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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football offensive lineman Carter Smith was one of the rare returning players on the team’s roster who didn’t get displaced by a transfer.
He didn’t even have to fend off one to retain his starting job.
Smith was penciled in the starting lineup at left tackle the minute he withdrew his name from the portal back in December. The 6-5, 308-pound redshirt sophomore showed all sorts of promise in 2023 while starting every game at the position.
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Once new coach Curt Cignetti brought back offensive line coach Bob Bostad — the only assistant from Tom Allen’s staff retained — the stage was set for Smith to help usher in a new era.
How Carter Smith’s path led back to IU football
There was a brief moment in late November when Smith thought everybody who recruited him to Indiana was gone — from Tom Allen on down. It’s why the offensive lineman doesn’t have any regrets about entering the portal or taking a handful of visits to other schools.
Indiana football offensive lineman Carter Smith #65 of the Indiana Hoosiers during football Spring Ball Day 10 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
“There was a lot riding on the decision,” Smith said during IU’s spring camp.
He visited programs with winning traditions like Florida State, Ole Miss and Virginia Tech as many of his former teammates found homes elsewhere including linemates Matthew Bedford (Oregon) and Khalil Benson (Colorado).
Smith leaned on his family for guidance, but it wasn’t until Cignetti officially retained Bostad that the focus of those conversations shifted from weighing other options to staying put in Bloomington.
“I trust Bostad 100%,” Smith said, emphasizing each syllable.
Smith’s initial meeting with Cignetti, a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/curt-cignettis-rebuild-got-boost-082025239.html
Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2024-05-29 08:20:25
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