BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti can point to starting cornerback Jamari Sharpe as a player who heads into 2026 with the right kind of mindset.
Sharpe isn’t that far removed from earning immortality among IU fans for his game-sealing interception in the national title game, but he’s put that career-defining moment in the rearview mirror.
“At first, I was taking it all in,” Sharpe said on Thursday. “But later down the line, I had to put everything behind me because I got a season ahead of me. I had to stay focused and keep working and let that interception be last year.”
The veteran defensive back’s journey to Hard Rock Stadium — he lost his starting spot when Cignetti took over, only to eventually win it back — makes the message all the more powerful.
“I put my head down, and I worked,” Sharpe said of the demotion.
That’s the exact approach Cignetti wants to see at all times from his team as defending national champs. Here’s what else stood out during the second week of fall camp:
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Indiana football safety Byron Baldwin Jr. going to be a ‘big-time player’ this fall
Byron Baldwin Jr. is in a position to have a Charlie Becker-sized impact for the Hoosiers this fall. He has the skill set, he has the veteran support around him, and there’s an opening for him in the starting lineup.
He has just one question left to answer.
“His thing is day-in, day-out consistency and having the discipline to be consistent,” Cignetti said. “He’ll be as good as his discipline and consistency take him.”
Baldwin, the program’s highest-rated signee in 2025, came close to cracking the two-deep in Week 1 last year before an injury derailed his rise up the depth chart. He ended up showing glimpses of his versatility in wins over Maryland and Purdue.
“He’s very energetic,” safety Amare Ferrell said. “He’s very physical. He’s very fast. You know we like guys like that. Definitely at that position, he can run, he can blitz, he can tackle. He does all the things that we need him to do.”
Ferrell is optimistic Baldwin will earn Cignetti’s full trust.
“I definitely think he’ll be a big-time player for us this year,” Ferrell said.
Who is going to replace Indiana football tight end Riley Nowakowski?
Cignetti and his staff have developed a pecking order of sorts at tight end, with Andrew Barker, Brock Schott and Trevor Gibbs emerging as the early fall camp standouts. Barker got a jump on the competition in spring as one of the few healthy bodies at the position.
Through the first two weeks of camp, Schott and Gibbs have made up for lost time.
“Schott has had good moments, as has Gibbs,” Cignetti said. “From a blocking standpoint and a receiving standpoint, just trying to get them better because they’re young. We’re going to be counting on Barker, Schott and Gibbs for sure.”
Indiana has relied on a capable in-line blocker at the position in each of Cignetti’s first two seasons, but there’s still been room for them to have an impact in the passing game. In 2025, Riley Nowakowski had 32 catches for 387 yards with two touchdowns.
Will Indiana rely on just one player to fill both roles? Or split up those responsibilities? Cignetti hasn’t offered much in the way of specifics about the trio’s skill sets.
Indiana football’s veteran transfers finding their voice
Cignetti picks three veterans to stand in front of the team as everyone stretches at the start of each practice and designates one of them to give a brief speech to end the period. Indiana opened fall camp by relying on returning veterans to lead those daily warmups, including the likes of Tyrique Tucker, Isaiah Jones and Carter Smith.
In the second week of fall camp, Cignetti picked a handful of players from IU’s latest transfer class to add to the rotation.
“This is the time of year where a number of the older transfers now start to step up a little bit,” Cignetti said. “You’ve got to put them in that position … We’ve had the same five or six or seven guys in the spring and early in the fall talk to the team. Now there’s a handful of five or seven other guys that have the potential to lead the right way.”
Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner was among those newcomers asked to fire up the team.
“I give all the credit to the culture that’s been here and just allowing me to come in,” Brunner said. “It’s been like I’ve known these guys forever.”
Indiana football two-minute drill
∎ Josh Hoover looks increasingly comfortable in the huddle during fall camp, according to his teammates.
“He’s very confident in what he does, and he brings a lot of energy to that huddle every single play,” Brunner said. “And guys lean on that. You know, guys get tired half of the game, and guys lean on that energy that he brings. And seeing him grow and develop as well as a player, it’s been pretty special.”
It probably doesn’t hurt that Indiana’s offense is back at full strength. In the spring, the Hoosiers were down multiple starters, including left tackle Smith and receiver Becker. The group is now getting a chance to build the chemistry they will need to make the CFP for a third straight season.
“I’m excited to see what he does this year,” Brunner said. “And I’m even more excited to block for him.”
∎ Cignetti told reporters that he gave Tyler Cherry reps with the second-team offense last week. The redshirt freshman received similar opportunities in the spring as he continued to work his way back from the knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season.
“I think he’s really smart,” Cignetti said. “He gets the ball out of his hand, and he’s developing.”
While Indiana fans are eager for updates on Cherry — an in-state product who won a state title at Center Grove High School — there’s no pressure for him to win the backup job this season, thanks to Grant Wilson’s presence on the roster. The offense would be in steady hands should the sixth-year quarterback need to step in.
The goal for Cherry is to show the coaching staff he’s making steady progress.
∎ While Cignetti tends to balance his praise of the younger players on his roster with a critique, that hasn’t been the case for Khobie Martin. In the spring, Cignetti told reporters that Martin had “really taken a step” and improved as much as anyone in the team’s 2024 signing class, a group that includes Becker, Mario Landino, and Adedamola Ajani.
On Monday, Cignetti continued to praise Martin’s growth.
“He’s gotten faster and more explosive since he’s been here,” Cignetti said. “Very pleased with his progress up to this point.”
∎ Tulsa transfer Joe Hjelle is a perfect fit in Bryant Haines’ scheme thanks to the experience he had coming up in high school as a defensive end. It’s helped him execute all the stunts and twists that Haines likes to throw at opposing offenses.
“Just having that experience from an edge perspective has kind of helped me better set up stunts and know what’s effective, what to do, what not to do,” Hjelle said. “Just trying to keep my teammates free and allow them to have free rushes and all that.”
Indiana football Quote of the week
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What we learned from Indiana football’s second week: ‘Big-time player’ emerges on defense
Reporting by Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times / Indianapolis Star
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By Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times | USA TODAY Network
