IU football coach Curt Cignetti has been asked multiple times since the 2024 season whether his team’s success has introduced the opportunity to recruit higher caliber players.
Cignetti has won everywhere he’s been, so if young players were only evaluating him and his staff, not much would need to change.
But there’s also the stigma at Indiana, the college football program with the most all-time losses.
Young players want to be part of winning programs and play in important games and moments. That provides a better experience, and a better proving ground for the next level.
One 11-win season and a trip to the College Football Playoff, coupled with Cignetti’s history of success is already making a difference.
“I think winning opens doors. There’s no doubt about it,” Cignetti said recently.
IU saw proof winning can lead to recruiting success with the class of 2022. That group came in on the heels of the Hoosiers’ winning seasons in 2019 and 2020. It was a group ranked 25th in the nation and 5th in the Big Ten, both marks the best for IU in the rankings era.
But 2022 was also a reminder that success must be sustained for the recruits to keep coming. IU’s three subsequent classes (2023-2025) were 69th, 65th and 46th, respectively, and 14th, 16th and 14th in the Big Ten.
So how do things look so far for Cignetti following his team’s magical 2024 campaign?
It’s still early as these things go. IU only has nine high school verbal commits in the class of 2026. They are likely targeting twice that amount in total, give or take.
Indiana’s 2026 class as of Monday morning ranks No. 32 in the nation and No. 10 in the Big Ten according to the industry average of the national recruiting outlets. Both marks would be the best since 2022, and 32nd the second-best all-time.
There’s a wide variance in the number of recruits teams have committed for 2026, and that influences the rankings and makes things very fluid at the moment. But Cignetti and staff are finalists for several 4-star and high-end 3-stars, and it won’t come as a surprise if this class ends up being one of, if not the best for IU in the rankings era.
Another indicator winning opens doors is the caliber of schools IU is beating to earn their verbal pledges. Routinely schools like Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State and other respected Power Four programs were heavily in the mix for the players who have committed to Indiana in this developing 2026 class. The trendlines are very positive.
Here are the nine current verbal commits in the 2026 class, with more background in the links on their rankings, competing schools, highlights and more:
- Gabe Hill, Naperville, Illinois, DL (4-star)
- Henry Ohlinger, Columbus, Ohio, LB/RB (4-star)
- Kasmir Hicks, Indianapolis, Indiana, CB/WR (3-star)
- Jay Timmons, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, DB (3-star)
- Blake Smythe, Franklin, Indiana, DL (3-star)
- Sam Simpson, River Falls, Wisconsin, IOL (3-star)
- Jacob Savage, Union, Kentucky, LB (3-star)
- Trevor Gibbs, Crown Point, Indiana, TE (3-star)
- Rodney White, Towson, Maryland, DL (3-star)
INDIANA PAST CLASS RANKINGS (According to 247Sports Composite)
- 2025: 46th overall / 14th Big Ten
- 2024: 65th overall / 16th Big Ten
- 2023: 69th overall / 14th Big Ten
- 2022: 25th overall / 5th Big Ten
- 2021: 54th overall / 12th Big Ten
- 2020: 58th overall / 12th Big Ten
- 2019: 36th overall / 8th Big Ten
- 2018: 48th overall / 10th Big Ten
- 2017: 62nd overall / 13th Big Ten
- 2016: 53rd overall / 11th Big Ten
- 2015: 53rd overall / 9th Big Ten
- 2014: 48th overall / 9th Big Ten
For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.
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