Top storylines to follow as Indiana football kicks off fall camp

After an offseason full of anticipation, Indiana football is back. Well, not all the way back, but fall camp begins today, meaning that the Hoosiers’ kickoff against Old Dominion is right around the corner (31 days to be exact).

TheHoosier.com has you covered for all of Indiana’s action this fall, but let’s start by previewing what to watch out for during fall camp. There are a few storylines that stand out above the rest, so let’s dive into what to expect from Indiana’s final preparations before the 2025 season.

With Drew Evans’ return, how does the offensive line shake out?

At Big Ten Media Days, Curt Cignetti let reporters know that Drew Evans will be a “full go” for Week 1, while his fall practice action will be limited as he builds up reps coming back from his Achilles tear last November.

“Yeah, he’s a full go. He’s cleared. You know, we’ll manage him somewhat early in camp, but I expect him uh you know to be out there,” Cignetti said.

While Cignetti used the word “managed” to describe what to expect from Evans during fall camp, what remains to be seen is exactly how much Evans gets reps with the first team. Kahlil Benson was expected to be the replacement at right guard, but with Evans returning, he is likely to reassume his role on the line.

“I mean, we’re keeping all options open. You want to put the best five guys on the field. So, you’ve got a good competition over there on that, you know, with Zen [Michalski] and Benson and you know, some of those guys. And Benson’s played both, but he’s played more right tackle with Bob [Bostad] than anything. So, we’ll let it play out in camp,” Cignetti explained on Benson’s current situation.

Fans and media alike will have to see how it plays out, as with an injury as serious as an Achilles tear, Evans may need time to adjust. He’s still expected to play Week 1, which should be a huge boost for the offensive line, but watch out for his progression throughout fall camp and how the offensive line rotation works around his increased reps.

How have Indiana’s freshmen progressed since spring camp?

Another big storyline to follow relates to Indiana’s freshman class, as many of them showed flashes of potential throughout the spring, but their progression throughout the summer will be intriguing to follow.

There are several freshmen in particular that fans should watch out for, those being Lebron Bond, Davion Chandler, Byron Baldwin Jr. and Seaonta Stewart Jr., just to name a few. While those are the freshmen most likely to make an impact on the 2025 team, the freshman class as a whole is a talented one and progression during the offseason is vitally important.

Elijah Sarratt commented on Bond and Chandler during Media Days, saying, “LeBron, Dav, definitely see them playing this year.”

He also mentioned, on the freshman class as a whole: “They’ve been looking good so far. They got to keep on stacking them days and be patient, you know.”

For those present during spring camp, fall camp will be a period of settling into the routine of being on a Big Ten football roster, while the freshmen who didn’t participate in spring workouts will be getting their first taste of the college game.

For both groups of freshmen, it will be eye-opening to see how they perform early on in fall camp, but even more so how they progress throughout fall practices leading up to the season opener.

RELATED: Numerous Hoosiers garner praise from teammates at Big Ten Media Days

Will there be a battle for the second cornerback spot?

A second player that Cignetti mentioned was fully healthy heading into fall camp was Amariyun Knighten, creating a buzz around if there could be a position battle at cornerback.

All-American D’Angelo Ponds will take the first starting spot, while Jamari Sharpe has been expected to take the second starting position. But with Knighten healthy after an undisclosed injury during spring camp, the Northern Illinois transfer could take that spot.

“Yeah, Knighten will be back ready to go and Sharpe and Gandy and Jaylen Bell are the primary field corner candidates with Sharpe being right now the projected starter,” Cignetti said. “We evaluate them daily and we’ll do what gives us the best chance.”

Both Ryland Gandy, the transfer from Pitt, and Jaylen Bell, the three-star freshman, were mentioned as possible starting candidates as well. Although they both have an outside chance, Sharpe is the projected starter with Knighten right behind him.

During fall camp, Indiana should work out who will be its second starting cornerback, meaning that it’s critical for the players mentioned above to execute and prove their worth on the starting line.

How will Fernando Mendoza’s connections with IU’s receivers strengthen?

The most important development might come from the most important position on the field, that being Fernando Mendoza at QB. We all know he’s talented enough to compete at the highest level, but developing connections with receivers is critical to a cohesive offense.

There have been no signs of Mendoza having issues with his receivers, but the question is whether his connections with receivers can take the Indiana offense to the next level.

“Well, I think you always build around the quarterback and his strengths and your personnel. And so I thought Kurtis [Rourke] did a great job of finding the open guy and going through the progression, throwing a very catchable ball. And you know, Fernando’s got a stronger arm and, you know, he’s more mobile. So, you know, we’ll see how it plays out on the field,” Cignetti explained.

Mendoza’s arm speaks for itself, but how he connects with his teammates during fall camp will say a lot not only about how he handles himself on the field, but about how he is as a leader of the team off the field.

Sarratt mentioned that Mendoza is “somebody you would want to be around, someone you want to hang out with,” and that he’s developed a bond in the short time they’ve been teammates. With this in mind, Hoosier fans should be excited to see how Mendoza’s relationships with his receivers translate onto the field this fall.

MORE: Elijah Sarratt praises Fernando Mendoza at B1G Media Days: ‘He’s a great quarterback’

How will Indiana split up carries between its three running backs?

Another expected position battle comes from the offensive side of the ball, as Indiana has a running back trio that is expected to split carries. But how will they split carries? Only time will tell.

Fall camp should be a good indicator of how carries will be split up between Roman Hemby, Lee Beebe Jr. and Kaelon Black, with Black being the only returnee from a year ago. Hemby and Beebe Jr. enter the fold as impact transfers, creating an interesting situation heading into the season.

On Hemby and Beebe Jr., Sarratt said: “Both of them boys got some juice for sure. They both can do it in the run game and in the passing game.”

While he was asked about those two specifically, he stopped short of calling them a duo because of Black’s presence on the roster.

“They’re going to be some great running backs this year along with my boy KB. All three of them are going to be a great trio,” Sarratt said.

Fall camp should provide an answer to who will assume what role in the running back room, as Indiana fans should look out for how the Hoosiers line up throughout the preseason because it should give a preview as to what the Hoosiers will look like during the 2025 season.

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