some experience for a guy entering just his third year, with 15 appearances (nine starts), 22 career tackles, one tackle for loss, and an interception. If he can continue to grow and develop, he could quickly become Indiana’s most productive cornerback.

Walk-Ons

Lincoln Murff – Redshirt Freshman

Clay Conner – Redshirt Freshman

Aaron Stewart – Redshirt Sophomore

Anthony Chung – Redshirt Freshman

Luke Haupert – Redshirt Freshman

Jaz Boykin – Redshirt Freshman

Reece Bellin – Redshirt Freshman

The Huddle

2024 Spring Football: Position Preview – Cornerback

Hoosier Huddle