Author: Mike Schumann

Long before the nation knew about Charlie B. from Nashville, Tennessee, wide receiver Charlie Becker was making splash plays at IU football practice. “His true freshman year, before he was even playing, we had a walkthrough practice on a Monday, and Kurtis (Rourke) threw him a ball to the outside on the sideline, he jumps up and snags it one-handed right about like this (catching ball without turning his body around to face it, arm fully extended),” offensive tackle Carter Smith said.  “I’m pretty sure he caught it like that right in front of Cignetti.  It was wicked.” The buzz…

27 former Hoosiers were with NFL franchises at the start of training camp. Below we continue our summary of news and notes as they compete for roster spots. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza was taking first team reps at practice Saturday.  That wasn’t necessarily because Mendoza has ascended to the top of the depth chart already. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Maxx Crosby were held out of practice Saturday for disciplinary reasons stemming from their fight Friday.  That paved the way for Mendoza. The Raiders’ first preseason game is Aug. 13 in Las Vegas against Arizona.  Former Hoosiers Ian Thomas,…

IU football’s anticipated 2026 starting center Bray Lynch is on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy. The award is given annually to the nation’s top center. Lynch is an interesting addition to the list, as he’s never played the position in college except for occasional spot duty.  But he’s got two years of experience starting at right guard for a team that has gone 27-2 over that span.  He’s expected to be IU’s third-straight starting center who only started playing the position during his college career. Lynch is one of 40 players listed among the top centers in…

How good can Indiana basketball be in Darian DeVries’ second season at IU?  How low can they go? ESPN’s Myron Medcalf took a shot at setting a ceiling and a floor for every team in the Big Ten ahead of the 2026-27 season. Admittedly, this exercise is a bit premature with the potential for very late cycle roster additions like we saw last weekend when Sam Alexis announced his intent to return to IU. But a national perspective on the league still makes for an interesting expectation setting exercise here in early August. Here’s where Medcalf set Indiana’s ceiling and…

Two of Indiana’s most impactful defenders from the 2025 national championship team are unexpectedly back. Over the last few days, edge rushers Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt were both granted fifth years by a federal court injunction, and both announced their intent to return to IU. The news creates something of an embarrassment of riches for Indiana, especially along the outside of its defensive line. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has gone from what projected to be a very good line to a group that looks like the best he’s had in the last three years, and arguably the best in…

Defensive end/outside linebacker Kellan Wyatt is returning to Indiana for a fifth season. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the news.  Indiana confirmed Wyatt’s return in social media posts. The Maryland native is able to play due to a federal injunction that grants a fifth season to all members of the class of 2022 who had exhausted their college eligibility in the 2025-26 year.  His return could be impacted by NCAA legal challenges to the injunction. After transferring in from Maryland during the offseason, Wyatt was one of Indiana’s most impactful players on the defensive side of the…

All summer we’ve been covering the Cignetti Effect on college football. Did new Purdue AD Tommy McClelland fall victim to the temptation of winning the press conference with a Curt Cignetti-esque viral quote? Sure seems like it. Introduced today in West Lafayette, McClelland seems to have arrived at Purdue a bit misinformed. “We are here to win championships,” he said. “If you don’t want to win championships, go to Indiana.” Say what now? A Louisiana native who has spent most of his career in the South, McClelland arrives at Purdue after four years at Rice.  Perhaps he was simply unaware…

Indiana’s roster saw a major boost this week when news broke defensive end Stephen Daley intends to come back for a fifth season after a federal injunction cleared the way for his return. Who else might be eyeing a fifth season and a return to Bloomington under the same injunction? Here are three more 2025 Hoosiers On3’s Pete Nakos has said are currently considering a return for a fifth season of college football: Kellan Wyatt (OLB/DE) – After transferring in from Maryland during the offseason, Wyatt was one of Indiana’s most impactful players on the defensive side of the ball.  In…

The Football Writers Association of America released its 2026 Bronko Nagurski and Outland Trophy Watch Lists this week. The Nagurki list includes 68 defensive standouts as contenders for the national defensive player of the year, while the Outland recognizes 68 returning standout interior linemen on both sides of the ball. Indiana leads all schools with four defenders on the watch list for the Nagurski in linebackers Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones, defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker and safety Amare Ferrell. Fifth-year offensive tackle Carter Smith returns to the Outland watch list after being a semifinalist for the award last season. Tucker…

Indiana’s already strong defensive line got a major boost on Tuesday afternoon. Edge rusher Stephen Daley is returning to the Hoosiers for a fifth season. After transferring in from Kent State during the offseason, Daley became one of Indiana’s most valuable defensive players as the 2025 season progressed.  He was rotating early in the season but saw his role progress over time, especially when starter Kellan Wyatt went down with a season-ending injury. Through the end of the regular season, Daley led the Big Ten and was tied for the national lead in tackles for loss.  He had 19 tackles…