Indiana was forced to rely heavily on the transfer portal to build its 2025-26 roster, and ESPN is giving first-year head coach Darian DeVries high marks for the group he has assembled.
With the smoke mostly cleared on roster overhauls, that outlet says the Hoosiers have the seventh-best transfer portal class in the nation and third-best in the Big Ten.
Here’s what ESPN’s Jeff Borzello said about IU’s portal additions:
For a second consecutive season, Darian DeVries is overseeing a complete overhaul at a new job. Except for a couple of returnees hoping for waivers to play another season and freshman Trent Sisley, the rest of the roster consists of the above names. There are eight double-figure scorers in Indiana’s group of incoming transfers, including a trio in the top 50: DeVries, Wilkerson and Bailey. Indiana focused on perimeter shooting in the portal, a stark contrast to recent years in Bloomington, but the Hoosiers hope their new point guards, Conerway and Enright, will lead the way.
ESPN says only St. John’s, Kentucky, Michigan, Louisville, Florida and Washington have better portal classes. That outlet seemed to based on their rankings on how well teams addressed their specific needs, as programs like Florida and Louisville only added three players.
Surveying some of the other ranking sites, 247Sports says IU has the No. 10 transfer portal class in the nation.
The sheer volume of Indiana’s portal additions no doubt influences these rankings. 10 of IU’s players in 2025-26 arrive via the portal. That’s a heavy influx of talent. It’s also more than most, and of course most of Indiana’s roster from this past season had to leave to make room
On3 assesses transfers on a net basis, measuring the aggregate impact of both transfers into and out of the program. Based on that approach, On3 has the Hoosiers pegged at No. 18.
This is how Indiana’s 10 portal additions ranked across the average of the industry:
17. Tucker DeVries
31. Reed Bailey
34. Lamar Wilkerson
83. Tayton Conerway
103. Sam Alexis
132. Josh Harris
144. Nick Dorn
276. Jasai Miles
312. Conor Enright
551. Jason Drake
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