How Indiana’s Football Offense Is Shaping Up For The 2025 Season

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Many of the names that made Indiana’s 2024 football season so memorable won’t be back in 2025.

However, this is not a new dynamic for Indiana coach Curt Cignetti. With the transfer portal a reality, one of the reasons he’s been so successful is how he adapts year to year.

In the last three seasons, Cignetti has had three different quarterbacks who had winning seasons for him. In James Madison’s first FBS season in 2022, Todd Centeio had 25 touchdown passes and completed 63.7% of his passes in an 8-3 season. In 2023, Jordan McCloud had 35 touchdown passes, completed 68.2% of his passes and threw for 3,657 yards.

Last year at Indiana, Kurtis Rourke threw for 3,042 yards, completed 69.4% of his passes, and threw for 29 touchdown passes and just five interceptions.

The system is what has made Cignetti’s teams successful. As the Hoosiers introduce a number of new players in 2025, he’ll be counting on that system to be successful again.

Here’s a look at how the offense breaks down for Indiana.

Quarterbacks

With Rourke’s eligibility expired, Indiana will have a new signal-caller in 2025.

The Hoosiers hope to hit transfer portal gold again as California transfer Fernando Mendoza is the heavy favorite to be the next Indiana starter.

Mendoza took a major step forward in his sophomore season at Cal. He threw for 3,004 yards – almost 1,300 more than he passed for in 2023 – and threw 16 touchdowns against six interceptions. He completed 68.7% of his passes.

A player with that kind of experience wasn’t brought to Bloomington to sit, so barring something unforeseen, Mendoza is Indiana’s guy.

Behind him could be Old Dominion transfer Grant Wilson. He was a starter in 2023 for the Monarchs, passing for 2,149 yards with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He injured his wrist early in the 2024 season and only played three games.

Mendoza’s brother, Alberto, has been at Indiana and played one game in 2024.

Running backs

Maryland Terrapins running back Roman Hemby (24) runs with the ball past Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive back Bo Mascoe (3) and defensive lineman Malcolm Ray (9) during the first half at SECU Stadium. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Indiana lost its two leading rushers in Justice Ellison (848 yards) and Ty Son Lawton (668), but the Hoosiers re-loaded with Maryland running back Roman Hemby.

Hemby rushed for 607 yards and averaged 4.5 yards per carry for the Terrapins in 2024. It was the third straight season Hemby’s rushing total dropped. He peaked at 989 yards in 2022. Hemby is also a solid receiving threat. He had 40 catches for 273 yards.

Hemby’s highlight game of 2024 came against Indiana. His 75-yard touchdown run helped him achieve his only 100-yard game of the season (117) against the Hoosiers on Sept. 28.

Kaelon Black returns to the fold. He rushed for 251 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry, but Black played less as the season progressed.

That means the door is likely open for UAB transfer Lee Beebe Jr. to take the second spot, or to be a sort of co-No. 1 with Hemby, much as Lawton was with Ellison.

Beebe rushed for 884 yards for the Blazers in 2024, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He was also a solid receiving threat with 30 catches for 219 yards.

Behind them, Khobie Martin had 14 carries for 73 yards. Kyler Kropp could also be in the mix.

Wide receivers

Appalachian State Mountaineers wide receiver Makai Jackson (15) runs with the ball against the East Carolina Pirates during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Leading receiver Elijah Sarratt is back, and he will remain the Hoosiers’ most threatening deep option. Sarratt had 53 catches for 957 yards and eight touchdowns. It will be interesting to see if he can create the same bond with Mendoza that he had with Rourke.

Omar Cooper Jr. was the Hoosiers’ choice on its deepest routes as his 21.2 per catch average indicated. Cooper is a dependable veteran who had 28 catches for 594 yards and seven touchdowns.

After that, Indiana’s deep receiver core was largely depleted. Myles Price, Ke’Shawn Williams, Miles Cross and Andison Coby all exhausted their eligibility.

Cignetti hit the transfer portal and fished out Appalachian State receiver Makai Jackson, a player he would have competed against in 2023 when Cignetti was at James Madison. Jackson had 46 catches for 745 yards and five touchdowns.

Also in the fold is former Michigan receiver Tyler Morris, who had 23 catches for 248 yards.

Jackson would likely get the edge as a third starter at receiver for the Hoosiers, but that distinction is largely symbolic. Indiana uses multiple receivers, and both Jackson and Morris should get plenty of playing time.

Indiana also returns E.J. Williams, who went into the transfer portal mid-season, only to return to Indiana. He’s valuable when he can stay healthy. Charlie Becker has waited for his opportunity and should get another look.

Tight end

Gone is veteran Zach Horton, who had 21 catches but played an integral role in Indiana’s blocking scheme.

Indiana used the portal to bolster this position with two Power Four additions. Tennessee transfer Holden Staes, who also played at Notre Dame in his career, has the best receiving credentials. He had 15 catches for 131 yards for the Volunteers in 2024.

Riley Nowakowski has the most experience. Nowakowski played for Wisconsin in five different seasons, though he didn’t play more than four games in a season until 2022. He had 11 catches for the Badgers in 2024, but he is more of a blocker than a receiver.

James Bomba and Sam West had a catch each in 2024 and are still in the mix.

Tackles

Carter Smith was a mainstay at left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith was the 32nd-ranked tackle in the country and had a pass blocking grade of 79.4.

Indiana will have a new right tackle as Trey Wedig’s eligibility ran out. Indiana got Zen Michalski from Ohio State out of the transfer portal, and he is the likely replacement for Wedig. Michalski had 158 snaps with the Buckeyes in 2024. He struggled in pass blocking with a PFF grade of 33.2, but he was solid in run blocking at 73.8.

Indiana also got a former Hoosier to return to Bloomington as Kahlil Benson will be back in the fold after spending a year at Colorado. He bears mentioning here as he played right tackle in 2023, but he was moved to right guard for the Buffaloes. With Michalski signed, it seems more likely Benson stays at guard or could even play at center.

Cooper Jones (50 snaps) and Austin Barrett (49) got the backup snaps and should provide some competition. They both played in seven passing downs in 2024.

Max Williams also took some snaps and should be back.

Guards

Indiana Hoosiers running back Ty Son Lawton (17) and offensive lineman Bray Lynch (74) celebrate after a touchdown against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Both starting guards could be back in 2025. Left guard Drew Evans missed the final four games of the season with an achilles injury. His backup, Tyler Stephens, is out of eligibility.

For now, Evans has to be penciled in to return, though his recovery will play a big role in that. Indiana will hope he can. At PFF.com, Evans was graded at 81.7 in pass blocking.

Bray Lynch also returns at right guard. He graded at 69 overall on PFF.com. Benson graded out just slightly better at 70 for Colorado – though Lynch had more than twice as many snaps as Benson.

Then there’s the case of Nick Kidwell. Injured in fall camp, Kidwell’s status is still unknown. He was slated as the starting right guard until his injury. A James Madison transfer, Kidwell had 35 career starts for the Dukes.

Austin Leibfried, Vince Fiacable and Adedamola Ajani remain as reserves. Leibfried didn’t play many snaps – 49 overall and only seven passing downs – but graded well (80.1 on pass blocking) when he did play.

Center

A bit of a mystery at this point as Indiana has a Mike Katic-sized hole to fill in the middle.

Jack Greer is the only returning player who had any snaps at center with 32 overall.

There are a lot of possibilities here. A player could be moved, much as Katic himself was after he started at left guard in 2023. In fact, that is the most likely scenario at this point.

Who that could be and what influence it would have on the rest of the line is unknown at this point, so it’s best not to speculate on who could move.