Competition will be plentiful as Indiana begins fall camp

BLOOMINGTON — When asked Tuesday to pinpoint a position group that has the most open competition, Indiana football coach Tom Allen laid out the reality the Hoosiers face.
There’s a lot of competition in several “rooms” because there are a lot of new faces.
Indiana will embark on fall camp starting Wednesday as practice begins on campus.
The Hoosiers face plenty of uncertainty. As of Tuesday, there are 50 newcomers, including 31 transfers, after an offseason of flux in which incomings and outgoings from the transfer portal came fast and furious.
“There’s several positions with a lot of competition, I think, just in lieu of the new faces,” Allen said in a press conference Tuesday.
Allen did pinpoint one group first.
“I think the one that probably sticks out is the secondary. The corner position as well as the safeties,” Allen said.
Indeed, Indiana needs to find replacements for departed starters Tiawan Mullen, Jaylin Williams, Devon Matthews and Bryant Fitzgerald. But it doesn’t end there.
“You could go on. The defensive line has a lot of new faces. There is competing on the offensive line,” Allen said. “Quarterback competition is very well-documented. Running back room and receiver would be another thing that stick out to me because of the number of guys we added.”
The joke to be inserted here is what unit doesn’t have competition? However, change doesn’t necessarily indicate things will be all bad. After all, this was an Indiana team that went 4-8 in 2022 and 2-10 the year before with just two Big Ten wins over that span.
“I would say I’m really excited about our running back room. I really feel like there’s some maturity there that we’ve added,” Allen said. “I think Josh (Henderson) has really honed in on being such a strong leader in that room, the way he handles his business like a pro.”
All eyes are on the quarterback competition between Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby. Allen has previously indicated a decision won’t likely be known — barring injury for either — until the run-up to Indiana’s opener against Ohio State on Sept. 2.
“There’s probably two unique things (about the quarterback competition). First of all is that you got two younger guys, redshirt freshman,” Allen said. “Also just how well they get along. Sometimes there’s a natural tension. It’s competition. But, man, they spend a lot of time together in the offseason doing things together away from football.”
The heat is on Allen this season. The improvement demonstrated and optimism generated in 2019 (8-5) and 2020 (6-2) has largely petered out. The Hoosiers need to show progress. With a schedule that still has Indiana in the punishing East Division of the Big Ten for one more season, it will be a challenge.
Indiana has received some positive off-field news. On Monday, it was announced Indiana will build a football-only weight room facility. Though the Hoosiers have a large weight room inside Memorial Stadium, it is used by multiple sports.
Planning for new space is ongoing, though Indiana has slated a completion date in early 2024. The new facility is largely due to a major gift from Indiana alumnus Jay Wilkinson, and it will be part of the W. Jay and Nancy Wilkinson Performance Center at the stadium.
Allen did not give details on the timeline of the new weight room, but he did delve into some of the rationale for having a football-only enclave.
“I think a big area of focus has been to be able to have a concentrated area to eliminate distractions. We have a phrase: a distracted man is a defeated man. We’re just trying to continue to enhance that part of it, to be able to brand it in a way that it’s football-specific,” Allen said.
Allen noted the Hoosiers are largely healthy, apart from injuries already known about such as offensive lineman Matt Bedford, wide receiver Cam Camper and quarterback Dexter Williams — all of whom suffered knee injuries in 2022.
“You’re installing your scheme,” Allen said on early goals for camp. “This is the first time you’ve had this entire group together. Got to build off of that and create momentum each and every week.”