Just moments after leading Indiana to a national championship and the first 16-0 season in college football since the 1890s, Curt Cignetti discussed his plans for taking time off.
Surely he’s headed to an island for a week or two, right?
“We’re going to enjoy this moment, take a day off tomorrow, get back at it Wednesday,” Cignetti said.
Okay, so he was kidding?
Not really.
Cignetti is not one to take a lot of time off to begin with, but the lone downside of this magical IU football run is it ended late into the calendar for next season.
So much so that Indiana’s new players for next year’s team are already enrolled in classes and on campus. The entire team would typically already be into winter conditioning, and Cignetti doesn’t have a lead strength coach after Derek Owings left for Tennessee.
And then there’s this: The NFL combine is just weeks away, along with Indiana’s Pro Day. And the NFL Draft is not all that far down the road.
Why isn’t Cignetti prepared to go an island getaway this week? He has to figure out next year’s roster first.
“I’ll be dealing with underclassmen going to the NFL tomorrow and who knows what else,” he said when someone followed up his plans to enjoy the moment.
In total, Indiana has six players with a year of eligibility remaining who have legitimate NFL aspirations at this moment. Here’s a quick overview of the players to watch in the days to come:
EASY ANSWERS
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza hasn’t announced his next move, but his decision is obvious. At this point, the only surprise over the next few months would be if he’s not the first IU player to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft since Corby Davis in the 1930s.
Safety Amare Ferrell cleared the air earlier this month, announcing his return for his senior year in Bloomington. He’ll give the Hoosiers a stout veteran on the back end of the defense.
PROBABLY NOT COMING BACK
What else does cornerback D’Angelo Ponds have left to prove? He has been an All-American for three straight seasons, and delivered some of the program’s most iconic moments, proving he’s not one to shy away from the bright lights. He’s elite in coverage, and elite as a tackler. The only NFL question about Ponds will be his height, and he’s not going to get any taller in Bloomington this year.
DECISIONS TO MAKE
Offensive tackle Carter Smith was the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year and a first-team All-American. So there’s not a lot he can accomplish beyond that. But after not allowing a sack all season, Smith gave up two against Miami’s NFL bound edge rushers, and another pressure. And there’s also the possibility Smith might have to move inside and play guard at the next level. He said on the field Monday night after the game his plan was to return, but those on-the-spot moments aren’t reliable. He has a real decision to make.
Wide receiver Omar Cooper, Jr. has a redshirt senior season available. He just keeps getting better. Cooper, Jr. caught 18, 28 and then 69 passes over 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively. His yards and touchdowns went up each year at a similar pace. Cooper, Jr. moved to the slot this year and that’s probably where his NFL future lies. He has all the physical attributes to make it in the league. This feels like a another tough call.
Defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker is like Ponds in the sense the NFL will question his size. But he’s unlike Ponds in that he has a college career arc still clearly on the rise. Over the last year he went from backup to first-team All-Big Ten. While a bit unheralded, he was a legit star on this team. But you could argue there’s still another level to his progression before he’s fully ready for the next step.
For more on Indiana’s 2026 roster:
IU football: Position-by-position look at anticipated 2026 roster changes
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