2024 was a milestone and memorable season for the Indiana Hoosiers. Curt Cignetti’s first season in Bloomington resulted in a stunning 11-1 regular season record with the lone loss coming in Columbus against eventual National Champion Ohio State. Indiana made the College Football Playoff and battled Notre Dame before falling in South Bend and ending the season at 11-2. It was a school-record for wins and Curt Cignetti was honored as the National Coach of the Year. As IU begins preparations for the 2025 campaign, there is an unprecedented amount of attention on the program.
Hoosier Huddle is gearing up for the spring with individual position group previews. Today, we examine the tight end room. IU lost Zach Horton, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism after the Hoosier tight ends had 4 touchdowns and 228 receiving yards in 2024.
Losses
Zach Horton – 21 catches for 189 yards (9.00 ypc) – 4 touchdowns
Trey Walker – Appeared in 13 games as a blocking TE in 2024
Brody Kosin – Did not play in 2024
Brody Foley – Did not play in 2024
Newcomers
Riley Nowakowski – Transfer from Wisconsin
Holden Staes – Transfer from Tennessee
Andrew Barker – Incoming Freshman
Blake Thiry – Incoming Freshman
Two-deep
On offense, Indiana typically goes with a look of one tight end, three receivers, and a running back. While there’s no reason to believe this will change in 2025, there is a chance that the starting TE role could be split between the two transfers based on the need for a blocking or receiving TE.
Starter (1a) – Holden Staes – Senior (transfer from Tennessee)
Holden Staes has appeared in 34 games with 12 starts between his years at Tennessee and Notre Dame prior to transferring to IU for his senior season. At 6’ 4” and 248 lbs, Staes has the frame to be a force both in blocking and passing. Over the past three seasons, Staes has amassed 318 receiving yards and 5 career touchdowns. Last season, Tennessee utilized Staes mostly as a blocking TE; however, even in this limited role, Staes totaled 131 yards and a touchdown. As the #1 TE in the Transfer Portal this offseason (per 24/7Sports), Staes was a huge get for the Hoosiers.
Starter (1b) – Riley Nowakowski – Redshirt Senior (transfer from Wisconsin)
Riley Nowakowski has appeared in 40 games with 10 starts over his 5 years with the Wisconsin Badgers. An extremely versatile player, Nowakowski has seen snaps at linebacker, fullback, and tight end. Primarily a blocking tight end/fullback, Nowakowski has amassed 131 receiving yards and a touchdown. Look for Nowakowski to be a force to be reckoned with as a run-blocker.
Rotation – James Bomba – Redshirt Senior/Sam West – Redshirt Sophomore
While I would expect Staes and Nowakowski to get a majority of the reps, both James Bomba and Sam West will see the field a fair amount this season. Bomba has amassed 77 receiving yards and a touchdown over his 4 years. Bomba, however, has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. It is important to note that as a redshirt senior and Bloomington native, Bomba brings leadership to the new-look TE room. Sam West recorded his first collegiate catch in 2024 against Charlotte and quickly showed off his athleticism, scampering for a gain of 37 yards. West certainly has the skills to break into the rotation this season.
Depth – Andrew Barker – Freshman/Blake Thiry – Freshman
Rounding out the tight end room this season are a pair of three-star true freshmen: Andrew Barker and Blake Thiry. While both Barker and Thiry will likely redshirt this season, there is always a chance that an injury could thrust them into the rotation.
Surprises
While both transfer TEs have rightfully been receiving the bulk of the attention this offseason, my bold prediction is that Sam West stands out as a playmaker and gets meaningful snaps this season. West would give new QB Fernando Mendoza a big target in an already stacked receiving corps.
West came to IU in 2023 as a three-star recruit and a top-30 tight end nationally. While in high school, West played both TE and QB and finished his career with almost 3,500 yards of total offense and had 39 touchdowns. West is an extremely athletic player who is poised to take the next step this season.
Confidence Level
While the Hoosiers’ tight end room may not have a singular standout star like they did last year in Zach Horton, each player’s skill sets complement each other, and with the right rotation, the Hoosiers’ TE room should have a similar level of production to last year. Given that IU’s offensive system has not changed, the confidence level in this position group should be high.
