Author: Mike Schumann

Curt Cignetti joked in December he had swept all of the national coach of the year honors except the Dodd Trophy, because you have to be with a team for more than one year to be eligible. At the start of year two in Bloomington, Cignetti is on the radar for the one that got away. Cignetti is one of 26 coaches on the preseason watch list for the 2025 Dodd Trophy, it was announced on Monday. Cignetti will coach against three of the other coaches on the watch list — Illinois’ Bret Bielema, Penn State’s James Franklin, and Oregon’s…

Indiana will get an official visit from one of the top point guards in the 2026 class. Kentucky-based Tay Kinney will visit IU Aug. 29-31, according to multiple Monday morning reports. The visit will coincide with the opening weekend of the IU football season.  The Hoosiers play Old Dominion on Aug. 30. According to the average of the national recruiting sites, Kinney is a 4-star, the No. 3 point guard in the 2026 class, and the No. 15 overall player.  He’s a 5-star according to both 247Sports and ESPN. Kinney was being recruited by the prior Indiana staff and has…

Indiana’s new staff is still issuing offers in the class of 2026. Their latest went to Wasatch Academy guard Junior County from Utah. “I am blessed to receive an offer from Indiana University! Thank you Coach Clark and the rest of the staff for the opportunity,” County wrote on his Instagram page. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is a consensus 4-star across the national sites.  Based on the national average, he’s the No. 34 overall player in the 2026 class, and the No. 7 point guard.  He’s listed as a point guard by some sites, and a shooting guard by others.…

Class of 2027 guard LJ Smith announced a scholarship offer from Indiana on Sunday afternoon. It appears IU assistant Kenny Johnson is leading the charge here.  Smith thanked Johnson in his announcement of the offer on X. Based on the average of the national recruiting rankings, Smith is a 4-star, the No. 49 player in the 2027 class, and the No. 2 combo guard.  Two outlets — 247Sports and ESPN — have Smith as a top-30 player in the class.  He appears to be trending favorably. Smith played his first two years of high school at Lincolnton H.S. in Lincolnton,…

A dominant defensive line can wreck everything an offense is trying to do. Just ask Michigan State last fall. After allowing 10 points and 123 yards on Michigan State’s first two drives, the IU defense took over in East Lansing. The Hoosiers only allowed 82 yards the rest of the game. The Spartans had -24 net rushing yards for the entire game. Indiana had 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and two interceptions. It was a complete annihilation by the IU defense, and it all started up front. “That’s really impressive,” IU coach Curt Cignetti said after Indiana’s 47-10 road…

Indiana has received a commitment from 4-star class of 2026 edge Ronelle Johnson. The 6-foot-4 and 265-pound Johnson chose the Hoosiers over finalists Kansas State, Missouri and Ole Miss.  His decision comes after visiting IU earlier this month. Johnson is the No. 296 overall player in the class and the No. 30 edge according to the average of the national recruiting sites.  He’s the third defensive lineman in Indiana’s 2026 class who is rated a 4-star by at least one of the national recruiting outlets. Playing for Blue Springs H.S. in Blue Springs, Mo., Johnson posted more than 60 tackles,…

The 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching, and that means several former Indiana football players are battling for roster spots. Below is a summary of which Hoosiers are currently on 90-man rosters, along with the key dates as teams get set to cut down to 53 players. The Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, who will face off in the Hall of Fame Game on July 31, will be the first two teams to have rookies and veterans report. Chargers veterans report on July 16, while Lions veterans report on July 19.  Veterans on all of the other teams report…

Indiana has a chance to start its 2027 recruiting class with a bang. The Hoosiers are trending for rising 4-star junior quarterback Jameson Purcell.  That’s according to Steve Wiltfong of Rivals, who placed a prediction this week for Purcell to end up in Bloomington. Purcell is one of the best quarterbacks in the 2027 class. As a high school sophomore, the Park Ridge, Ill. product (Maine South H.S.) threw for 2,572 yards and 30 touchdowns.  He completed 70% of his throws. The 6-foot-2 and 193-pound Purcell is a 4-star based on the average of the national recruiting sites.  He’s the…

Indiana landed a commitment from class of 2026 wide receiver Walker Bryson on Friday afternoon. Walker announced his commitment on his social media pages.  He recently visited Bloomington earlier this month. The 6-foot and 180-pound Walker is a 3-star, the No. 511 overall player in the 2026 class, and the No. 26 athlete according to the average of the national sites. Walker attends Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun Gap, Ga.  One of his greatest assets is high-end speed.  He reports a laser-timed 4.4 40-yard dash.  And Walker uses that speed in a number of ways, as a receiver, returner and…

Well-known college football analyst Phil Steele was more optimistic than most when it came to Indiana’s 2024 outlook under then first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. While much of the college football world was calling for a last or second-to-last place finish for the Hoosiers, Steele pegged Indiana as the No. 12 team in the Big Ten.  That was still way off from IU’s tied for second-place finish, but it was clear Steele placed more value on Cignetti and his transfer portal haul than most. So what does Steele say about IU going into 2025? With what appears to be a…