Indiana safety Bryson Bonds out for season with knee injury
Indiana football’s safety depth has taken a major hit just one week into the season. Head coach Curt Cignetti announced Monday that redshirt senior Bryson Bonds will miss the rest of the year after suffering a knee injury in the Hoosiers’ 27-14 victory over Old Dominion.
Bonds went down on kickoff coverage in the first half and was later seen on the sideline with crutches. The 6-foot, 202-pound veteran had entered his sixth year with the program and was expected to play a key rotational role in the secondary and continue as one of IU’s most dependable special teams players.
The injury ends what was set to be Bonds’ final year of eligibility, though he could apply for a medical hardship waiver to return in 2026.
RELATED: Coach Q&A: Curt Cignetti previews Indiana’s Week 2 contest against Kennesaw State
Over five seasons in Bloomington, Bonds has appeared in 48 games, recording 43 tackles, one interception, one pass breakup and two fumble recoveries. His biggest impact came on special teams, where he tallied nine tackles last fall — tied for the Big Ten lead and second nationally among Power Four players.
Losing Bonds leaves Indiana with a thinned-out safety group. Starters Amare Ferrell, Louis Moore and Devan Boykin remain in place, but the depth behind them is largely untested. Further complicating matters, true freshman safety Byron Baldwin Jr. — the only Hoosier listed on last week’s pregame availability report — did not suit up in the opener due to injury. Cignetti said Baldwin remains day-to-day.
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Freshmen Jah Jah Boyd, Seaonta Stewart and Garrett Reese now move up the depth chart, while Moore’s long-term status is still uncertain as he awaits a final ruling in his lawsuit against the NCAA over an additional year of eligibility.
ON3+: Final thoughts from Indiana’s Week 1 win over Old Dominion
Moore, who led IU with seven tackles and added an interception against Old Dominion, will at least be available for Week 2 against Kennesaw State thanks to a temporary restraining order extension granted last week by a Texas judge.
For Indiana, Bonds’ injury creates an immediate challenge in the defensive backfield just as Cignetti’s second season in Bloomington begins to take shape.
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