5 Indiana football players to watch on Friday vs Western Illinois

Indiana football displayed a 31-7 victory last Saturday over FIU, in the season opener and debut for Curt Cignetti.

Indiana’s non-conference schedule continues, as the team hosts Western Illinois in week two.

Western Illinois is coming off of a brutal loss to Northern Illinois, dropping their season opener 54-15. Western Illinois’ football program now holds a 25 game losing streak, the longest of any FBS or FCS school. The team’s last win came on October 30, 2021 versus Illinois State.

Here are five Indiana players to keep a close eye on in Friday night’s matchup.

Elijah Green: RB

Elijah Green, a redshirt junior, transferred to Indiana this season after playing at North Carolina for four seasons.

Green broke out in 2022 with the Tar Heels, rushing for over 500 yards, scoring eight touchdowns, while also receiving over 100 yards, scoring one receiving touchdown.

In Indiana’s win over FIU, Green shined in the fourth quarter, turning five carries for 82 rushing yards and a touchdown. Green’s touchdown, a 51 yard rushing touchdown, sealed the game for Indiana in the final minutes. 

I anticipate Green to continue to not only get a serviceable amount of carries, but excel when he has the ball in his hands. A lot will also depend on the injury status of Kaelon Black. 

Aiden Fisher: LB

Aiden Fisher made his Indiana debut last Saturday, after transferring in from James Madison University. 

The junior linebacker enters the season having two full years of experience, playing in 23 games at JMU under head coach Curt Cignetti. 

Fisher was explosive in his first game as a Hoosier, totalling 12 tackles and one sack. Fisher’s impressive performance earned him Indiana’s Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

Fisher explained what specifically worked for him when matching up against FIU.

“Our biggest thing was containing him (Keyone Jenkins), knocking him off his rhythm and getting that sack.”

Expect Fisher to be one of the main forces on Indiana’s defensive line this season.

Ty Son Lawton: RB

Ty Son Lawton was an instant impact against FIU, rushing for two first half touchdowns. Lawton finished the game with 16 carries for 74 yards, his longest rush resulting in 15 yards.

While Indiana’s running back room is extremely deep, Lawton performed very well in his first game with Indiana, and proved that he can be trusted with the ball in the red zone.

Lawton went into the season feeling very confident with his game, looking to make a difference on the team.

“I just wanted to get that winning feeling again and then being 11-1  last year (JMU), I feel like we can do that again this year.”

I fully expect Lawton to be a player who can rush for over 50 yards each game, often finding the endzone. 

Miles Cross: WR

Miles Cross comes to Indiana having played three seasons at Ohio with Rourke. Cross saw an increase in performance in his sophomore and junior years, totalling 90 receptions for over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns over the two seasons. 

While Cross didn’t see the ball much in week one against FIU, he made the most of his lone reception, making an outstanding one handed catch, for a 30 yard reception. Cross’s unbelievable grab earned him a spot on Sports Center’s Top 10 Plays.

Cross made the catch on third and 21, later leading to Lawton scoring a touchdown on the drive. 

Cross having a close connection with Rourke puts him in the cards to get a few touches each week. Some of which could be extremely flashy. 

Keep an eye on him, also, with the injury status of Donaven McCulley.

Amare Ferrell: DB

Amare Ferrell played in all 12 games as a freshman last season, while being one of just seven true Indiana freshman to make a debut in 2023. 

Ferrell, a returning player from Tom Allen’s Indiana team, put on a performance Saturday afternoon, picking off FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins for a 20 yard return, while also totalling two tackles.

Ferrell, the former four star recruit, should be set to start each week on the defensive line. His ability to play strong defense on opponents in routes, while also being able to make stops, makes him very valuable to Indiana’s defense. 

Coming off of a big week, Ferrell is one of the guys to keep an eye on Friday night. 

Indiana will look to defeat Western Illinois in the two teams first ever matchup, this Friday at Memorial Stadium.

SEE ALSO: Despite a season opening win, Curt Cignetti wants Indiana football to ‘learn to play with a lead’ going forward

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