Indiana Freshman DB Byron Baldwin Out Vs. Old Dominion

Indiana ruled out freshman safety Byron Baldwin before its season opener against Old Dominion.

Indiana's Byron Baldwin Jr. (2) at Indiana University football practice Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana will be without one of its most promising freshmen in its season opener at 2:30 p.m. Saturday against Old Dominion.

The Hoosiers ruled out safety Byron Baldwin on their pregame availability report. He's the only Indiana player with a pre-game injury designation.

Baldwin, a four-star recruit and the highest-ranked player in the Hoosiers' 2025 class, enjoyed a productive offseason and often generated praise from teammates and coaches. If he's healthy, the Baltimore native is expected to have a role in Indiana's secondary.

Indiana senior linebacker Aiden Fisher said this week he believes Baldwin can follow in the footsteps of past freshmen — such as cornerback D'Angelo Ponds in 2023 and linebacker Rolijah Hardy in 2024 — who've played meaningful snaps under coach Curt Cignetti.

"It's been really impressive to see him kind of change his demeanor and mature that quickly," Fisher said. "He's going to be a guy that really helps us this year. And similar to Ponds and Rolijah, he has the 'it' factor. He can go out there, he can make plays, special plays — special plays that we're going to need and depend on."

Indiana's secondary already has long-term questions surrounding sixth-year safety Louis Moore, who's suing the NCAA for eligibility this season. He currently has a two-week temporary restraining order that grants him eligibility for the Hoosiers' first two games, but his future beyond then is uncertain.

If Moore is ruled ineligible for the remainder of the season, Baldwin projects to be part of the solution — if he's healthy.

The Hoosiers and Monarchs will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Merchands Bank Field at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.

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