2025 IU football position preview: Defensive line

With the 2025 football season kicking off next month, Inside the Hall is providing a position-by-position preview of the roster. Today: Defensive Line.

Previously: Quarterback, Running back, Offensive line, Wide receivers & tight ends

As was the case with most of Indiana football’s position groups, the defensive line had a magnificent 2024 season, pressuring quarterbacks week after week en route to the College Football Playoffs.

Pat Kuntz and Buddha Williams were terrific with the talent last season and did an even better job filling the vacancies left by the departures of lineman James Carpenter and CJ West.

With the additions of key defensive linemen, there is optimism on the defensive front in the second season of Curt Cignetti’s tenure in Bloomington.

The projected line

STUD: Mikail Kamara (R-Sr.), Kellan Wyatt (Sr., Maryland)

Fresh off a season full of both Big Ten and national accolades, Kamara returns to Bloomington for his final season of collegiate eligibility with a chance to be Indiana Football’s first first-team All-American since Antwaan Randle El back in 2001.

In his first season at the power four level, the James Madison transfer made his presence felt, totaling 10.0 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss en route to first-team All-Big Ten, second-team All-America from The Athletic and third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press.

Ahead of his highly anticipated season, Kamara earned a spot on the Big Ten’s preseason honors list. The Ashburn, Virginia, native is highly likely to once again be amongst the best defensive linemen in the country from the STUD position this year for the Hoosiers.

While Kamara will play a majority of his snaps at the STUD position, he will occasionally venture to the edge position, leaving room for Wyatt to get meaningful snaps this season.

Appearing in 35 career games over three seasons at Maryland, Wyatt totaled 30 tackles (19 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles in his junior season with the Terrapins. The 6-foot-2, 262-pound lineman committed to Indiana in late April and will likely have to earn his spot in the rotation during fall camp in the coming weeks.

Nose Tackle: Tyrique Tucker (R-Jr), Dominique Ratcliff (R-Sr., Texas State)

Another JMU transfer that found immediate success at the highest level, Tucker made an immediate impact in the middle of the line last season for Indiana. The sophomore appeared in all 12 games, totaling 24 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Tucker was graded as the ninth-best defensive interior in the Big Ten and 25th nationally per Pro Football Focus. The Norfolk, Virginia, native is primed for an even better junior season as he will be sandwiched between Kamara and tackle Hosea Wheeler.

Behind the talented Tucker, Ratcliff brings in nearly 40 games of experience at the collegiate level, playing the last three seasons at Texas State. Despite his experience seeing the field, Ratcliff has only started in four games in five seasons.

Committing to Indiana in January, the redshirt senior will be in the rotation when Tucker needs a break, maintaining the talent level at the nose tackle position.

Defensive Tackle: Hosea Wheeler (R-Sr., Western Kentucky)

With the upcoming graduations of Carpenter and West, Indiana had to hit the portal and secure key replacements swiftly. The first domino to fall was Wheeler, who committed to Indiana on December 16th.

A 2024 first-team All-Conference USA, Wheeler led Conference USA interior defenders with 619 snaps played, posting a tackle in all 14 games for the Hilltoppers.

Phil Steele tabbed Wheeler as a third-team All-Big Ten defensive lineman before the 2025 campaign, joining Kamara (first-team). The redshirt senior will likely have a significant role for the Hoosiers in his lone season in Bloomington.

Defensive End: Stephen Daley (Sr., Kent State), Mario Landino (So.)

Part of Indiana’s defensive line dive into the transfer portal brought in Daley, a veteran from Kent State, who will line up opposite Kamara on the line this year for Indiana.

Daley has accumulated 24 starts over three seasons with the Golden Flashes, recording 103 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and one interception. The Winchester, Virginia, native won’t be as flashy as his counterpart on the opposite side of the line but will put in the work to complete a hungry defensive line.

Appearing in a dozen games, Landino was one of 12 Indiana true-freshmen to make his collegiate debut last season, totaling nine tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.

Though not a projected starter ahead of his sophomore season, Landino earned high praise from Kamara at Big Ten Media Day last week, noting that the Macungie, Pennsylvania, native is primed for a breakout season in year two.

Outlook

With veteran transfers, crucial returners and a potential All-American pass rusher, there is reason to believe that the Indiana defensive line will be even better than it was last season.

The pass rush will likely be just as detrimental to opponents’ offensive lines and quarterbacks, forcing hurried throws that the rest of the Hoosier defense can capitalize upon.

It is an expectation that the Indiana defensive front will wreak havoc on its way to another record-breaking season.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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