2024 IU Football Position Preview: Offensive Line

Offensive line coach Bob Bostad was the only coach that was retained from the previous IU Football staff when Curt Cignetti took over the program.

The Indiana offensive line has been a point of weakness for many years which led former coach Tom Allen to poach Bostad from Wisconsin before last year. The improvement in year one with Bostad was clear, so it was no surprise Cignetti opted to keep him in Bloomington.

While Bostad’s return signals some continuity, three of the five starters left IU football. The only two to return were standouts Carter Smith and 2023 captain Mike Katic. The pair made up the left side of the line, but Katic is expected to move to center for the 2024 season.

As a result, Cignetti was forced to replace the entire right side of the line, while also finding Katic’s replacement at left guard. Cignetti was able to bring two impact players with him from James Madison to fill the holes at guard. Tyler Stephens and Nick Kidwell both made over 30 starts for Cignetti and they will likely slot in at the left and right guard spots.

To fill the right tackle spot Cignetti went with another familiar face in Trey Wedig. The Wisconsin transfer played under Bostad for three years and will now finish his collegiate career with his original offensive line coach.

RELATED: ‘Guys need to be flexible. They need to be versatile’: Indiana football offensive line coach Bob Bostad knows exactly what he wants from his linemen

“[Versatile] guys are really hard to find,” Bostad said on Under the Hood with Indiana football. “That’s where I think we hit a home run on that in getting guys that are versatile and can play multiple positions.”

With the impact transfers coming in, the offensive line could be one of the strengths of the roster for IU Football.

More Indiana Football Position Previews: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End

Offensive Line Room

Vince Fiacable R-Jr. 6-4 313

Jack Greer R-So. 6-3 311

Nick Kidwell R-Sr. 6-5 317

Mike Katic R-Sr.+ 6-4 315

Drew Evans R-So. 6-4 301

Mitch Verstegen Fr. 6-4 300

Carter Smith R-So. 6-5 308

Austin Leibfried Fr. 6-6 275

Evan Lawrence Fr. 6-6 270

Adedamola Ajani Fr. 6-4 285

Austin Barrett R-Fr. 6-6 295

Bray Lynch R-So. 6-5 306

Trey Wedig R-Sr. 6-7 317

Tyler Stephens Sr.+ 6-5 307

Cooper Jones R-Jr. 6-5 311

Max Williams R-So. 6-6 311

Bob Bostad reunited with transfer Trey Wedig after coaching him at Wisconsin

Indiana’s Trey Wedig (75) during practice at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Expected Starters

LT Carter Smith

Smith’s return to Indiana was one of the biggest wins of the offseason for Bostad and Cignetti. Despite taking visits to other schools he decided to return to Bloomington for the 2024 season.

Smith was the fifth highest-graded freshman offensive lineman in 2023 according to Pro Football Focus.

Highest graded freshman OL from the 2023 season💪 pic.twitter.com/XMyuLGngQj

— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 31, 2024

Smith started all 12 games at left tackle and will be one of the anchors for the offensive line for Indiana next season. His freshman-year performance has created high expectations for him in 2024.

“I expect big things from him,” Bostad said about Smith this offseason.

LG Tyler Stephens

After starting 31 games for James Madison, Stephens decided to follow Cignetti to Indiana where he is expected to slot in at left guard for the Hoosiers. Stephens has 13 starts at left guard, 12 at left tackle, and six at right tackle during his career.

Bostad has emphasized the importance of versatility and Stephens embodies that.

Stephens was second-team All-Sun Belt Conference last season while splitting time at three positions.

He has played a big role on a strong offense for James Madison that has ranked inside the top 30 in the FBS regular season in passing touchdowns, completion percentage, passing yards, passing efficiency, time of possession, and total offense.

C Mike Katic

Katic declared for the draft after the 2023 offseason, but a call from Bostad led to his return to Indiana.

“I was really starting to look at agents and things like that and then (offensive line) Coach Bostad called me on a Wednesday morning and said, ‘Hey there is an opportunity for you to come back and play center’. I talked to my family and my friends and thought that was the best thing for me,” Katic said during Big Ten Media Days.

Katic has started 37 games with IU Football including 27 starts at left guard. Now he will be transitioning to the center position where he has some experience.

As a captain last season, he played a massive role on the offensive line and will continue to fill that role in 2024.

“We’re just really fortunate to have him back,” Bostad said. “I thought last year he did a lot of really good things, starting all the way back in the spring.”

Katic returns as the best-rated pass-blocking lineman from last season with a rating of 75.8, per Pro Football Focus. He gave up just two sacks and had one penalty all season.

Heading into his sixth year, Katic will be a crucial part of IU Football.

RG Nick Kidwell

Kidwell is coming back for his seventh year after receiving a medical hardship waiver after a season-ending injury in 2023.

With 52 appearances and 34 starts, Kidwell is one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the country. In his last full season, he was named a Second-team All-Sun Belt Conference pick in 2022.

Kidwell primarily played right tackle for James Madison but spent time at right guard as well. At 6-foot-5 Kidwell is massive for the guard spot, but figures to play that role with an even bigger Trey Wedig likely next to him at tackle.

Kidwell highlights the size of the offensive line with all five expected starters being at least 6-foot-4.

He was recently named to the preseason All-Big Ten third team by Athlon Sports and will play a big part on Bostad’s unit this season.

RT Trey Wedig

Wedig heads into his fifth season reunited with his former offensive line coach after spending three years with Bostad in Wisconsin.

That connection made Indiana an easy choice for Wedig when he entered the transfer portal.

Wedig played in 12 games with Wisconsin at both left and right guard, but Bostad has said that they plan to start him at right tackle this year.

“Having a really good idea of who he is and what he can do, he is definitely a guy we can plug in at tackle,” Bostad said about Wedig.

At 6-foot-7, Wedig is a natural fit at the tackle spot where he has made most of his starts in college. He was a consensus top-125 prospect nationally but fell into more of a utility role with Wisconsin. Now with IU Football, he will look to be a cornerstone of the offensive line.

SEE ALSO: ‘I’m really excited to get into that rivalry and try to get that Oaken Bucket back’: IU Football is looking to start a new chapter in the Indiana-Purdue rivalry under Curt Cignetti

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