Key Questions that Need to be Answered in IUFB's Fall Camp

Image Courtesy of Indiana Athletics

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers begin their 2023 Fall Camp on Wednesday and while there is cautious excitement around the program, there are many key questions that need to be answered heading into IU’s opener against Ohio State on September 2nd.

1. Who Wins the Quarterback Battle?

This will be the most talked about aspect of fall camp. The Hoosiers have a two-man battle for the starting job between redshirt freshmen Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby. While both had solid spring practices, neither pulled away with the job.

Jackson looked spectacular at times this spring after transferring from Tennessee, but he also had instances where it was obvious he is still just a freshman. He brings a strong arm and the athleticism to move in the pocket and run the ball when asked.

Sorsby, who played in one game last season, is very similar in skill set to Jackson. His advantage is that he has been in the program for a longer time. Sorsby looked overwhelmed against Penn State last season, but looked more comfortable this spring and had a solid spring game for IU.

This battle will be decided late in fall camp and an announcement is not expected to be made public until September 2nd.

2. How Much Has the Offensive Line Improved Under Bob Bostad?

The offensive line has been a major question (putting it nicely) for the last couple of seasons. The situation become so untenable last season that head coach Tom Allen fired Darren Hiller mid-season and replaced him with Rod Carey. Under Carey the line improved, which was not a high bar to clear.

Allen brought in former Wisconsin OL coach Bob Bostad this offseason and while Carey is still on staff as an analyst, it’s Bostad’s group. In the spring there was an emphasis on becoming tougher and going live against the defensive line more often than in prior years. The position is not void of talent and the hope is that Bostad plus the return of Matthew Bedford and a couple additions from the transfer portal can stabilize the position and get the offense back on track.

It’ll be tough to judge in camp if their is improvement, but it will be evident in week one against Ohio State if this line has improved.

3. Who Starts at Cornerback?

The Hoosiers will break in two new starting cornerbacks in 2023 after Taiwan Mullen and Jaylin Williams tested the NFL waters. This topic has not been talked about as much as it should be as IU’s defense is anchored by strong play at the position.

The good news is that IU’s pass defense the last two seasons has not been good, so maybe change can help that. The Hoosiers bring in transfers Jamier Johnson from Texas and Kobee Minor from Texas Tech and have Nicolas Toomer coming from Stanford and Jojo Johnson is expected to join the team from JUCO.

Johnson and Minor looked to be the top pairing coming out of spring practice, but that could change with Toomer and Johnson joining the mix.

IU also brings in a high school all-american in Jordan Shaw to the position. The biggest question is can players like James Monds and Shaw jump into the rotation as younger players. If they can, IU has a deep pool to pull from.

4. Which Transfer Players Step into Big Roles?

There are plenty of transfers coming in who can be impact players for the Hoosiers, including the defensive backs listed above. However, I will keep this to one or two players on each side of the ball.

On offense the answer is obvious. Tayven Jackson has the biggest chance to have the biggest impact on the team. It’s THE position on offense and he has to be the odds-on favorite to win the job out of fall camp. Outside of Jackson, I believe that Dequece Carter will have a major impact on the wide receiver room after setting all kinds of receiving records at Fordham.

On defense, it’s Andre Carter. He was impressive at Western Michigan and impressive in fall camp. If he can become the treat he was off the edge at WMU, IU’s defense is automatically better. However, there are plenty of transfers on defense who will have an impact.

5. What Does the Depth Behind the Starters at Skill Positions Look Like?

Over the last couple seasons the Hoosiers have fallen off when key skill position players have gotten hurt. So what will that look like in 2023?

Injuries happen in football, it is a violent sport. IU has more depth some of the skill positions than in years past. With Jackson and Sorsby being very even at quarterback, you can say there is some depth there, but with Dexter Williams out until the middle of the year and Broc Lowry being a true freshman, that depth is not super deep.

The wide receiver room is talented, but the depth is a big question as Cam Camper may be on a play count to start the year and some of the guys who have been in the program for a couple years have not panned out. Can IU survive with eight players, some of them who have not played a big role yet?

Tight end may be the thinnest of the skill positions, but Bradley Archer coming in helps with the depth behind Steinfeldt.

The running back position is probably the deepest it has been since 2020. Jaylin Lucas, who can also play in the slot, is joined by Josh Henderson and Christian Turner in the backfield. Those three should get the majority of time at the position. Behind them are Trent Howland and David Holloman who have not seen the field that much, but came in as highly regarded running backs.

The Hoosiers kickoff fall camp on August 2nd and open the season on September 2nd against the Ohio State Buckeyes.