Indiana Football Week 3 Injury Report Against Louisville

Indiana will be without quarterback Dexter Williams II and wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. Saturday against Louisville, and five Hoosiers were listed questionable.
Indiana Football Week 3 Injury Report Against Louisville
Indiana Football Week 3 Injury Report Against Louisville /
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana listed two players out and five players questionable in the pregame availability report for Saturday’s game against Louisville at Noon ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Out

  • Quarterback Dexter Williams II #5
  • Wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. #7

Questionable

  • Cornerback Kobee Minor #5
  • Cornerback Nic Toomer #15
  • Running back Christian Turner #28
  • Tight end Trey Walker #45
  • Right guard Matthew Bedford #76

Takeaways

It’s not a surprise to see Dexter Williams II listed out, as he’s still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the 2022 season finale.

E.J. Williams Jr. left last week’s game against Indiana State. It appeared he was wearing a wrap on his right hand on the sideline after he left the game. If Williams can't play, Indiana's main receiving options include Cam Camper, Donaven McCulley, DeQuece Carter, Omar Cooper Jr., Andison Coby and Kamryn Perry.

As for the players listed as questionable, it would certainly be a hit to Indiana’s cornerback depth if both Minor and Toomer are out. A good sign, though, is that cornerback Jamier Johnson is not listed on the injury report. He left the Ohio State game and did not play against Indiana State, but he appears good to go this week against Louisville. If Indiana is without Minor and Toomer, expect Johnson and redshirt freshman Jamari Sharpe to start at cornerback, with JoJo Johnson as the first backup.

Wake Forest running back transfer Christian Turner has made a few nice runs this year, but Indiana will largely be OK without him, as Jaylin Lucas and Josh Henderson remain the top options. If Turner can't play, Trent Howland and David Holloman could be in line for some work.

Tight ends Bradley Archer, James Bomba and Aaron Steinfeldt have all been ahead of Trey Walker on the depth chart, so his potential absence would not be a major detriment to that position group.

An important one to keep an eye on is right guard Matthew Bedford. He is widely considered one of, if not Indiana’s best offensive linemen. He has primarily played tackle throughout his Indiana career, but he’s started this season at right guard, with Kahlil Benson at right tackle.

If Indiana is without Bedford, look for UMass transfer Max Longman to potentially fill in at right guard. Benson has experience at guard, so Indiana could also move him to right guard and play Carter Smith and Joshua Sales Jr. at both tackle spots.

Related stories on Indiana football

  • HOW TO WATCH: Indiana football continues the 2023 season against Louisville on Saturday at Noon ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, the latest on the point spread, series history, coaching information and more. CLICK HERE
  • GAME DAY PREDICTION: The Hoosiers need a clean game from Tayven Jackson, consistent pressure from its defensive front and to avoid "stupid" penalties. Score prediction included at the end. CLICK HERE
  • OPENING LINE: Heading into a Week 3 contest at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indiana is a 9.5-point underdog against the 2-0 Louisville Cardinals. CLICK HERE

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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.