Best Indiana Football Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 9 Carter Smith

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Todd Golden | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 7:16 PM ET

It would be a big mistake to over-generalize that when Curt Cignetti became head coach before the 2024 season, the players he inherited had to win their jobs back.

Cignetti isn’t hard to figure out. He just wants results. If you bring the results, you get the rewards. That’s true for players he inherited, players he brought with him from James Madison, and players he brought in as transfers from elsewhere. You are what you produce.

Still, it’s a stern test. Not every Indiana player Cignetti retained from the 2023 season passed that exam.

One player who did pass was tackle Carter Smith. In fact, of the players who successfully transitioned from Tom Allen to Cignetti, an argument could be made Smith made the best transition.

Think about his responsibility in 2024. Left tackle may not be the quarterback of the offensive line, but he is the protection.

What we know now is that quarterback Kurtis Rourke played the season with an ACL injury, which made his protection all the more important. But even without that knowledge, Indiana’s pass timing was crucial. It was up to Smith to make sure Rourke could go about his business without taking hits.

Smith did his job very well. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith rated an 80 or more – considered to be a good-to-excellent score – four times. He scored a 79.9 in another game, so if you want to round up and count that game, have at it.

Smith only allowed two sacks over 421 passing snaps in 2024 – a considerable rate of excellent pass protection. He didn’t rate as the best 2024 Indiana blocker overall by PFF standards – that honor went to Trey Wedig with a score of 83.5 – but Smith wasn’t far behind at 80.1.

Smith also was a solid run blocker, scoring a 75.7 grade for the 2024 season.

While it would be tempting to say that Cignetti had a magical effect on Smith, the truth is that Smith displayed the capability to shine during the 2023 season.

Smith’s overall PFF score for 2023 was 67.7 – an average grade – but a closer look demonstrated his excellent protection. In 2023, Smith also gave up only two sacks on 437 passing downs.

The common thread is offensive line coach Bob Bostad, the one coach Cignetti retained from Allen’s staff.

Cignetti’s trust in Bostad’s talent evaluation bore fruit. Bostad’s belief in Smith was reciprocated in performance on the field.

That kind of synergy is how teams win. Smith wasn’t handed anything from 2023 to 2024. He earned what he got from his excellent performance.