‘Decent Start’ – Expectations High as Hoosiers Open Fall Camp
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A sun-splashed practice that included no “balls on the ground,” good execution and no injuries was exactly how Curt Cignett wanted his third Indiana football August camp to begin.
“The goal is to develop players, develop position groups, individually, collectively, develop the intangibles as we get closer to Game 1,” the veteran head coach says, “and the team mindset and identity so that we're ready to play football and play the way we want to play.
“It was a decent start.”
The start included key returning players, dynamic transfers and limited work for Stephen Daley, a dominant defensive end (a Big Ten-leading 19 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles last year after transferring from Kent State) who suffered a season-ending knee injury after the conference title game win over Ohio State.
“It's a really important camp for us because we haven't had the opportunity to get all of our people together,” Cignetti says. “We had a lot of guys out in spring ball.
“There's going to be a lot of competition. Anybody that can play winning football will play, but we need to get the guys out there working together. Then with some of the new guys, the ones who were hurt (in the spring) get them assimilated into how we do things.”
What the Hoosiers do best under Cignetti is win. Last year’s 16-0 record came from dominant offense and defense, and no one expects that to change. It’s all about looking forward, putting in the work and having the right mindset.
“Humble and hungry is the only way I know,” Cignetti says.
A big key comes at quarterback. Fernando Mendoza is now with the Las Vegas Raiders after winning the Heisman Trophy and leading IU to the program’s first national football championship. Now comes TCU transfer Josh Hoover.
So far, Cignetti says, so good.
“I was watching so many different guys, but it appeared that he finished practice well. I saw him make a few nice throws at the end. I saw (Michigan State transfer wide receiver Nick Marsh) make a couple plays, too.”
Cignetti says he evaluates the opening camp practice by first looking at “the flow.”
“Did we have any major organizational snafus? Was the ball on the ground a lot? A lot of times early in camp, in spring ball, working in new centers, center snaps can be an issue. You can have six, eight balls on the ground. We didn't have that. The flow was good. The competition was good.”
Cignetti says the Hoosiers have good depth at every position. Early on, multiple players will get plenty of reps, although that will change as camp progresses.
“We always increase the reps with the ones as we go and start to decrease the reps with the threes,” he says. “Right now, it's identifying who can do what and, by the end of camp, decide what we think the roles are going into the first game and making sure we have enough quality depth and that we're utilizing our best 11 as effectively as we can.”
Summer preparations included lots of work with new director of athletic performance Tyson Brown and his staff.
“I think we made some very significant strides,” Cignetti says. “When you look at the numbers -- GPS, body fat, vertical jump, things of that nature -- the results speak for themselves. I’m very pleased.”
As for Daley, the 6-foot-1, 273-pounder had rehabbed his knee and was preparing for the NFL, although the injury cost him a chance to be drafted. A Colorado U.S. District Court judge’s recent ruling that high school players from the 2022 graduating class could play their fifth college season created an opportunity for Daley to return to the Hoosiers for his fifth season.
“We'll have a plan for his return to play,” Cignetti says. “We're not in a hurry, not in a rush. We'll bring him along, evaluate it day by day.
“If it works out for him long term, I think it's a great thing because here's a guy -- you talk about helping people and opportunities.
“Here's a guy that played at Kent State and then came to us last fall. It really took him three to four games before he started to get the hang of it. He wasn't playing a key role, then became the most dominant defensive lineman in the Big Ten, suffers the injury, so ends up not getting drafted and so on and so forth.
“If it all works out and he can participate and help this football team, then his life could change. I know one thing about him; he'll give it his best shot. We'll just see what happens."
Daley is set to join what already was a powerful defensive line.
“We have guys that have played football that are experienced guys,” Cignetti says, “but you get better or you get worse. You never stay the same. You get out what you put in.”
Cignetti praised defensive line coaches Buddha Williams and Pat Kuntz, as well as defensive coordinator Bryant Haines for their ability to get the most out of their players.
Still, the overall focus in Camp Day One was getting IU ready for its Sept. 5 season opener against North Texas at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
“I thought the guys did a decent job of sustaining practice,” Cignetti says. “I didn't think they got overly fatigued. It was a very manageable practice, and nobody got hurt.”