Indiana Football: What to Watch in First Spring Football Practice

What to watch as the defending champion Indiana Hoosiers open spring practice on Thursday.

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti instructs his team during spring football practice on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the defending national champion, the Indiana Hoosiers hit the practice field for the first time in 2026. There are three things we will be looking at when we get to see the practices when they get going.

Now there's a different attitude, focus, and spotlight. The Hoosiers are the hunted, and the expectations really are National Championship or Bust - it starts now.

Indiana Spring Football: 3 Key Storylines from First Practice

Indiana football QB Josh Hoover getting acquainted with Nick Marsh pic.twitter.com/SfcVa8jjr7

— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) March 26, 2026

1. How Does New QB Josh Hoover Look?

With Fernando Mendoza off to the NFL, the Hoosiers brought in one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal in former TCU signal-caller Josh Hoover.

Hoover comes to IU with plenty of experience, but also some flaws that Curt Cignetti and the offensive staff need to iron out, starting with the picks.

Hoover threw 13 interceptions last season. Protecting the football is a staple of a Cignetti team, so seeing how accurate and precise Hoover is with his passes - and how sharp his decision making is - will be key.

2. How Healthy Is Indiana Coming Into Spring Football?

Injuries are usually kept under wraps in the spring, but there are a couple of known postseason surgeries to players in key areas that will play some sort of role in the spring.

Most eyes will be on backup quarterback Tyler Cherry who missed all of last season due to a knee injury.

He's still a redshirt freshman, but the Hoosiers do not have tremendous depth at quarterback. Cherry's status going forward will determine who the quarterback is behind Hoover.

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3. Indiana's New Transfer Portal Pieces

In the current era of college football teams reload via the transfer portal, and the Hoosiers have plenty of key pieces coming in.

Hoover is the biggest piece, but IU also added former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh and Boston College running back Turbo Richard on offense.

On defense, the Hoosiers bring in former Wisconsin safety Preston Zachman to fill the role of Louis Moore and three edge rushers in Chiddi Obiazor (Kansas State), Josh Burnham (Notre Dame) and Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State) to replenish the edge rushing positions.

Final Thoughts

Spring practice is where the foundation is poured heading into the summer and fall. It is a time for Indiana's coaching staff to work on making sure their standards are met and working on the fundamentals that has helped Indiana go 27-2 in Cignetti's first two seasons.