What To Watch For: Indiana football's spring game returns Thursday night

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana football is offering the first public glimpse into the Curt Cignetti-led Hoosiers on Thursday evening with the return of an annual spring football game.

Indiana will split the offense and defense into two teams and conduct two 15-minute periods of scrimmage, opening Memorial Stadium to the public for the first time since the IU football program has been under the watch of first-year Hoosier head coach Curt Cignetti.

MORE: Details, fan info, and more regarding the Hoosiers' first spring game under Cignetti regime

Here's some of the emerging storylines to keep tabs on as the Hoosiers take the gridiron inside Memorial Stadium and conclude Cignetti's first Indiana spring:

While Cignetti hasn't been exactly straightforward in terms of a potential pecking order at quarterback, a growing consensus leads to believe that Ohio transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke is the leader in the clubhouse to guide the Hoosier offense at the first chance of asking.

The 6-foot-5, 222-pound redshirt senior has "taken a pretty significant step," has had room to improve this spring and summer before the Hoosiers re-enter fall camp. But with the signal caller operating at what Cignetti referenced a "high level," Rourke figures to probably take the lion's share of the first team reps Thursday night.

It makes sense given the accelerated timeline the Hoosiers' offseason additions were geared toward in the first year of Cignetti's headship. The former JMU head coach inherited a "roster crisis" upon accepting the new role, and turned to the transfer portal to help bridge the gap in the first year as he and his staff lay a recruiting foundation and get as much hands-on development time for the returning Hoosiers as possible.

That's where the expertise of quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri comes into play, as he'll not only have a chance to spread his knowledge with not only Rourke, but with returner Tayven Jackson and freshmen Tyler Cherry and Alberto Mendoza – one of which, Cherry, being a spring enrollee to maximize the time for development.

So, while it's likely a safe assumption to understand Rourke will have an extended stint leading the Hoosier offense tonight, the split of reps between Jackson and Cherry should be of interest to monitor, too.

Indiana's wide receiver, running back and tight end position groups all experienced near-on complete overhauls when Cignetti and company took over. The common denominator amongst many of the pickups was proven production and experience at the college level, further reinforcing the philosophy that Indiana will prioritize production over potential when it comes to said transfers going forward.

While returners Donaven McCulley, Omar Cooper Jr., E.J. Williams Jr. and Andison Coby are still around for the Hoosier arms to throw to, newcomers Myles Price, Ke'Shawn Williams, Elijah Sarratt and Miles Cross bring heaps of their own past proficiencies to the Hoosier offense.

In this, it also offers a glimpse at what many of the new Hoosiers have referred to as a true pro-style offense, where Sunseri and offensive coordinator/wideouts coach Mike Shanahan have thrived with at previous stops. Cignetti has publicly stated he wants his Hoosier offense to put opposing defenses in more conflicting situations, and be both more efficient and effective through the air than previous IU offenses have been.

But with the acquired talent to accompany it in the backfield and further additions to the tight end position group, there's plenty of new faces to get familiar with regarding the Hoosier offense this year. Justice Ellison, Ty Son Lawton, Elijah Green and Kaelon Black all arrive from other programs where they experienced success, as well as Zach Horton, who also migrated from James Madison to Indiana.

How Indiana goes about utilizing the bevy of new weapons on Thursday night could provide a glimpse into the future of IU's offensive prowess.

Cignetti hasn't been shy about offensive line coach Bob Bostad's time spent with the Hoosier offensive line this offseason, claiming the group has the potential to be one of the strengths of Indiana's team if they develop how he plans for them to.

But as for who the first five will be of the eight or so options Indiana was set to rotate this spring, the front line is yet to be determined. The same could be said for the defensive line, which has been a work in progress this offseason in determining how to manage going about the depth of the positions.

IU brought back Mike Katic this offseason to be IU's center after he initially planned to enter the NFL Draft, and retained left tackle Carter Smith after his entrance into the transfer portal. The three remaining spots, however, are still somewhat up for grabs at least in some senses. JMU transfer Nick Kidwell and Wisconsin transfer Trey Wedig likely slot into the right side of the line.

But with the defensive line, Indiana reshuffled the deck position-wise to fulfill the needs of Bryant Haines' defense. Jacob Mangum-Farrar's move to stud position on the opposite side of JMU transfer Mikail Kamara makes for an interesting pair of pass rushers coming off the edge of the IU defense. As for what IU does on the rest of the line, that remains to be seen.

Thursday's intrasquad affair will be the most insightful window into the philosophy of the Hoosier defense this upcoming fall, but it could also be a position Indiana targets in the spring portal for extra depth.

– Defensive Back: Indiana has multiple options for lineups in the defensive backfield, but it could be a position that still sees some addition in the portal.

– Linebacker: Curious more in the depth here both in terms of how much is used and who it is behind the likely duo of Jailin Walker and Aiden Fisher.

– Special Teams: K Nico Radicic returns to IU this year, but ULM transfer Derek McCormick could fill the position in his final season of eligibility this season.

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