Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti provided an update on Indiana football injuries following their first fall camp scrimmage last Saturday. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers didn’t escape unscathed, with at least three players expected to miss time: redshirt junior cornerback JoJo Johnson, redshirt freshman defensive end Andrew Depaepe, and freshman cornerback Josh Philostin.
Cignetti didn’t offer specific timelines for their returns or details about their injuries but confirmed that no key players or projected starters were seriously hurt.
“We had some depth players pick up injuries,” Cignetti said. “Josh Philostin injured his knee and will be out for a while. The same goes for [Andrew] Depaepe, the Michigan State transfer. JoJo Johnson will miss a couple of weeks. Besides that, we’ve only had minor issues, nothing major.” The Hoosiers entering Week 3 of fall camp with relatively good health is encouraging, especially after a spring camp where several top players were sidelined due to injuries or surgery recoveries, including linebacker Jailin Walker, defensive linemen James Carpenter and Lanell Carr Jr., and offensive linemen Nick Kidwell and Tyler Stephens.
Indiana successfully navigated summer workouts without significant injuries, and the previously sidelined players returned to the field for fall camp.
The three players expected to miss extended time were all slated to be depth contributors for the 2024 season. Johnson, a former Notre Dame signee and JUCO transfer, was anticipated to be the most significant of the trio, though he still faced competition for playing time at cornerback from Jamier Johnson, Jamari Sharpe, D’Angelo Ponds, Cedarius Doss, and others.
Depaepe and Philostin are in their second and first seasons, respectively, meaning they would have needed standout performances in fall camp to secure consistent roles early in the season. Depaepe, a former four-star Michigan State signee and IU transfer walk-on, is competing with veteran edge rushers Mikail Kamara, Jacob Mangum-Farrar, Lanell Carr Jr., and others. Philostin, ranked as the No. 39 cornerback by 247Sports, had a chance to contribute on special teams and at cornerback in a limited capacity, but his injury has delayed those plans. With 19 days remaining until the season opener against Florida International on Aug. 31 at Memorial Stadium, Indiana will hope to continue avoiding significant injuries as the season approaches.
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