August is here, which means recruiting is mostly in the rearview mirror – as Indiana’s 2026 class ranks 29th by 247Sports and 32nd by On3. General expectations are also in place for what the offseason after the 2025 season might look like too (read more on that here).
Attention can now turn to what will be on the field during the 2025 season, a season for which probability suggests Indiana should win 8 or 9 games, with legitimate potential for more.
So who will be on the field for Indiana in 2025? Bite-Sized Bison’s running depth chart was recently updated – spring portal additions, a refined understanding of how Indiana hopes to shape its scheme, and a few things I’ve heard coming out of camps this offseason.
Let’s start with some general observations and then get into some positions of interest.
There are some dynamics within Indiana’s schemes that are difficult to render in a traditional two-deep. Here are some examples:
TE: Offenses are moving toward more 12 personnel, meaning more two-TE sets. That requires what is called a “Move TE” and another more inline TE. Indiana has the personnel to move that way – Holden Staes as the Move TE that is more active in the passing game, Riley Nowakowski as the inline TE that primarily blocks. That means there would technically be two roles for the single TE position on the depth chart.
RB: As we saw last season with Indiana, Ty Son Lawton was eventually the technical starting RB, but he and Justice Ellison split the season-long carries total essentially evenly – Ellison’s 159 to Lawton’s 141. Roman Hemby and Lee Beebe will likely comprise the two-man bulk of carries, with Kaelon Black as a legitimate third back. I’d expect Hemby to be the official starter, though.
SLOT: While I expect Mike Shanahan’s scheme to look slightly different than in 2024, slot receivers have always been significant receivers in his offenses. Late into last season, when Indiana’s passing game would falter against the toughest opponents, the two-headed slot often picked up the slack (37% of targets and 45% of gained yardage). This is all to say that it wouldn’t be shocking to see multiple slot receivers again – Jonathan Brady and Makai Jackson, most likely. Jackson should serve more of the Miles Cross role of a versatile receiver who can play in slot or outside, which is why he’s listed twice.
ROTATION: This is detailed more below, but there will be more rotation at each level of the defense this year. That means a 5th DL, 3rd LB, and 5th DB (Rover) trading snaps based on situation and offensive keys. We saw a heavy dose of this during the Spring Game, and Bryant Haines was moving that way in the back half of 2024, with CJ West at nose tackle and Rolijah Hardy as a 3rd LB in running situations. This rotation takes emphasis off of starters in the interior because the defense is more roles-based.
HOSEA WHEELER: The Western Kentucky DT is going to be the next Indiana DL akin to CJ West, though his play style is far different. He will have NFL scouts at IU games, and he really distorts this depth chart because of his athleticism. He is the third-largest DL on the roster (6-3, 298), yet he played 62% of his 2024 snaps outside of the B-gap! That’s the 7th-most among 286 qualifying DTs last year. He’s in a category of his own, able to play nearly anywhere along the line. That will influence both the number and type of DLs on the field for any given play.
VERSATILE DEPTH: This is present on both sides of the ball and is difficult to read on the depth chart. 1.) Makai Jackson brings a lot of what Miles Cross brought in 2024 and could play both inside and outside, maybe even be the primary slot WR. 2.) On the OL, Kahlil Benson can play both inside and outside, which offers some needed tackle depth, while Bray Lynch was developed as a center, offering experienced depth for Pat Coogan, if needed. But on defense, it’s much less clear. 3.) Kellan Wyatt could play in several places, with his build (6-2, 257) and athleticism – Stud DE, traditional DE, Edge LB – and will likely be used in a very particular way in space. 4.) Dominique Ratcliff has the size (and minimal experience) to serve as a NT behind Tyrique Tucker when needed or could play a typical B-gap DT, and 5.) At safety, given their roles in the defense (detailed below), Byron Baldwin and Bryson Bonds could presumably step in at any of the positions effectively.
Defensive Rotation
Last season, as the schedule progressed, Indiana began rotating more often on defense. Bryant Haines would slot in Rolijah Hardy as a 3rd LB in running scenarios, pulled the Rover more often with Amare Ferrell moved to safety, unlocked CJ West at NT, and plugged in Mario Landino a few more times on the interior. But largely, when things got tight, the defense leaned on its front line of playmakers. While that will likely be similar in 2025, Indiana’s defensive versatility will be as much a strength of the defense as the defenders themselves.
Where viewers could count on the usual Stud DE-Rover pairing in Haines’ 4-2-5 defense throughout the year, I anticipate this defense looking different on any given play in 2025. I noted this back in April, but during the Spring Game, it was immediately clear that Haines wants to throw opaque looks at offenses and match his personnel to game scenarios. There was constant communication from the sideline with resulting subs, accompanied by a very attentive and intense sideline. Everyone was engaged.
The keys for this rotation are a throughline that travels through each level of the defense – a 5th DL, a 3rd LB, or a 5th DB (Rover). This lane of rotational players will define the looks Indiana can give on a play, offering multiplicity to what Haines can do. The players to watch for those spots seem to be:
3rd LB: Isaiah Jones likely the regular, with Kellan Wyatt mixing in for certain looks and scenarios that need a bigger body in space or on the edge.
5th DL: This relies heavily on the scenario, but the NT (Tyrique Tucker) will be coming on and off the field. Dominique Ratcliff will also be a versatility hinge point between the A- and B-gaps, while Hosea Wheeler will open up a lot of space for other DLs on certain plays. Wyatt is also one to watch here, as an edge defender.
5th DB: I write about this below, but Rover could be Devan Boykin (30% of career snaps at slot corner), though if his skillset is highly valued, he might be at safety with Louis Moore at the rotating Rover spot. Four-star true freshman safety Byron Baldwin is also very much in the mix here.
Positions of Interest
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