Several Indiana University Football Players Sign Undrafted Free Agent Deals after the NFL Draft The NFL Draft is a three-day enterprise that’s a buzz of activity for pro football teams from start to finish. However, the conclusion of the draft does not signal the end of frenzied action in the roster-building department. Several former Indiana players have signed free agent deals since the NFL Draft concluded: James Carpenter: The 6-foot-2, 288-pound defensive tackle signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Carpenter was a one-year Hoosier, but he made his impact felt. Teamed with San Francisco 49ers fourth round draft pick CJ West on the interior of the defensive line, Carpenter had 38 tackles and six sacks. Carpenter was also integral to Indiana’s suffocating run defense. The Hoosiers only allowed 81.2 rushing yards per game in 2024, best in all of FBS. Carpenter came to Indiana with coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison. Cignetti was the only coach who seriously recruited Carpenter out of high school in Virginia.
Zach Horton: Another player who came with Cignetti from JMU, Horton signed a deal with the Detroit Lions. Horton, a 6-foot-4 tight end, had 21 catches for 189 yards and four touchdowns. Horton’s impact was equally felt in Indiana’s running game where he helped Justice Ellison (848 rushing yards) and Ty Son Lawton (668 yards) lead a running attack that averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
Myles Price: A favorite target of Kurtis Rourke, Price signed a deal with the Minnesota Vikings. A transfer from Texas Tech, Price had 38 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns. In a career that included four seasons with the Red Raiders, Price, who is 5-9 and 183 pounds, had 199 catches, 2,217 yards and 13 touchdown catches in his college career.
Jailin Walker: Yet another former JMU player who came to Indiana with Cignetti, Walker signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Walker teamed with fellow linebacker Aiden Fisher to form a stout unit inside the middle of Indiana’s defense. Walker was second to Fisher on the Hoosiers with 82 tackles. Ten of those tackles were for a loss, and Walker had two sacks. Walker also had two interceptions and was integral to Indiana’s top rushing defense.
Trey Wedig: A transfer from Wisconsin, Wedig signed a deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Wedig, a 6-foot-7, 319 tackle, started at right tackle for the Hoosiers in 2024. Wedig was graded as the second-best tackle in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus. Wedig was part of an Indiana offense that set records for touchdowns (70), points (537) and rushing touchdowns (37).
Ke’Shawn Willams: A transfer from Wake Forest, Williams signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Williams, a 5-9, 189-pound wide receiver, was the Hoosiers’ second-leading receiver with 39 catches. He was fourth in receiving yards at 448 and he had five touchdown catches. In his five-year career, Williams had 146 catches for 1,833 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Indiana University Men’s Golf Finishes 8th at the Big Ten Championships The Indiana men’s golf team shot an 860 (277-282-301; +20) at the 2025 Big Ten Men’s Golf Championships. The Hoosiers finished eighth overall at the Baltimore Country Club in Maryland over the weekend. Sophomore Cole Starnes paced the Hoosiers with a t-12th finish, his fifth top 20 outing of the season. He shot a 212 (68-70-74; +2) with 11 birdies scattered across his three rounds. Redshirt junior Clay Merchent tied for 15th on the individual leaderboard with a scorecard of 213 (66-70-77; +3). His first-round 66 (-4) tied for the second lowest single round of the weekend at the Country Club. He finished inside the top 20 for the sixth time this season and for the third consecutive tournament. Sophomore Nick Piesen played a 217 (71-69-77; +7) with eight birdies. Freshman Bradley Chill Jr. carded a 220 (72-73-75; +10) with four total birdies. Sophomore Alec Cesare shot a 221 (72-74-75; +11) with five birdies and an eagle. Sophomore Neri Checcucci traveled with the team as an alternate but was not subbed into the lineup. The NCAA Division I men’s golf regionals will take place May 12-14 at six regional sites. Three regional sites will have 13 teams and 10 individuals and three will have 14 teams and five individuals. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to play in the championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. The Hoosiers will hope to hear their names called on the selection show, scheduled for 1 PM Tomorrow Afternoon on Golf Channel.
Indiana University Women’s Golfers Madison Dabagia and Caroline Smith Earn NCAA Indvidual Tournament Bids Indiana junior Madison Dabagia and fifth-year senior Caroline Smith have earned individual bids in the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional to be played at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Lexington, Kentucky. The tandem mark the first Hoosiers since Áine Donegan in 2022 to qualify for an individual spot in the NCAA Regionals. They join Tracy Chapman (1989) and Debbie Lee (1989) on the exclusive list of Indiana players to play NCAA Regional golf as an individual.
Dabagia played all 30 rounds for the Hoosiers this season and posted a team-best stroke average of 73.07. The Iowa transfer played 11 rounds at or under par, earned four top 10 finishes, and placed inside the top 5 in two events this season. Smith appeared in the IU lineup for all 30 rounds this season and finished with a stroke average of 73.33. She played a team-best 12 rounds at or under par and earned five top 20 finishes this season. Regional play will take place May 5-7 at six regional sites. Twelve teams and six individuals not on those teams will compete at each regional. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to play in the championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. The championship rounds will be contested from May 16-21.
2025 NCAA Lexington Regional Teams
1. Florida State
2. USC
3. TCU
4. Vanderbilt
5. Kansas State
6. Georgia Southern
7. Pepperdine
8. Louisville
9. Miami (Fla.)
10. Western Kentucky
11. Morehead State
12. FDU
2025 NCAA Lexington Regional Individuals
Emma Bunch, New Mexico State
Gabi NiCastro, Samford
Marta Lopez Echevarria, Kentucky
Madison Dabagia, Indiana
Caroline Smith, Indiana
Jasmine Driscoll, Ball State
Indiana Pacers take a 3-1 Series Lead with a Game 4 Win over the Milwaukee Bucks The Indiana Pacers led wire-to-wire and cruised to the win in Game 4, beating the Bucks, 129-103, to take a 3-1 series lead. The Pacers were dominant on offense, shooting 60.2% from the field and 46.2% from three-point range. There were injuries for both the Pacers and the Bucks. Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (abdominal contusion) did not play for the Pacers. Bucks star guard Damian Lillard left the game in the first quarter with an Achilles injury. He did not return. Myles Turner led the Pacers with 23 points. Tyrese Haliburton added 17 points and 15 assists. The Pacers had eight players score in double figures. The Pacers led 63-52 at halftime. Game 5 of the series is scheduled for tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With a win, the Pacers advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Greenfield Central’s Braylon Mullins is Named Indiana Mr. Basketball Greenfield-Central’s Braylon Mullins was named the 2025 Indiana Mr. Basketball. Mullins averaged 32.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this past season. “There’s nothing he can’t do,” Greenfield-Central boys basketball head coach Luke Meredith said. “He can score at all three levels. He can shoot it. He can handle it. He can pass it. He’s a willing passer. He has great size. He’s a great athlete. He’s a As and Bs student. He’s a very humble young man. He’s a great teammate so, literally the definition of checking all your boxes.”
“The kid’s done things that we didn’t think (were possible),” said Josh Mullins, Braylon’s dad and a Greenfield-Central assistant coach. “He’s exceeded every expectation that we’ve put on him. He doesn’t say a whole lot, and I think that’s what drives people crazy sometimes.” Mullins played in the McDonald’s All-American Game as well. “It’s a special occasion whenever you get to hear (your name at) the top of the top,” Mullins said about being a McDonald’s All-American. “So watching that on national TV because it was playing live, it was a big moment for the community. I mean, I’m representing the little few people that are still attending a high school for that game. So, it’s definitely a special honor.”
Mullins helped lead Greenfield-Central to a 23-4 record and a Hoosier Heritage Conference title in the 2024-25 season. The Cougars were eliminated by Mt. Vernon in the sectional championship in double overtime. He is set to continue his career at UConn. Mullins is the first player to be named Indiana Mr. Basketball at Greenfield-Central. Mullins received 182 votes of the 344 total for the honor. Jeffersonville’s Tre Singleton was runner-up with 65 votes. Lawrence North’s Azavier Robinson was third with 49 votes, and Crispus Attucks’ Dezmon Briscoe was fourth with 15 votes. There were 14 total players that received at least one vote for Indiana Mr. Basketball. Mullins was also the Gatorade Indiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Flory Bidunga (Kokomo) was the 2024 Indiana Mr. Basketball.
Mackey Arena to host the Inaugural IHSAA Boys State Volleyball Finals on May 31st One of Indiana’s iconic basketball venues will transform into a volleyball court next month. Last Friday, the Indiana High School Athletic Association announced that the inaugural IHSAA Boys Volleyball State Finals will be held at Mackey Arena on Purdue’s campus. This year marks the first season the IHSAA has fully sponsored boys’ volleyball. Mackey Arena will host two semifinal matches and one championship match on Saturday, May 31. “Mackey Arena will be an outstanding venue to finish the inaugural season of boys volleyball,” said IHSAA commissioner Paul Neidig. “We’re grateful to Purdue Athletics and thank them for offering to host this great event. It promises to be a great atmosphere and experience for our student-athletes.”
Mackey Arena is home to the Purdue men’s and women’s basketball teams and is regarded as one of the best venues in college basketball. This past year, though, the arena was transformed twice into the home of Purdue volleyball. Purdue’s volleyball team set a Big Ten record in consecutive weekends during the fall, hosting a pair of sellout crowds at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers hosted rival Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 19 and played in front of a crowd of 14,876. It set a new record for attendance in a conference match. The following weekend, Purdue hosted Wisconsin at Mackey Arena in front of another sellout crowd. So, Mackey Arena is no stranger to great volleyball. It should provide an exciting atmosphere as teams compete for a state championship in boys volleyball.