BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football opens spring practice on Thursday as the reigning national champions.
It’s uncharted territory for a Hoosiers team that’s won more games over the last two years than in any other two-year stretch in program history.
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Indiana has plenty of transfers to get acclimated and a few key position battles to settle, but the roster doesn’t have a ton of holes, and there’s a strong foundation in place for the Hoosiers to be a contender once again.
With spring camp opening, here are three things IU fans don’t have to worry about:
More: Projecting Indiana football’s 2026 offensive depth chart
Will there be a CFP hangover in Bloomington?
Indiana isn’t going to suddenly abandon the principles Curt Cignetti has preached the last two seasons. Cignetti stopped celebrating the title as soon as he returned to Bloomington, and he’s going to make sure every returning player on the roster has long turned the page by the time camp opens.
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It’s the same mentality that helped IU handle all the hurdles it faced to maintain an undefeated record. Trap games? Forget about it. Tough road environments? The Hoosiers conquered plenty of those. Long postseason layoff? Nothing to worry about.
Cignetti’s winning formula is tied to his exacting standards, and the CFP trophy sitting in Memorial Stadium won’t change his approach.
More: Projecting Indiana football’s 2026 defensive depth chart
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 19: Carter Smith #65 of the Indiana Hoosiers walks off the field after defeating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium on January 19, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Will Indiana football have a leadership void?
Indiana’s leaders in 2025 might have been a once-in-a-generation type group with the likes of Fernando Mendoza, Pat Coogan and Aiden Fisher. Not every incoming transfer is going to print out the faces of everyone on the roster to learn their name, but the Hoosiers return a core group of veterans who had a strong voice in the locker room last year.
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Carter Smith, Isaiah Jones, Amare Ferrell and Tyrique Tucker will be among the starters keeping everyone in line. The transfers IU landed with multiple years of starting experience, including Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh, will be well-positioned to join them.
There’s only one position group on the roster (tight end) without someone who has starting experience.
More: 5 key questions that will follow Indiana football through spring practice
Indiana’s Charlie Becker (80) scores a touchdown during the Indiana versus Kennesaw State Big Ten football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.
Will Indiana football’s offense come back down to earth?
Indiana is losing a Heisman trophy winner, two 1,000-yard rushers and a pair of receivers who combined for 28 touchdowns.
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It’s a lot of production to replace, but the Hoosiers faced a similar task in 2024 after Kurtis Rourke threw for 3,000-yards, IU had a pair of running backs with double-digit touchdowns and a group of slot receivers that combined for 1,238 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Cignetti churned out playmakers at JMU going from one conference Offensive Player of the Year winner to another at quarterback and developed a series of 1,000-yard receivers. He knows how to identify the right talent, develop players and put them in position to succeed.
That doesn’t mean Josh Hoover should purchase a ticket to New York just yet, but IU fans should feel good about the offense putting plenty of points on the board to compete in the Big Ten.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: What Indiana football fans don’t have to worry about this spring
