Tom Allen Expects to Heavily Rotate Indiana Defense, Play 'Hot Hand' Against Ohio State

Team captains Aaron Casey and Noah Pierre enter their sixth seasons at Indiana, but the rest of the defense is almost entirely new.

As a result, Week 1 against Ohio State serves as an audition for playing time for many Hoosiers.

"We're probably going to rotate some guys early on and see how they respond, then play the hot hand," Indiana head coach Tom Allen said Thursday. "The guys that are playing the best and seem to be doing the most positive things."

Allen said this approach will likely be most evident along the defensive line and in the secondary due to a combination of factors. Indiana's 4-2-5 defensive scheme places a heavier numerical emphasis in the trenches and in the defensive backfield. The nature of defensive line play also requires frequent rotation on any roster in order to keep players fresh. 

But Allen's approach also stems from the defensive roster overhaul that took place this offseason. Indiana added 24 scholarship players through the transfer portal, including 16 on defense.

This is most obvious on the defensive line, where the vast majority of expected contributors started their college careers at different schools. In Week 1 against Ohio State, Andre Carter (Western Michigan), Philip Blidi (Texas Tech), Marcus Burris Jr. (Texas A&M), Patrick Lucas Jr. (Ole Miss), LeDarrius Cox (Ole Miss), Lanell Carr Jr. (West Virginia), Anthony Jones (Oregon) and Myles Jackson (UCLA) appear to be the top options at defensive tackle, end and bull.

At cornerback, Allen named Jamier Johnson (Texas), Kobee Minor (Texas Tech), Jamari Sharpe, Nic Toomer (Stanford), JoJo Johnson (Iowa Western C.C./Notre Dame) and James Monds III as the six players who have taken the most reps in fall camp.

Allen expects three or four of these cornerbacks to get the bulk of the playing time, but he won't hesitate to reach for more depth. And regardless of who's out there, Indiana cornerbacks have a major challenge on their hands against Ohio State wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.

"We're playing one of the best receiver corps in the country," Allen said. "[The cornerbacks are] going to get tested early and often and got to step up and play very, very well."

The linebacker and safety positions are a bit more locked in but also present some unknowns. The return of 2022 leading tackler Aaron Casey provides stability and leadership. He'll start at the stinger, or weak-side linebacker position, with Stanford transfer Jacob Mangum-Farrar next to him at Mike linebacker. Behind them, returning redshirt linebacker Matt Hohlt, who began his career as a walk-on but recently received a scholarship, has experience at both middle linebacker spots. Austin Peay transfer Joshua Rudolph rounds out a group of five linebackers that Allen said have rotated the most with the first and second-team defense.

At safety, team captain Noah Pierre will likely man the Husky, or nickel cornerback, position for most of the game. Returners like Josh Sanguinetti and Louis Moore are in the mix for both high safety spots. Tyrik McDaniel (Independence C.C.), sophomore Phillip Dunnam, freshman Amare Ferrell and junior Jordan Grier add depth. 

There are a variety of ways to view Indiana's defensive situation. Entering Week 1 with so much unresolved competition could be a concern as it might mean that no one has performed well enough to separate themselves from the pack. Or it might speak to the depth and talent on the roster. 

Perhaps more likely at this stage, though, is that Allen wants a player's performance on game day to be weighted more heavily than what he's done in practice. 

"We still have not had a game yet, so getting these guys to see how they perform in a game is going to be big," Allen said. "I want to do a great job of getting a chance to evaluate, as well. It's a big, big game. It's a conference game. It's the first game. It has all those things, but it is also your first one that you're having as a team. Scrimmages are great, but they're not full, live football games."