Seven Hoosiers given All Big Ten Honors
As football season has officially come to an end for Indiana, there is not a lot that fans may want to reminisce on. The Hoosiers went 3-9, including just one conference win against Wisconsin, and a game against Akron in which they required a short missed field goal and four overtime periods to beat the Zips.
On top of that, Indiana failed once again to take home the Old Oaken Bucket against Purdue on Saturday, and coach Tom Allen was subsequently fired the next morning.
That said, there was some good news today which may allow fans to remember some players or moments fondly, as five Hoosiers were recognized with All Big Ten honors. No offensive players were recognized, but defense and special teams both had multiple players make the cut.
Defense
The Indiana defense was surprisingly solid this season, with a number of big performances against marquee programs. This includes holding Ohio State to 23, Louisville to 21 including a scoreless second half, and Wisconsin to 20.
These performances were anchored by several key players on defense, three of which were recognized by the conference.
Defensive back Kobee Minor was recognized along with edge rusher Andre Cater as honorable mentions for the Big Ten All-Defensive team. If nothing else, this is a feather in the cap of the Indiana recruiting staff, as both of these guys came to Bloomington via the transfer portal this offseason.
Minor was maybe a bit of a surprise to end up on this list if you just look at stats, as he finished with 29 tackles, no forced turnovers, and just four passes defended. That said, his impact stems beyond what can be measured by statistics. For instance, Minor often lined up against the best opposing receiver. His measurables take a hit because he was not targeted all that often as a result of tight coverage.
Carter was a player whom plenty of fans expected to make an immediate impact. Though there was some regression as Carter made the jump to the Big Ten, he was a solid contributor on the Indiana defensive line this year. He totaled 49 tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended.
Dawning George Taliaferro's legendary #44, Aaron Casey stepped up to the plate this season. Casey was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive first team after a stellar season for the Hoosiers.
Casey anchored not just this defense but this team all season. He was a leader on and off the field. If the Hoosiers needed a play made on defense, it would be Casey to make it. He made 109 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three passes defended.
Offense
Starting center Zach Carpenter and wide receiver Donaven McCulley both earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions from the league office.
Carpenter's three seasons after transferring from Michigan, where he began his college career, featured 27 appearances and 25 starts, including lining up over the ball for each of IU's 12 contests in 2023. His allowed pressure percentage was third lowest in the Big Ten at just 2.3% – 10 pressures allowed on 445 pass blocking snaps. As a whole, the IU O-line allowed 14 sacks in the previous campaign, 12 fewer than in the 2022 season.
McCulley, the once converted quarterback, became Indiana's top wideout in 2023 – especially so in the absence of Cam Camper due to injury for stints of the season. His 48 receptions, 644 yards and six touchdowns were all team-highs in 2023. He made 10 contested catches in the previous campaign, which was a mark that ranked third in the conference.
Carpenter and McCulley are both currently in the transfer portal as of now.
Special Teams
Coming into this season, if you had to pick a position group to excel for the Hoosiers, it almost certainly should have been the special teams unit.
Though he was unable to replicate the spark he created last year, Jaylin Lucas still had a season worthy of the Big Ten All-Special Teams third team. Last year's All-American put a spotlight on himself this year, and teams game-planned better for his explosive potential. His kick return stats are near identical to last season's totals, he just couldn't quite find room on limited opportunities returning punts. This is due, in part, to Indiana not forcing many punts.
Lucas did end his season on a high note with his only kick return touchdown of the season against Purdue in the final game of the year.
I believe at the beginning of the year I said practice makes perfect, and when you punt for the Hoosiers, you get a lot of practice. This helped punter James Evans make the third team alongside Lucas. Evans averaged nearly 46 yards a punt, including a 70 yard boot from his own end zone into the wind against Rutgers.
–––––
Like this content? Join the conversation on TheHoosier.com's premium message boards and subscribe today!
– Follow TheHoosier on Twitter and Facebook!
– Subscribe to TheHoosier on YouTube for more content
– TheHoosier's Premium Football Board and Premium Hoops Board