With spring practice officially underway in the Big Ten, we’re taking a look at each Big Ten program, using recent performance, win-loss trends, coaching, and current and future personnel as indicators. The series will cover the East Division this week, starting with Indiana.

Hoosiers head coach Kevin Wilson was rewarded with a new six-year contract this offseason after leading Indiana to its first bowl appearance since 2008. Michael Hickey/Getty Images

2015 record: 6-7 (2-6 Big Ten)

Three-year record: 15-22

Coaching situation: Kevin Wilson is 20-41 in five years at Indiana after guiding the Hoosiers last season to the their first bowl game since 2008. Duke beat IU 44-41 in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, but the bowl appearance marked real progress despite a regular season marred by six consecutive losses to open Big Ten play. Indiana rewarded Wilson with a six-year contract in January, and he replaced defensive coordinator Brian Knorr with Indiana native Tom Allen, formerly of South Florida and Ole Miss.

Roster situation: The Hoosiers have improved their depth in recent seasons, but graduation and early departures will take a toll in 2016. In addition to losing quarterback Nate Sudfeld, offensive line mainstays Jason Spriggs and Jake Reed, tight end Michael Cooper and defensive end Nick Mangieri, Indiana must also replace defensive tackle Darius Latham and running back Jordan Howard, who left early for the NFL. Running back Devine Redding is back after a 1,000-yard season in 2015, and first-team All-Big Ten offensive guard Dan Feeney chose to come back as a senior. Simmie Cobbs is a talent at wideout, and Marcus Oliver leads a solid group of linebackers.

Recruiting situation: Wilson and his staff have continued to upgrade recruiting, though it’s a tough haul in the competitive Big Ten East. Indiana's 21-person 2016 recruiting class ranked 58th nationally by ESPN RecruitingNation, ahead of only Rutgers in its division. Still, the Hoosiers appear to be trending well with recruits after sitting in a similarly respectable position for the past four seasons. Junior college QB Richard Lagow will compete to replace Sudfeld this spring, and IU did well in snagging four players out of Florida in its latest class -- headlined by promising offensive tackle Grayson Stover.

Trajectory: Up. Don’t go making plans for New Year’s Day in 2017, but the Hoosiers cleared a hurdle last year by getting back to the postseason. Still, this regime can’t survive another seven-year drought. Despite Wilson’s nice-looking new contract, Indiana needs some urgency to capitalize on the uptick in momentum. Most pressing is the need to find a quarterback after Sudfeld left atop the IU career charts in passing yardage and touchdown passes. The Hoosiers have displayed an ability to nurture offensive-line talent and produce outstanding runners. Even a slight improvement in the defense, which was dismal again last season in ranking 111th nationally in yardage allowed, could push Indiana to a new level. Allen and his smaller, faster approach offer hope, though his system likely needs a few adjustments against the physical offenses of the Big Ten.