Add this to Curt Cignetti’s ammunition for 2026.
After offseason roster overhauls and early spring developments, ESPN projects IU football is the third-best team in the Big Ten ahead of the 2026 season.
Coming off a 16-0 national championship season, the outlet placed Ohio State and Oregon ahead of the Hoosiers.
But they still have the defending champs in the top-10. IU has never opened a season in the top-10 of the AP top-25, a run that seems certain to end when the first poll is released in August.
Here’s how ESPN currently projects the national top-10 this spring:
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Indiana
- Miami
- Texas Tech
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
Also ranked by ESPN from the Big Ten: Michigan (14), Penn State (15), Washington (17), Iowa (19), and USC (20).
While it’s still early to be talking rankings for 2026, with no spring transfer portal window not much should change on rosters going forward.
Part of Indiana’s challenge this season will be a relatively difficult schedule. They’ll see each of Ohio State, Michigan, Washington and USC during league play this fall, with road trips to Ann Arbor and Seattle.
Here’s what ESPN said about the Hoosiers at No. 6:
2026 outlook: After stunning the sport and collecting their first national title in 2025, the Hoosiers will have to replace Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, and several key players that coach Curt Cignetti brought with him from James Madison. The Hoosiers once again relied on the transfer portal to rebuild their roster. Hoover started 31 games at TCU and might be elite if he cuts down on his turnovers. Richard was an important addition with Hemby and Kaelon Black moving on. Getting star left tackle Carter Smith to return was significant. Yes, the Hoosiers are losing a lot, but it seems foolish to doubt Cignetti and his staff at this point.
In On3’s net transfer portal rankings, comparing transfers in and out, Indiana finished with the No. 1 ranked overall portal class, with no other Big Ten teams in the top-10.
The Hoosiers made several high profile portal additions including QB Josh Hoover (TCU), WR Nick Marsh (Michigan State), RB Turbo Richard (Boston College), DL Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State), S Preston Zachman (Wisconsin), CB A.J. Harris (Penn State), and G Joe Brunner (Wisconsin).
But the Hoosiers do have to replace significant talent, including Heisman Trophy winner and anticipated No. 1 NFL Draft choice Fernando Mendoza. Also gone are WRs Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., C Pat Coogan, RBs Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black, TE Riley Nowakowski, DLs Stephen Daley, Kellan Wyatt, and Mikail Kamara, LB Aiden Fisher, S Louis Moore, and CB D’Angelo Ponds.
Indiana’s spring practice window is relatively late compared to much of college football. They’ll conclude their workouts with the spring game on April 23 at Memorial Stadium (8 p.m. ET, BTN).
The Hoosiers open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 when they host North Texas in Bloomington.
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