- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,171,417
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - APRIL 23: Head coach Curt Cignetti of the Indiana Hoosiers looks on during the 2026 Indiana Spring Football Game at Memorial Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images for ONIT) | Getty Images for ONIT
Two years ago, I never thought this sentence would be uttered: Indiana football is the reigning national champion. With a retooled roster after winning it all, Curt Cignetti is looking for another title. Northwestern’s first road game of the 2026 season will be a Friday night primetime game in Bloomington on Sept. 25.
The Basics
Returning Production: 56% overall (54% offense, 58% defense); 52nd in FBS
2025 Record: 16-0 (9-0 B1G) — won national championship
Head Coach: Curt Cignetti (third season)
The Stats
2026 SP+ Overall: 5th
2026 SP+ Offense: 9th
2026 SP+ Defense: 6th
2026 SP+ Special Teams: 22nd
2025 Capsule
2025 was a magical season for Indiana. Cignetti turned the Hoosiers from a laughing stock into a powerhouse in just two seasons, marking the most impressive and improbable turnaround not only in college football history, but arguably in sports history. Indiana began its season with a 13-point win over Old Dominion, then blew out Kennesaw State and FCS opponent Indiana State. Up to that point, the highest the Hoosiers had been ranked in the AP Top 25 was No. 19.
The first big moment in Indiana’s 2025 season happened when it dominated then-No. 9 Illinois, winning 63-10. The Hoosiers jumped up to No. 11 after that win, then climbed up to No. 8 after a five-point win against Iowa. After a week off, during which they moved up one spot to No. 7, No. 3 Oregon was next on the schedule. This was the second reckoning moment for Indiana in 2025. The Hoosiers went into Autzen Stadium and defeated the Ducks 30-20 to become No. 3 in the AP Top 25. Indiana blew out its next three opponents, moving up to No. 2 behind also undefeated Ohio State.
The third monumental moment of Indiana’s season was when it played Penn State. The Nittany Lions were on a five-game losing streak, but took a four-point lead with under seven minutes to go. The Hoosiers stalled out on offense and were forced to punt, but quickly stopped Penn State and got the ball right back. With 1:51 on the clock and no timeouts remaining, Fernando Mendoza had the ball at his team’s own 20-yard line. Mendoza, up to this point in the season, had been playing well and was in the conversation for the Heisman trophy, but wasn’t the clear favorite. A 10-play, 80-yard game-winning drive against the Nittany Lions changed that, with Omar Cooper Jr. making the catch of the year to put the Hoosiers up three with less than a minute remaining on the clock. Mendoza delivered his Heisman moment, and the feeling that Indiana football had that special something was solidified.
Indiana remained at No. 2 in the AP Top 25 through the end of a 12-0 regular season, setting up an instant classic matchup with No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. This was the Hoosiers’ fourth colossal moment of their 2025 season. At halftime, the Buckeyes led 10-6 over the Hoosiers in a defensive battle. On Indiana’s first drive of the second half, Mendoza led them on a seven-play, 88-yard touchdown drive to take a 13-10 lead. That lead stood into the fourth quarter, as a 15-play, 81-yard drive to tie the game for Ohio State that lasted 7:57 ended in a missed 27-yard field goal. The Hoosiers held on the rest of the game and left Indianapolis as Big Ten champions.
Indiana entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 1-ranked team in the AP Top 25 and the No. 1 seed. In the playoffs, its offense and defense reached new heights. First, the Hoosiers blew out Alabama 38-3, and then they toyed with Oregon in a lopsided 56-22 win that started off with a D’Angelo Ponds pick-six.
Now, Indiana just had to get past Miami to complete a 16-0 season and forever etch themselves into college football history. All of the moments throughout the season led up to one game.
The first half of the CFP National Championship Game was all Indiana, with the Hoosiers holding a 10-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Indiana punted on its first drive, allowing the Hurricanes to get right back in it after Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for a 57-yard touchdown, the longest rushing touchdown in CFP National Championship Game history. Now up just 10-7, Indiana punted on its next two drives as the offense began to stall.
The momentum flipped back to the Hoosiers, though, when their special teams unit blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, giving Indiana a 10-point cushion once again. However, Miami answered with a 10-play, 81-yard touchdown drive to cut the lead back to three. Up 17-14, Mendoza answered back with one of the more impressive drives of the 2025 season (even though this game was played in 2026), leading his team down the field and capping the drive off with a 12-yard rushing touchdown on a fourth down. Miami once again responded with a touchdown drive, cutting the Indiana lead to three, but the Hoosiers got points once again and kicked a field goal to go up 27-21.
Miami had under two minutes to score a touchdown to tie the game and kick the extra point to take the lead, but the Hurricanes couldn’t get the job done after Jamari Sharpe intercepted Carson Beck, sealing the victory for the Hoosiers.
Mendoza went on to win the Heisman Trophy, and the season Indiana football put together was one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football history and one of the more dominant playoff runs in recent memory.
Offensive Overview
There’s a Mendoza-sized elephant in the room: he was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In total, six offensive players were drafted into the NFL from Indiana’s national championship squad. Yet, despite some massive departures, Cignetti has been the best at using the transfer portal of any coach in the new era of college football, even though Indiana’s budget is lower than that of the sport’s premier teams.
Cignetti brought in former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to be the next signal-caller for the Hoosiers. In 2025, Hoover threw for 3,472 yards (14th in FBS) and 29 touchdowns (t-8th in FBS). While he did throw 13 interceptions (t-2nd in FBS), his ability as a gunslinger and the way Cignetti turned Mendoza from a solid quarterback at Cal into the Heisman winner give Hoover the potential to be a star in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers did lose their top two running backs this offseason, with both Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black running out of eligibility and going to the NFL. Indiana’s third running back option, Khobie Martin, returns for the Hoosiers after rushing for more than 500 yards and scoring six touchdowns. Alongside him, Indiana added Boston College transfer Turbo Richard, who is coming off a season in which he rushed for 749 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 30 passes for 213 yards and two receiving scores. The Hoosiers’ running back room should be solid once again in 2026.
On the offensive line, center Pat Coogan was drafted into the NFL. Despite Coogan leaving along with some rotational pieces at right tackle, Indiana’s O-line should be one of the best in the country. Consensus All-American Carter Smith may be the best left tackle in the country, so his return is huge for the Hoosiers. Left guard Drew Evans is also back after a strong 2025 season. Bray Lynch is back after he started at right guard the last two seasons for Indiana, plus Adedamola Ajani returns and projects to start at right tackle as the only one of the three right tackles from 2025 to be back. Joe Brunner transferred in from Wisconsin after starting at left guard for the past two seasons, adding more depth to IU’s O-line and could even start at center. Nonetheless, it’s a strong group with tons of experience.
Tight end is one of the bigger question marks for Indiana’s offense with Riley Nowakowski and Holden Staes both out of eligibility (Nowakowski was drafted to the NFL). The likely starter at TE will be Miami transfer Brock Schott, but he caught just two passes in 2025. The tight end position is one of the biggest weaknesses for Indiana, but with Cignetti’s track record, it shouldn’t be a major concern.
Lastly on offense, there’s wide receiver. Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt were both taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the best WR on the roster down the stretch, especially in the CFP, was Charlie Becker. In an ESPN article written by Eli Lederman and Max Olson, Becker was ranked as the fourth-best receiver in the country, behind Jeremiah Smith, Malachi Toney and Cam Coleman. Oh, the WR ranked as fifth-best is also on Indiana. Nick Marsh transferred in from Michigan State, and he and Becker project to be one of the top WR duos in the country. Indiana’s offense, despite the big losses, looks like it can be a juggernaut once again.
Defensive Overview
In 2025, Indiana’s defense was statistically the second-best in the FBS behind only Ohio State, allowing 11.07 points per game. Two players from that defense were drafted to the NFL: cornerback Ponds and linebacker Aiden Fisher. Even with losing two of its most impactful defensive players, Indiana’s defense could be even better than it was in 2025.
Starting with the defensive line, the Hoosiers did lose key edge rushers Mikail Kamara, Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt. To combat these losses, Indiana brought in three edge transfers in Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State), Chiddi Obiazor (Kansas State) and Josh Burnham (Notre Dame), plus Daniel Ndukwe returns after playing well in the CFP. These four guys combined for 11 sacks total last season, so at least two of them should take massive jumps. On the interior of the D-line, Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino both return, along with Tulsa transfer Joe Hjelle. Tucker had 12 tackles-for-loss in 2025 while Landino had six, as the interior duo projects to be among the best in the Big Ten. Indiana was able to withstand multiple season-ending injuries on its D-line because of the talent and depth in the room, and that doesn’t seem likely to change.
In the secondary, IU will be without three of its five starters from 2025. The two returners, safety Amare Ferrell and cornerback Jamari Sharpe, immediately slot back in as starters for 2026. The Hoosiers had strong depth in their defensive back room in 2025, so players like Jaylon Bell and Byron Baldwin Jr. should see increased roles in 2026. In the offseason, Indiana loaded up on DBs in the transfer portal for both depth and starting opportunities. Penn State CB AJ Harris had a bit of a down season in 2025, but he’ll likely be the starting corner opposite Sharpe. The Hoosiers also brought in Wisconsin safety Preston Zachman, who could easily step in to play free safety or the rover position. IU’s secondary will be among the best in the Big Ten once again.
At linebacker, the loss of Fisher will sting. His presence and leadership were tremendous for the Hoosiers’ defense during their undefeated season. While it’s almost impossible to make up for losing Fisher, Indiana’s linebacker group will be among the nation’s best in 2026. Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones had very strong seasons in 2025, and with both players back, the Hoosiers are in good hands at LB. Kaiden Turner should be the primary backup linebacker, with a potential switch in IU’s defensive scheme away from the three-LB sets it ran last season. Overall, Indiana’s defense remains elite and among the top units in the country.
Continue reading...
