Indiana 2025 Spring Game Preview

What to watch for if you're attending Indiana's Spring Game this Thursday

The end of Spring Camp is already here, as the Hoosiers host their Spring Game on Thursday, when fans will get their first glimpses of the 2025 team. Curt Cignetti said this scrimmage will not be televised like it was last season, so to watch, fans will need to attend in Bloomington.

In 2025, Indiana having a Spring Game at all is something to be thankful for, if you’re an IU fan. Many of Tom Allen’s seasons did not feature a Spring Game, and now, just as Curt Cignetti has reintroduced the event to Bloomington, teams are beginning to do away with a scrimmage altogether. Here is Kalen DeBoer on why Alabama went away from a scrimmage this season. The Spring Game is uncertain in the future, for many programs within the sport.

[For all BSB 2025 Indiana Football offseason content, visit this link.]

A disproportionate amount of weight is often placed on Spring Games because it’s the only look the public gets between seasons, so before we do that this year, I wanted to offer some interesting takeaways BSB had after last season’s scrimmage:

• “Quarterback Play Wasn’t Bad but Needs Time: Kurtis Rourke had some good moments, but it was clear that more time is needed for him and his offense, which is to be expected. The ball looked good coming out of his hands, and there were some really crisp moments, like hitting Elijah Sarratt on an out route late in the scrimmage and connecting with Myles Price in slot a couple times. He also made an extremely difficult floated pass near the endzone to Zach Horton, but it was defended well by Jamier Johnson.” Of course, Kurtis Rourke logged one of the most impressive QB seasons in program history after this.

• “Interior DL Help Is Needed: JMU DT transfer James Carpenter was unable to play in the scrimmage, so the leading DT was Marcus Burris, and after him, it was Robby Harrrison. That’s likely not what the staff is hoping for. The middle of the line was there for the RBs to exploit Thursday, and I’m willing to bet the credit goes to a lack of depth at DT. Rhett Lewis explained on the BTN broadcast that Bryant Haines sees his defense as a vertical attack, beginning with the interior DL, and if that’s the case, that should probably be the highest priority for the staff entering the May portal period.” We now know that this was true and that the staff beat out LSU to add CJ West, who is expected to be drafted this month after his stellar 2024 season. They also added Tyrique Tucker in the Spring.

• “Kobee Minor: (Kobee Minor) feels like the safe No. 1 CB (before D’Angelo Ponds transferred). He was all over. He made two plays on passes by cutting off routes and nearly intercepting the balls. He also made an open-field tackle on Kaelon Black straight up. That’s not an easy thing to do for a CB.” Minor transferred to Memphis after the scrimmage and graded 113th among FBS starting CBs in 2024, and Ponds continued his nation-leading play as the No. 1 CB in Haines’ defense.

These are just a few notes from a time when so much about this team was in question. While we have a few more answers about the 2025 team than we did this time last year, so much is left to sort out before kickoff in the fall. One of those things is the spring transfer portal period.

Where might Indiana add during the spring portal period?

• Indiana 2025 Scholarship Chart

• Indiana 2025 Depth Chart

There is still plenty of player movement left to be finished this spring, as the spring portal window opens this Wednesday, April 16, and closes April 25. Players will officially submit their names into the portal during the window, with a heavy lean toward the beginning, and can transfer anytime afterward (each school’s enrollment deadlines considered).

A major benefit to playing the Spring Game during the portal window is that transfers who have already submitted their names can visit for the game, in addition to high school prospects. Indiana will undoubtedly have a bit of both on campus Thursday.

Last season, projecting where Indiana might add (or nudge out) was a bit more obvious, given the chasm between where Indiana was and where it needed to be to be competitive. But now, while there are certainly positions of interest (noted later), the margin of quality has become much smaller. For example, OT Austin Barrett recently announced his intent to enter the portal and has seemingly not found a landing spot, both of which are surprising given the positive feedback heard from the previous regime about Barrett. The standard has risen in Bloomington.

While the bulk of roster construction takes place during the winter portal period, spring is also significant. The following moves were made following Indiana’s 2024 Spring Game:

Departed:

• CB Kobee Minor

• LB Jayden McDonald

• RB David Holloman

• QB Broc Lowry

• LB Darryl Minor

• OL Will Larkins

• TE Anthony Miller

• WR Derrick Bohler

• OL Bubba Jeffries

• SAF DJ Warnell

Arrived:

• CB D’Angelo Ponds

• DT CJ West

• DE Andrew DePaepe

• KR/PR Solomon Vanhorse

• DT Tyrique Tucker

• LB Nahji Logan

• CB Cedarius Doss (just before the Spring Game)

Now, the roster is much more stable. My count currently has Indiana at 82 scholarships, and Cignetti will want to stay at 85 in 2025, so there isn’t too much room to add without corresponding departures. There will certainly be departures, but let’s consider where Indiana’s staff might want to add before the season begins.