Progrums

Will Indiana’s Trenches Power a CFP Push?

With Kevin Wilson’s old mantra—“You can only call what you can block”—echoing through Bloomington, Indiana’s offensive line looks primed to carry the Hoosiers into the 2026 College Football Playoff conversation. Anchored by consensus All-American left tackle Carter Smith, who returns for one more season after surrendering just eight sacks in four years, the Hoosiers boast one of the nation’s strongest starting fives. Veterans Drew Evans, Pat Coogan (soon off to the NFL), and newcomer Joe Brunner fill out an elite interior, while Adedamola Ajani slides in at right tackle after showcasing versatility across all five positions last year. Depth pieces like Baylor Wilkin and utility man Austin Leibfried promise to step up if needed, balancing experience and youth. Despite looming turnover after 2026, this season’s front five offers the grunt work necessary for an explosive IU offense, rekindling Big Ten glory and CFP aspirations.

Ah yes, the unsung heroes of college football, the fellas who grunt in sweat-soaked helmets so the quarterback can coast to glory while pretending they invented the forward pass. Indiana’s offensive line is basically the Avengers of interior line play—Carter Smith is Iron Man, Drew Evans is Thor, and Joe Brunner is probably Loki because he loves to trick defensive ends. Of course, they all insist they’re just “doing their job,” which is code for “We eat tackle drops for breakfast.” Meanwhile, bewildered defensive coordinators across the nation are Googling “how to block Indiana,” only to discover that Indiana blocked them first. Keep an eye on these road graders: if the Hoosiers make the CFP, we’ll know whose socks to thank—and whose ankles are still intact.