Indiana Football Notebook: Key quotes, notes and more heading into final scrimmage

The Indiana football program will wrap up week three of fall camp this Saturday with its final scrimmage of the offseason.

The scrimmage will be closed to the public but there are still plenty of takeaways from week three of camp as the Hoosiers prepare to face number-three ranked Ohio State in Bloomington on Sept. 2.

Here are some of the key talking points ahead of the second scrimmage.

‘No separation at this point’ between QBs Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby, but getting closer to a decision

The biggest question for the Indiana football program has been who will start at QB for the Hoosiers in week one. Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby have been competing for the starting job all offseason and there is still not a clear-cut favorite to win the job.

“I would say [there is] no separation at this point. I think that the last couple of practices they have continued to grow, develop and kind of get past the installation part,” Head Coach Tom Allen said on Wednesday. “We have two young quarterbacks, so when you have the whole install. It’s hard, it really is. I think as you kind of zero in on what the call is going to be and that individual person, it helps them a lot.”

Read: Indiana Football quarterback battle still undecided midway through fall camp 

The team is still dividing reps equally between the two, but with the final scrimmage of the offseason happening tomorrow, it is expected that Allen will name one of the two redshirt freshmen as the starting quarterback internally.

“We’re close, I always felt like after the second scrimmage … we will have to make a decision at least internally for sure to be able to know who that guy is going to be to get those reps with the ones and get that timing for two weeks,” Allen said when asked when he will name the starting QB. “I think we will make that decision after this weekend.”

Because of the similarities between Jackson and Sorsby’s skillsets, it has allowed Indiana to be more patient in a decision, since both guys fit into a similar scheme.

While the team and staff will likely know the decision by the start of next week, the decision likely won’t be public until Indiana takes the field against Ohio State.

Jacob Mangum-Farrar likely to start at mike linebacker for Hoosiers

Stanford transfer Jacob Mangum-Farrar will likely start the season as Indiana’s mike linebacker. Mangum-Farrar will step into an important role for Indiana’s defense in his first year with the program. As a mike linebacker, he would be the quarterback of the defense, communicating play calls, recognizing schemes and much more.

It is no small task, especially in his first year playing for Indiana, but Tom Allen believes in his ability.

“Jacob is a guy that I trust. He’s big and physical, he can run. Very intelligent young man, obviously, a Stanford graduate,” Allen said prior to Friday’s practice. “Just is a guy that has come in here and has earned the respect of his teammates by how hard he’s worked, how much time he’s put in the film room and how much he studies and prepares.”

Mangum-Farrar had 44 tackles in nine games for Stanford last season, but his ability to communicate is what has stood out to both coaches and players.

“He also has used his voice in the position rooms, and the defensive unit room and the team room pulling guys together,” co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Chad Wilt said about Mangum-Farrar on Thursday. “He’s proving himself to himself but also proving to others he’s worthy and capable of having that voice and they’re listening.”

Despite being a new face in the program, Mangum-Farrar has had no trouble fitting in and getting accustomed to the defense which has allowed his coaches to trust him in such a pivotal role as a mike linebacker.

‘Relentless attention to detail’ of Bob Bostad with offensive line

Change was needed in Bloomington after a poor season in 2022 by the Indiana offensive line. So Tom Allen hired new offensive line coach Bob Bostad from Wisconsin, and ever since, there has been a noticeable change in culture in that group.

“In pre-practice they are full bore lathered up like they have been going for a while … It’s just the relentless attention to detail,” Allen said before Friday’s practice. “The absolute bulldog focus on technique and fundamentals, it’s just the same things over and over again, which develops toughness, consistency and confidence in your guys. I’ve seen that and it’s been very obvious.”

Since Indiana is starting a new quarterback who has not played much at the college level, it is going to be crucial for them to protect them as best as they can. A repeat of 2022’s offensive line play could spell disaster for Indiana’s offense, which is why it is so critical that Bob Bostad is successful with the Hoosiers.

Read: Indiana football offensive line a ‘quiet group that’s confident’ and Bob Bostad looks to unlock it

“We gotta run the football, we know that,” Allen said. “So we made that change there and he’s definitely brought a different attitude, different edge about him. He’s all business.”

Allen knows Indiana needs to do a better job running the football than they have in years past and he addressed the issue when he hired Bostad. While it already seems Bostad has made an impact, the play of the offensive line will be pivotal to the team’s success in 2023.

Standouts on both sides of the ball

There have been a number of guys who have stood out during fall camp for the Hoosiers.

On Wednesday, Tom Allen named a few players who have stepped up after the midway point of fall camp.

Offensively, Allen named wide receivers Omar Cooper and E.J. Williams as standouts. Running back Christian Turner also jumped to mind for Allen as the third part of the running back trio behind Jaylin Lucas and Josh Henderson.

Defensively, Allen mentioned outside linebackers Lanell Carr, Myles Jackson and Anthony Jones have had good fall camps. Allen also spoke in depth about the middle linebackers Aaron Casey and Jacob Mangum-Farrar.

Read: Aaron Casey’s new role for Indiana football

Co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri also named Lanell Carr as someone he and the rest of the staff are really excited about.

“One guy that sticks out to me that has been a pleasant surprise is Lanell Carr,” Allen said. “He’s shown a very instinctual knack for getting to the quarterback. That’s a huge thing we brought him here for, but as he’s bought into the training, bought into the discipline to what it is to be a special player here in the Big ten. You’ve just seen him grow with his knowledge of the defense.”

“He’s done a great job in camp,” Guerrieri said of Carr. “He’s high energy, you can feel him on the practice field. He brings physicality and pass rush ability. You need to have that combination. Really excited about what he’s proven in camp.”

Guerrieri also named defensive backs Noah Pierre, Phillip Dunnam and Louis Moore. He also named defensive linemen Andre Carter, Marcus Burris Jr. and Philip Blidi as guys who have stood out to him.

With the amount of turnover on the roster, it will be critical for these guys to step up and contribute right away for Indiana to be successful.

Turning the focus to Ohio State

With Indiana Football’s first game against Ohio State just over two weeks away, the attention of the program is starting to turn towards preparing for the opener.

Head Coach Tom Allen spoke on Friday about how the team will transition from fall camp towards preparing for game week.

“Our philosophy is we try to get two of a normal game week. Two Tuesdays, two Wednesday, two Thursdays and that will begin next week,” Allen said. “… Then that last week will be a true full flow Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday then walk-through on Friday.”

Coach Allen clearly wants to find a rhythm with his team’s preparation, so a mock game week prior to week one is extremely beneficial. With the quarterback battle likely to be decided after Saturday’s scrimmage, it makes sense to begin preparation for Ohio State with a clear idea who will be leading the offense to allow them as many reps with the first team as needed before taking the field Sept. 2.

SEE ALSO: ‘Takeaways, tackling and effort is our DNA’: With system in place, Matt Guerrieri ready to lift Indiana defense back to old ways