BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The tight end position was not productive for Indiana during the 2023 season.
Trey Walker led the pack with 10 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown, followed by Bradley Archer and James Bomba with just six catches each and Aaron Steinfeldt with one catch. Neither of them ranked in the top 200 national tight ends for most receiving yards. They played an important role as blockers, but Indiana reached into the transfer portal to find a more experienced tight end with more pass-catching ability.
New head coach Curt Cignetti responded to this problem by adding Zach Horton, who transferred from James Madison, to his team. He is one of 48 players on the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in the country.
Compared to other positions on Indiana’s roster, the tight ends room hasn’t seen as many personnel changes. The group is now coached by Grant Cain, the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at James Madison since 2019.
Here’s a complete breakdown of Indiana’s tight ends for the 2024 season.
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Main expected contributors: Zach Horton, Trey Walker, James Bomba
Notable departures from the 2023 squad: Bradley Archer, Aaron Steinfeldt
Transfer infusion
Horton is by far the most proven receiver among Indiana’s tight ends. He started all 13 games at James Madison in 2023 and caught 27 passes for 275 yards. Horton was a reliable red-zone target for the Dukes and ranked sixth among tight ends nationally with six touchdown receptions. That performance earned him a spot on the first-team All-Sun Belt.
Horton said during spring practice that his goals for 2024 include learning more about opposing defensive coverage and being a vocal leader. Even though he’s at a different school, Horton is looking forward to another year in the offense under Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan.
“They’re really good at identifying the mismatches, seeing what the defense is going to do and what their habits are, and really attacking those weak spots,” Horton said. “I also like how they give the athletes space. They want to give the athletes the ball and make them work. They’re really smart, but also really fundamental.”
Horton made an immediate impact when he arrived at James Madison in 2021, appearing in eight games as a freshman. Then, as a sophomore in 2022, he caught 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He will likely be Indiana’s preferred receiver among tight ends, but he also handles the blocking duties his position requires.
“Cig is a big fan of the ‘If you block, you get the rock’ motto,” Horton said. “I think my sophomore and junior year I blocked a lot, and I love it.”
Returning Hoosiers
Indiana returns four tight ends from its 2023 roster: Walker, Bomba, Brody Foley and Sam West. Walker and Bomba, former walk-ons who are now on scholarship, each played over 250 snaps last season.
They were used primarily as blocking tight ends and combined for just 16 pass catches. They are expected to play a similar role in 2024 after the signing of Horton. It will be important for Walker and Bomba to improve as blockers this season. In 2023, Walker (50.3) and Bomba (52.9) each had below-average run-blocking ratings, according to PFF.
Foley played mostly on special teams last season, but he and West also saw a few appearances on offense. Combined with rookie Brody Kosin, they might struggle to get playing time behind Horton, Walker and Bomba.
The conclusion
Indiana upgraded its tight end room with the signing of Horton, who was a reliable and productive receiver with just one drop last season. But the rest of the group either needs to improve or hasn’t proven itself at the college level, making depth at the position a concern.
