The 2024 Much-Too-Early IUFB Depth Chart

To get a gauge on each position before final portal additions and Fall Camp, here is the BSB projected 2024 depth chart.

Curt Cignetti and his staff have made quick work of turning over the Indiana roster since Cignetti was named head coach in December. They’ve brought in 28 transfers and reached a tentative total of 81 scholarships on roster, as of today (May 12). You will see that, according to the BSB much-too-early projected depth chart below, of the 27 positions listed in all three phases, I predicted 20 of them to be filled by acquisitions from the 2024 transfer portal. 

I’ve made note several times since the Cignetti Train began its momentum forward that expectations might need to be tempered, as turning around a program like Indiana could take more than one offseason. IU fans will likely see this reality in the depth struggles the Hoosiers will probably face at several positions in 2024, or in some transfers not making the necessary adjustment to Big Ten competition, or in continued cohesion that is required when a new regime takes over and adds what will likely be 30 transfers to the roster. But the staff has done nearly as well as anyone could expect in such a short time, and national media are taking notice too. 

Out of curiosity, I looked into Year One’s of all previous Indiana Football coaches to add some context as Cignetti and his staff enter their own Year One. Every coaching change is different than the next, so none of this is one-to-one, but it is helpful in understanding how difficult that first year is for nearly everyone. 

Note: Since Phil Dickens took over as head coach in 1958, only four coaches have improved upon the previous year in their respective Year One’s. 

Some of the most storied coaches in Indiana Football history – looking at Bo McMillin, John Pont, Lee Corso, Bill Mallory – saw regression from the previous regime’s final season and eventually brought Indiana to some of the program’s highest peaks. Conversely, Bill Lynch made some of the quickest improvement in Year One in program history but peaked there. This information also cements Tom Allen as one of the most respected head coaches in program history as well, as he not only improved upon the foundation Kevin Wilson laid but also took Indiana to the same relative SP+ peak as Bill Mallory – the second-highest peak in program history. 

College football is a very different animal than it was at the beginning of any of the listed coaching tenures and now encourages quicker turnaround, but time for implementation and education does not change. That is what Cignetti will primarily be facing in 2024. 

The Bite-Sized Bison Much-Too-Early 2024 Depth Chart

This depth chart is simply a projection of how the season-opening depth chart might look, given what we saw during the Spring Game, what we know about each player and the system, and what has been communicated to the public by the coaching staff. It’s also very much subject to change and is mostly intended to gauge where each position stands before adding the final few scholarship players and heading into Fall Camp. View the chart by clicking the link below, and then read on for analysis on a few positions of need and points of uncertainty.

[Indiana 2024 Depth Chart]

Note: There are a few positions where the vertical listings reflect skillsets needed for the roles. For example, at DT, I would anticipate CJ West, Tyrique Tucker, and Robby Harrison to play similar roles of lining up near the A-gap (closer to center). Those positions are WR, DT, and LB.