Indiana Defensive Tackle James Carpenter Embodies Cignetti Philosophy

James Madison transfer James Carpenter has beaten long odds to find his way to the Big Ten.

Defensive tackle James Carpenter stretches during an Indiana football practice on April 9, 2024. / Indiana Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – One of Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti’s guiding principles is to avoid any self-imposed limitations on the team or its players.

Perhaps no Indiana player has had a career that embodies Cignetti’s philosophy more than defensive tackle James Carpenter.

In 2018, when Carpenter was a senior lineman at Roanoke (Va.) Catholic High School, a future in the Big Ten was not in the cards for the two-way player. That possibility wasn’t even in the deck.

“If you told me I'd be standing here five, six years ago? I would have told you you're crazy. It's been an awesome journey so far,” Carpenter said on Thursday after Indiana’s second fall camp practice.

Welcome to Indiana, James Carpenter ‼️#IUFB | @JCarpenter08 pic.twitter.com/8zprkajrs5

— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) December 24, 2023

Yet here he is, an Indiana player and a likely starter on a retooled defensive line being molded to Cignetti’s specifications. Carpenter is part of the clay in that mold – a bond that has seen both of their fortunes rise in the college football world.

Cignetti first noticed Carpenter in a summer camp at Elon – where Cignetti was head coach from 2017-18. According to the Harrisonburg (Va.) Daily News-Record, Carpenter was at that camp as an offensive lineman. But Cignetti watched film of Carpenter at the camp, liked what he saw, and thought Carpenter’s future was on defense.

Carpenter received no Division I offers coming out of high school. His size played a role in that. Carpenter is 6-foot-2 and 288 pounds. While defensive tackles can play, and thrive, at that size, it’s not the body type college coaches seek out first.

After Carpenter’s senior season at Roanoke Catholic in 2018, Cignetti took the head coaching job at James Madison, which is 110 miles from Roanoke. Cignetti hadn’t forgotten Carpenter, who had an opportunity to play in his home state fall into his lap.

Still, it was a long road to playing time. Carpenter was invited to JMU as a walk-on at what was then still a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school.

Carpenter played in one game as a freshman in 2019 before he was redshirted, but he made his mark in 2020 as a redshirt freshman. He played in eight games, starting seven, and had five tackles for loss and two sacks.

By 2022, Carpenter was an established starter, but with a higher degree of difficulty as JMU had moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. Carpenter had 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He was named second-team All-Sun Belt.

James Carpenter flexes with his teammates after they made a tackle in a game at Troy in 2023. / Courtesy James Madison athletics.

In 2023, Carpenter started every game for the 11-2 Dukes and repeated second-team honors in the Sun Belt Conference. He had nine tackles for loss and four sacks. In all, Carpenter has 141 career tackles, including 28 for a loss, and 11.5 sacks. Carpenter was a constant presence for the JMU defense in 2023.

“My team needed me to do that. So that's what I’ve got to do. So there's really no option for me if I got to play every snap, I play every snap. Coming up here, if I do the same, you know, I will, but I don't really expect that,” Carpenter said.

Not too shabby for a walk-on. Also not too shabby for someone who played with a left shoulder injury during the season, one that eventually kept him out of Indiana’s spring practices. After surgery, Carpenter said his shoulder is “100%.’’

Cignetti’s trust in Carpenter has been unwavering, as Carpenter’s work ethic has been repaid with a prominent role at JMU and likely with the Hoosiers, too.

“He was basically the only Division I coach to take a chance on me. I’m forever grateful for that,” Carpenter said. “The more experience you get, the more he trusts you, the more he allows you to go out there and play free.”

Carpenter is one of 13 JMU transfers who came with Cignetti to Indiana. The institutional knowledge those JMU transfers have in Cignetti’s ways of doing things is an important factor for the non-JMU Hoosiers as they hope to pave a smooth transition.

Not that Carpenter will cede his on-field role. Along with fellow JMU transfer, Mikhail Kamara, he could form the core of Indiana’s starting defensive line. Kent State transfer CJ West could partner with Carpenter at defensive tackle.

Raising his game to a Big Ten standard will be his biggest challenge. His size is still possibly an issue. Among expected starting Big Ten defensive tackles, only Penn State’s 6-1 pair of Zane Durant and Dvon J-Thomas are smaller.

However, Carpenter has been taking on and conquering challenges from day one of his college football journey. So far? Nothing has turned him back yet.

“I’ll always take a lot of pride in being a walk-on,” Carpenter said. “But the job isn’t finished. These guys have one more ride with me. I’m gonna make the most of it and just enjoy the time with these guys and these coaches.”

Related stories on Indiana football

• FALL CAMP BEGINS: Heading into his first season as Indiana’s football coach, Curt Cignetti discussed his goals for fall camp on Wednesday after the Hoosiers’ first practice. CLICK HERE

• IU QB SITUATION: Heading into his first fall camp as Indiana’s head football coach, Curt Cignetti hasn’t officially named a starting quarterback. But between Kurtis Rourke and Tayven Jackson, his comments lean more favorably in one direction. CLICK HERE

• NO TEAM CAPTAINS: For the first time since 1951 and just the sixth time in program history, Indiana football will not have team captains under new head coach Curt Cignetti. CLICK HERE

• CIGNETTI BUILDS HYPE: New Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti spoke with a high level of confidence and set lofty goals for the Hoosiers during Thursday's Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium. With the season right around the corner, it's time to put it all together. CLICK HERE

• HOOSIERS RETURN FROM INJURY: After missing spring practices as they recovered from injuries, Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti said Lanell Carr Jr., James Carpenter, Jailin Walker, Venson Sneed and Nick Kidwell participated in the summer conditioning program. CLICK HERE