Hoosiers Now

Indiana Football Without Freshman Byron Baldwin, 2 Others vs. Indiana State

Here's Indiana football's availability report entering the team's Friday night game against Indiana State.
Daniel Flick|
Indiana's Byron Baldwin Jr. (2) at Indiana University football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.
Indiana's Byron Baldwin Jr. (2) at Indiana University football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football won't have three players, including freshman safety Byron Baldwin Jr., to wrap its non-conference slate Friday night against Indiana State.

The Hoosiers ruled out Baldwin, punter Mitch McCarthy and safety Bryson Bonds on the Big Ten Availability report issued Friday evening. Bonds suffered a knee-injury in the season-opening 27-14 win over Old Dominion on Aug. 30, but McCarthy and Baldwin are considered day-to-day, according to coach Curt Cignetti.

Baldwin, the Hoosiers' highest-ranked recruit in the class of 2025, didn't play in either of Indiana's first two games due to an undisclosed injury. He generated praise from teammates during fall camp, and both junior safety Amare Ferrell and senior linebacker Aiden Fisher said they felt confident Baldwin could make an impact this season.

McCarthy suffered an injury Cignetti described as "a little bit of an issue" during the Hoosiers' win over Old Dominion. After his first punt, McCarthy gingerly walked to the sideline, took a knee and received attention from an Indiana trainer.

Without McCarthy, the Hoosiers will turn to sophomore Quinn Warren to handle punting duties. Warren punted once for 38 yards against Old Dominion, pinning the Monarchs at their own 3-yard line.

During Indiana's 56-9 win over Kennesaw State in Week 2, Warren tallied two punts for 89 yards with a long of 49, and he placed one at the Owls' 5-yard line. Cignetti described Warren as a "really good prospect."

"We've always had a lot of confidence in Quinn," Cignetti said Monday. "He's really capable of booming the ball, and he did a nice job."

Indiana and Indiana State will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Merchants Bank Field inside Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.

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Daniel Flick
DANIEL FLICK

Daniel Flick is a senior in the Indiana University Media School and previously covered IU football and men's basketball for the Indiana Daily Student. Daniel also contributes NFL Draft articles for Sports Illustrated, and before joining Indiana Hoosiers On SI, he spent three years writing about the Atlanta Falcons and traveling around the NFL landscape for On SI. Daniel is the winner of the Joan Brew Scholarship, and he will cover Indiana sports once more for the 2025-26 season.

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