Portal Shopping: Needs For IU to Address Post-Spring
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Written by: TJ Inman
The Indiana Hoosiers wrapped up Curt Cignetti’s first set of spring practices in Bloomington with the 2024 version of the Spring Game on Thursday night in Memorial Stadium. Despite some very good work by the first-team defense, the Indiana offense prevailed for a win and the coaching staff’s attention will now fully shift to addressing the roster’s shortcomings during the current Spring Portal Window. IU has already added one player that we know will be suiting up for IU this fall in defensive back Cedarius Doss from Austin Peay.
Hoosier Huddle is diving into the roster and ranking the positions of need with the most critical need being listed first.
1. Defensive Line Help Needed
Defensive line depth was an issue for the Indiana Hoosiers prior to the exit of Philip Blidi and it is now a blinking red light that is clearly the highest area of need for this team. Getting James Carpenter back on the field will help immensely but IU needs to add at least two big-bodied defensive tackles and bringing in an additional defensive end is likely something they’ll try to accomplish as well. As of today, Indiana’s defensive line features seven to eight guys that you’d feel good about being out there and most of those players are on the edge.
According to Matt Weaver of Peegs.com, IU is exploring the pursuit of several options including: Carlos Allen from Kennesaw State, Javon Denis from Georgia State, Savio Frazier from Mercer and Latrell Jean from Florida Atlantic. Those would likely be strictly depth pieces. The two players linked with Indiana that would have a real chance to be more than just bottom of the rotation pieces are Tyrique Tucker from James Madison and CJ West from Kent State. Obviously, Tucker has a connection to the staff from James Madison and they will know very well what he is capable of. CJ West is being pursued by Michigan, Wisconsin, LSU, Texas A&M and others. He led the Golden Flashes in tackles for loss last season. Regardless of who the additions end up being, IU has to add some capable defensive linemen in the next few weeks.
2. Secondary Depth
Curt Cignetti has already done a lot of work to change the quality of the safeties and corners on the IU roster. Expected starting safeties Shawn Asbury and Terry Jones were brought in and nickel cornerback Cedarius Doss, an FCS All-American at Austin Peay, will be joining the team for the 2024 season. The Hoosiers seem to feel pretty good about the options they have at the top of the depth chart for cornerback now with Doss, Jamier Johnson, Kobee Minor, JoJo Johnson and Jamari Sharpe. Nic Toomer is a valuable and versatile piece, Josh Sanguinetti is a capable veteran and Amare Ferrell is a budding star at the Rover position.
Indiana could use one or two more pieces in the secondary though and they are reportedly targeting Marshall’s Dyoni Hill (a good player with multiple years of eligibility remaining) and SMU’s Bryan Massey. Indiana seems to be in a good spot with Hill and adding him in addition to the summer arrival of Jah Jah Boyd might be enough to have the staff feeling very good about this unit.
3. Offensive Line Depth
If the Indiana Hoosiers were to address anything at all on the offense, it would be finding a versatile offensive lineman that was capable of playing multiple positions. The Hoosiers had Bubba Jeffries and Williams Larkins enter the portal shortly after the spring game. The offensive line performed well in the Spring Game and the unit has made a lot of progress under Bob Bostad. Nick Kidwell will be ready for the fall walk-on Drew Evans appears to be trusted by Bostad as a potential rotation piece, something many fans had not counted on. Another proven guy, particularly if there are any lingering injury concerns about Nick Kidwell, might be looked at by the staff if they can find a good fit.
Hoosier Huddle will continue to provide coverage of the spring transfer portal window and all of the reaction from IU’s first spring camp under Curt Cignetti.