Some Surprises
Indiana football released its first roster of the 2025 season Wednesday, featuring some notable absences for both injuries and other reasons.
Most notable is probably the departure of Jamier Johnson, a corner who appeared in 12 games with 10 starts for Indiana last year. He finished the year with 35 tackles and an interception.
The Hoosiers are losing another defensive back in Josh Philostin, who was the second-highest rated recruit in the class of 2024 for Indiana. After suffering an injury that cost him his freshman season, Philostin has reportedly entered the transfer portal.
While the news comes as a surprise to fans, particularly Johnson, this may have been something the staff was prepared for. Curt Cignetti’s portal class currently features three defensive backs who were sure to push Johnson and Philostin for minutes.
Offensively, Indiana will be without Tyler Cherry in 2025. Cherry was Indiana’s highest-rated recruit in the class of 2024, but suffered an injury in the preparation for Indiana’s postseason that will keep him sidelined this upcoming season.
Cherry, however, is not in the portal, so he could be set to rejoin the Hoosiers when he’s healthy again. This year’s starting job is basically locked up by Fernando Mendoza, but having a four-star local kid like Cherry on the bench would give Cignetti some depth in the future.