Some outstanding results and a bold prediction – The Daily Hoosier

With spring football over, Indiana football quickly turns its attention to more roster moves and, ultimately, the start of preseason camp in the summer.

Head coach Curt Cignetti has seen several players enter the transfer portal since the spring game. The spring window to enter the portal closes at the end of April, although more names could be revealed in the first days of May. However, May will see signings rather than outgoing transfers.

But after the spring game, there is still a lot to analyze about the roster IU already has.

Bite Size Bison's Taylor Lehman sent a question and answer session to several IU media members asking for their thoughts on the spring game and the upcoming fall. You can see his full story from all the answers here.

This is how we answered the questions.

1. What is your tweet review (280 characters) of the Indiana Spring Game?

The biggest optimists can probably see a lot from the game that suggests IU will be good next year, and conversely, the biggest pessimists can do the same. The truth usually lies in the middle.

2. What was the most encouraging insight for you?

It has to be the running game. The offensive line blocked well and the running backs took advantage of those openings. The three main defenders – Kaelon Black, Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton – all made some big plays. They gained yardage through contact, burst through holes – just a lot of what you want to see out of the backfield. IU's running game was so inconsistent last season that it would be great if that was a sign of things to come.

3. What concerns did you leave with (or what concerns have worsened)?

This needs to be taken with a grain of salt due to the injuries, but based on what we've seen out there, defensive strength seems to be an issue. I don't want to take away too much from what Tayven Jackson and Andison Coby and the second line offense did, but it was just way too easy for them. Injuries can happen during the season – that's just how it is in football – and while things probably look a little better as some players get better, what happens when others inevitably take a hit in the fall? Then you're dealing with the same type of defensive depth (especially in the secondary). It could be an area that staff should address in the portal this spring.

4. How did you approach the spring game? (What were you hoping for? What were you looking for? Did you want individual performance or entire unit performance? Did you expect to see more from the offense, defense, or special teams? Etc.)

To be honest, I went in without high expectations. I simply observed everything as it unfolded and made a few notes – both physical and mental – about things that stood out. I didn't want to pigeonhole it and look for something specific, I just wanted to see what caught my eye. I'm not sure I expected more than what we saw from the offense and defense. However, it's hard to truly assess special teams considering we've only seen the field goal unit a few times, so no kickoff or punt teams and no returns.

5. Finish the sentence: “The quarterback game was…”

A colorful mix. Kurtis Rourke can play better. His wide receivers dropped some passes that would have made his night a little better, and the defense deserves credit for some of his other difficult moments. In some moments he actually looked sharp, at other times he seemed a bit shifty. But I think IU will hope he can perform better in the fall. Jackson looked the part, like someone who could – at worst – be a very reliable No. 2 option. Tyler Cherry looked like what you'd expect from a true freshman playing college ball for the first time, but that's okay.

6. Was there a single player who caught your attention?

Outside of running backs, I would say Myles Price. I thought Price would clearly be at least one of Rourke's top options if not The Top one. And Price appears to be a pretty versatile weapon, the type of receiver who can be a threat at all three levels – short/screen game, intermediate routes and deep balls. Donaven McCulley had such upside last season, but if IU can leverage such a weapon into a more productive passing attack and other good receivers (like possibly McCulley) can attract other defensive attention, that could be dangerous for opponents.

7. Rate what you saw on defense on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely discouraging and 10 being extremely encouraging.

I'm going to 6.5. The first-team defense looked good in my opinion, but with the usual caveats of how difficult it is to gauge things like pass-rush success when you're not finishing plays against quarterbacks and when you're going against your own offensive line. I think the secondary held up quite well and credit goes to Rourke for not looking particularly good. Jacob Mangum-Farrar looked really interesting in terms of the new deck position – he seems like a good fit for the spot. Aiden Fisher also looked good and had the potential to be one of the better inside linebackers in the league. As I said, the depth is a bit concerning, especially in the secondary.

8. Make a bold prediction for the 2024 season, knowing that the only evidence we have is this spring battle.

Here is a bold variant that meets the criteria. IU's potential three-headed monster in the backfield, combined with good run blocking, could lead to a lot of productivity. Indiana has only had one season with 20 or more rushing touchdowns as a team since 2016. If the promise shown by the running game last week is true, perhaps this year's team can break that 20 mark.

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