On Aug. 30, Indiana Football got off on the right start with a 27-14 win over Old Dominion.
Last Saturday, they outdid themselves with a whopping defeat over Kennesaw State, 56-9.
However, they did sustain some serious injuries and notable absences in the process, diminishing their safety and punter positions.
Safety Bryson Bonds is out for the season, and freshman Byron Baldwin was out last Saturday. Also, safety Louis Moore didn't play due to his ongoing lawsuit against the NCAA over an extra year of eligibility.
At this point, Moore is listed as ineligible until the case gets resolved.
Moore, along with starters Amare Ferrell and Devan Boykin, are virtually the only ones available to fulfill that role.
As a result, Indiana's depth at the safety position is lacking. That is something that head coach Curt Cignetti undoubtedly recognized as Indiana is set to take on Indiana State this Friday per Michael Niziolek.
“We got to get better at safety….they are not playing bad, but they are capable of playing better” he said.
Cignetti is in his second full season as head coach at Indiana. A season in which his team is expected to make a run at the College Football Playoff.
Last year, they finished the season at 11-2.
Additionally, Indiana punter Mitch McCarthy was out last week due an undisclosed injury sustained against Old Dominion.
Who else does Indiana have left at the safety position?
In addition to Ferrell and Boykin, the Hoosiers do have additional players to step up and fulfill the safety position.
They include Jah Jah Boyd, Seaonta Stewart Jr., Jaylen Bell, Zacharey Smith, Garrett Reese, and Heath Kizer.
However, the bulk of these players don't have much experience. In the case of Boyd, he is a redshirted freshman.
During the 2023 season, Boyd didn't play a single game due to an injury.
