Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Indiana football is officially back on the field for spring practices! Though the head coach will be different this spring, offensive line coach Bob Bostad is back to lead a unit that improved greatly in the 2023 season. There will be some familiar players for Bostad in his second season with the Hoosiers, but plenty of new ones as well. Let’s see how the roster shakes out.

Nick Kidwell – Redshirt Senior+, 6’5 317 Pounds

Coach Cignetti prioritized experience in his transfer portal pursuits, and he found that in abundance in fellow James Madison transplant Nick Kidwell. Kidwell will be playing in his seventh year of college football next season after receiving a medical hardship waiver last year. Over his career, he has appeared in 52 games and started in 34 of them – his last 34 appearances have all been starts. Spending most of his time at right tackle, Kidwell was a second team All-Sun Belt selection in 2022. He accumulated many accolades and was on the Senior Bowl Watch List last year before his season-ending injury. Kidwell will anchor an Indiana offensive line that continues to build depth and veteran leadership. He may slide into the right guard position, rather than tackle, next fall.

Mike Katic – Redshirt Senior+, 6’4 315 Pounds

A familiar face for Bostad, Katic was a big “addition” this offseason as the Hoosier staff was able to draw him out of the NFL Draft process and convince him to return for one more season. The 2023 team captain has appeared in 39 career games, 37 of which have been starts. He has played primarily at left guard, the position he started all 12 games in last year, but he is likely to move to center this season. He is a versatile veteran leader on the interior of the line and his NFL future is likely at the center position, so we have penciled him there.

Carter Smith – Redshirt Sophomore, 6’5 308 Pounds

Sometimes the biggest additions to your roster are the ones you already had; this is the exact feeling Indiana has with Carter Smith, a highly coveted transfer portal entry that ultimately turned down numerous SEC and Big Ten offers to return to Indiana. Smith will continue to anchor the left tackle position and if he stays on track with his development, he will find himself playing on Sundays. His Pro Football Focus grade of 67.7 last season ranked 15th among all tackles in the 2026 draft class and 2nd in the Big Ten.

Noah Bolticoff – Redshirt Junior, 6’5 296 Pounds

This spring will be a big one for Noah Bolticoff as he tries to identify his role along the offensive line. Bolticoff began his career at TCU before transferring to Indiana for the 2023 season. He played a significant role in TCU’s championship game run, appearing in six total games that included the final five contests – two of which, of course, were the CFP semis and title game. But since then, he joined the Hoosier program and did not see any game action last season. We slot him likely as a backup piece along the interior of the line but will be a piece to continue to monitor as practices progress.

Bubba Jeffries – Redshirt Freshman, 6’4 313 Pounds

Jeffries has a great opportunity ahead of him as he will continue to be developed by Bostad. While he likely will not play a significant role this coming season, the former 3-star recruit will continue to add strength and learn under experienced guys ahead of him on the depth chart. He missed a lot of last season due to injury, but does have plentiful high school playing experience – he was a starter along the offensive line when he was in eighth grade.

Bray Lynch – Redshirt Sophomore, 6’5 306 Pounds

Bray Lynch was a big recruit out of high school as the 2021 MaxPreps All-American and state of Texas First-Team All-State selection chose the Hoosiers over offers from Duke, Oklahoma State, TCU, Air Force, and others. After appearing in the maximum four games and redshirting his freshman season, Lynch appeared in five more games last season along the offensive line and special teams. Lynch will likely start the year on the second line of the depth chart, but I’d expect him to be one of the first guys off the bench if there are injuries or performance changes.

Trey Wedig – Redshirt Senior, 6’7 317 Pounds

Cignetti wasn’t the only coach going and nabbing former players, as Bostad did some work of his own to bring Trey Wedig from his previous employer Wisconsin. Wedig played all over the offensive line with the Badgers and amassed 35 appearances with eight career starts. Ultimately, he felt Bostad could get the most out of his abilities, so he decided to make the move to an in-conference foe. As of now, the big-bodied but agile player projects as the starting right tackle this season.

Cooper Jones – Redshirt Junior, 6’6 311 Pounds

Jones started his career as a well-regarded recruit out of Valparaiso, but on the defensive side of the ball. He made the switch to the offensive line to bolster depth at the beginning of last season and seemed pretty comfortable with the transition. He appeared in all twelve games last year, primarily on special teams. He will continue to improve on technique on the offensive side of the ball this spring and serve as a depth piece in the fall.

Drew Evans – Redshirt Sophomore, 6’4 301 Pounds

Another transplant from Bostad’s former employer Wisconsin, Drew Evans was a late add to the 2023 roster last August when they added the former high school two-star recruit out of the transfer portal. Evans was a walk-on for the Badgers but accepted an open scholarship with the Hoosiers when Cam Knight retired from football. A Wisconsin native, Evans is a “trust in Bostad” kind of player – one that historically the Badgers would turn into a star and other schools would wonder ‘why didn’t we offer him?’

Will Larkins – Redshirt Freshman, 6’5 311 Pounds

Will Larkins is early in his career as he enters just his second season with the Hoosiers, but he is a highly regarded former 3-star recruit that has a great frame at such a young age. Rated as the 8th best center nationally by ESPN out of high school, Larkins will continue to develop behind some more experienced guys – but projects to be a great addition for Bostad and the Hoosiers later in his career. He did not see any game action last year and redshirted.

Vincent Fiacable – Redshirt Junior, 6’4 313 Pounds

The hope for Fiacable is still that he can see time at guard during his Indiana career and continue the tradition of Fiacables playing at Indiana, but thus far we just have not seen Fiacable stick. Steve Fiacable played on the offensive line from 1988-1991, and Vincent is the third Fiacable son to play for the Hoosiers (Steve 2009-10, Mike 2015-18). So far through three seasons, Fiacable has appeared in three games mostly in mop-up duty.

Austin Barrett – Redshirt Freshman, 6’6 295 Pounds

Austin Barrett joined Indiana as a part of last year’s high school recruiting class. The 3-star consensus recruit played football and wrestled in high school. He did not see any game action last year and redshirted. He will continue to add strength and serve as a depth piece this season.

Tyler Stephens – Redshirt Senior, 6’5 307 Pounds

I haven’t declared anyone the starter at left guard yet during this preview, and that’s because Tyler Stephens was still waiting to be discussed. Stephens is another James Madison transfer that followed Curt Cignetti to Indiana. He has experience at both tackle spots and left guard over his career, nabbing 31 starts over his 36 appearances. He has started every game the last two seasons and tabbed second-team All-Sun Belt honors last year. His experience and size should make him a great addition in the interior of the line.

Walk-Ons

Max Williams – Redshirt Sophomore

Robby Kowalewski – Redshirt Freshman

Garrett Brown – Redshirt Freshman

Jack Greer – Redshirt Sophomore

Josh Witt – Redshirt Sophomore

The Huddle

2024 Spring Football: Position Preview – Offensive Line

Hoosier Huddle