What Indiana Football Coach Curt Cignetti Said At His Mid-Spring Press Conference

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football has been back at work for over a week now after taking the week of spring break off. Six practices into the spring, Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti met the media to give a status report.

Cignetti only spoke for about eight minutes, but he said the team is relatively healthy, outside of transfer receiver Tyler Morris, whom Cignetti said will miss the season.

Here’s everything Cignetti had to say on Tuesday.

Opening statement …

Curt Cignetti: All right, six practices in the book, I think we've built off every day I see progress being made. But there's always a great sense of urgency to make more and that's key the drill to make progress and improvement as you can. We’ve stayed relatively healthy, with the exception of (wide receiver) Tyler Morris, who had a non-contact knee injury and will require surgery and will miss a season.

On position groups that might stand out good or bad …

Cignetti: (We’re) probably closer to 50% (to being done with spring practice). To me, here's the way I look at that. We have who we have. On paper, some groups look like, ‘Oh, pretty good.’ Some groups you like, ‘Hmm, can he … you know?’ To me, it's about improving, mindset, taking advantage of every rep, consistency and performance. Do we have any glaring holes out there? I don't see any glaring holes out there. Do we have any groups that are ready to compete for the Super Bowl right now? I don't see that either. I see a work in progress, like every team in America right now. Let's start with the new guys that are starting to get a hang of it. And I see the improvement sort of building off the previous practice. And I think we're improving more every practice right now, and the guys are getting the hang of it – the new guys.

On new guys on the defensive line …

Cignetti: Up and down. A couple days ago, the offense got after the defense pretty good, ran the ball, that hadn't happened around here in a long time, but they got after their ass pretty good. (The defense) responded the next day, controlled the line scrimmage and put pressure on the quarterback, had a great day, and we'll see, after I look at the tape how they did today. But we got capable guys, and you know, so they responded to the challenge, Like I've told you guys a number of times, the transfers that come in the first half of spring ball it’s such an adjustment for them. The way we practice tempo, language, our expectations, standards, and the techniques being taught, especially up front on defense, they're different than maybe what the guys have been taught. Second half of spring, you see a different kind of guy. And so I've seen those guys flash and we're capable.

On wide receiver E.J. Williams …

Cignetti: He’s always had a good attitude. He's always been a hard worker. The biggest thing at Clemson he had some injuries. At Indiana, his first year, he had some injuries and he had some injuries when I got hired. But I've always liked him personally, I like his work habits, and I like his talent. He's got a burning desire to be good, and we just got to keep him on the field. And the more we can keep him on the field, he can kind of develop that consistency, then, that we need to be a really good football player.

On Mikail Kamara playing the stud position …

Cignetti: He played stud early in his career at JMU, his freshman year. He started as a true freshman. A few more one on one pass rush opportunities, maybe not having to slide down inside, play inside and tackle the four technique quite as much at that position as you do it filled in.

On the offensive line, how the mix of new guys and veterans are gelling, and how are redshirt freshmen like Adedamola Ajani adjusting …

Cignetti: I mean, I see progress. (Pat) Coogan is making progress. Carter Smith's got to get better. They all got to get better, right? All of them. And we got (Kahlil) Benson and (Drew) Evans not practicing. They'll be back in the fall. So the first line looks like an offensive line for the most part, functions like an offensive line for the most part. We’ve got to continue to get better. Working together. Calls a lot of multiples up front for an offensive lineman, some of the techniques are a little different. For some of the newer guys, some of the younger guys I see progress. Ajani's made some progress. (Austin) Leibfried broke his hand, and has been a big hand cast, so that's kind of limiting him a little bit right now. (Baylor) Wilkin done a nice job. (Matt) Marek has done a nice job.

On Tyler Morris injury and wide receiver depth …

Cignetti: We’re thin number-wise, that’s for sure. We’re bringing a number of walk-ons in the summer and in the fall camps. I think the freshmen, in time, will be okay. Kendrick and Bond are with us right now and I like the guys that are out there. Makai Jackson has sort of been limited to a hamstring a little bit the last two practices. We’re thin. We got Sam West out there playing a little. But I mean, I like our top line guys. I like (Omar) Cooper, (Elijah) Sarratt, EJ, (Charlie) Becker, I like those guys. And I think (Lebron) Bond and (Myles) Kendrick, they have a future. So will we go shopping for another capable guy? In case, you know, we have an injury? Perhaps. But we also have (Davion) Chandler coming in in the fall, but, you know, he's a freshman.

On tight ends being an extension of the offensive line and as pass catchers …

Cignetti: Well, I'm never comfortable. They got a way to go. I like Riley (Nowakowski). He brings his lunch pail every every day and gives you great effort. And Holden (Staes) has got to work on his consistency.

On quarterback Fernando Mendoza and quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer …

Cignetti: We're trying to get Coach Whitmer up to speed with our offense a little bit, because it’s a new offense to him and he hadn't been in college football long. College football, pro football are really a lot different. Hash marks are different. The rules are a little different. And there's some things we're working on with Fernando. I thought he took a step forward today at practice. He's had some good days. He's had some really good plays. Is he where he needs to be right now? No. But I saw a step forward today. Chandler, he's been around a lot of good people, but he really hasn't been responsible for coaching a position. So I'm coaching Chandlor a lot right now. We'll have him right just like we had Tino (Sunseri) right at the end of spring (in 2024).

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