Three takeaways from IU football’s 2026 spring game

IU football quarterback Josh Hoover.

Indiana football wrapped up its spring season on Thursday evening with its annual spring game at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.

The headline of the night was that Fernando Mendoza was drafted No. 1 in the NFL Draft. A roar emerged from the nearly 10,000 fans in attendance as videos and graphics appeared on the videoboard.

“An exciting night for Indiana with Fernando being the first choice, which we all anticipated,” coach Curt Cignetti said postgame. “I’m excited for all the other guys to see where they land.”

On the field, Josh Hoover, Nick Marsh and Turbo Richard made their public debuts. Members of Bryant Haines’ vaunted defense also returned.

The team played offense vs defense for a half, with the offense winning 26-16. Here are three takeaways from Thursday night’s spring festivities:

The thin offensive line is exposed

With veterans Bray Lynch and Carter Smith sidelined all spring with injuries, the Indiana offensive line was stretched thin. Throughout the month of practices, Cignetti saw it as an opportunity for the young linemen to prove their worth.

Lynch and Smith’s absence showed on Tuesday. Hoover rarely had a clean pocket and the defense turned that pressure into multiple sacks.

The first team line for the game was: LT Adedamola Ajani, LG Sam Simpson, C Drew Evans, RG Austin Leibfried, RT Joe Brunner.

Brunner, a natural on the interior of the line, held his own but seemed out of place at times. Another natural interior lineman, Evans is still learning the center position. Both will likely move to the guard position in the fall.

Fortunately for Bob Bostad and the Indiana offense, Lynch and Smith are expected to make a full recovery by the beginning of fall camp in August.

Indiana’s defense looks reloaded

On the flip side, Indiana’s defensive line looked impressive on Thursday night. With Mikail Kamara, Stephen Daley and Kellen Wyatt’s departures, Pat Kuntz reloaded his front with a couple of big splashes in Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor.

Both showed out in big ways, complementing returners Mario Landino and Tyrique Tucker.

The linebacking tandem of Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy added to the pressure put on the inexperienced offensive line, forcing a pair of first-quarter two-hand touch sacks of Hoover and a handful of throwaways.

The reloaded secondary didn’t earn a takeaway, but showed glimpses of returning to where it left off three months ago in Miami.

Defensive dominance didn’t surprise Cignetti, who said postgame that the defense tends to be better suited for spring game success.

“I like the new guys we brought in defensively and I think we have a chance to have a good defense,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of young kids that look like they have a future.”

Spring box scores don’t mean anything

In the first two spring games of the Curt Cignetti era, the defense has dominated the offense. And although it won this year, the offense didn’t look sharp.

There are many reasons, but Hoover isn’t fully acclimated to the playbook yet. It’s a process to learn an entirely new system, especially one as complex as Cignetti and Mike Shanahan’s.

Kurtis Rourke struggled at times in April 2024. Fernando Mendoza looked nothing like the quarterback he would become by the time he took the field a year later.

Hoover completed 6 of 13 passes for 94 yards. With more time in the pocket, the more comfortable the TCU transfer will be. Like his predecessors, he showed off his arm talent with connections to Nick Marsh and Davion Chandler.

With big shoes to fill, Cignetti isn’t worried about where his 2026 quarterback stands four-plus months away from Week 1.

“He’s a process-oriented guy,” Cignetti said. “Trying to make the most of every rep right now.”

The Hoosiers will now have the summer and reconvene for the start of fall camp in early August for their final preparations for the start of the 2026 season.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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