In a year of all-time firsts, here’s another: More than a third of IU football’s starters have earned some measure of All-American recognition.
Indiana has set a new program record with eight All-Americans, including seven by the NCAA’s officially recognized selectors. The previous record was five in 1945, IU’s last outright Big Ten championship team before this season.
Fernando Mendoza and Carter Smith were named All-Americans by all five outlets recognized as official selectors.
The Sporting News really called into question its worthiness as a selector for consensus and unanimous All-American purposes when it relegated Heisman winner Mendoza to second-team All-American. Mendoza was a landslide winner in the Heisman vote and every other vote left to a broad national group (e.g. AP, AFCA, FWAA).
D’Angelo Ponds and Aiden Fisher were All-American at four of the five selectors, and Louis Moore, Omar Cooper, Jr. and Tyrique Tucker garnered All-American status at one selector each.
Here is a summary of the All-American honors earned by IU players in 2025:
FWAA – Football Writers Association of American;
AFCA – American Football Coaches Association
AP – Associated Press
WC – Walter Camp
SN – Sporting News
Fernando Mendoza (FWAA – 1st; AFCA – 1st; AP – 1st; WC – 1st; SN – 2nd)
Carter Smith (FWAA – 1st; AFCA – 1st; WC – 1st; AP – 2nd; SN – 2nd)
D’Angelo Ponds (SN – 1st; AFCA – 2nd; AP – 2nd; WC – 2nd)
Aiden Fisher (FWAA – 1st; AFCA – 1st; SN -2nd; AP – 3rd)
Louis Moore (AP – 2nd)
Omar Cooper, Jr. (FWAA – 2nd)
Tyrique Tucker (AP – 3rd)
These same players plus edge rusher Stephen Daley were also recognized as All-Americans by various media outlets. Indiana summarized those outlets in a social media post:
TWO EARN CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN
Mendoza and Smith earned consensus All-American status, meaning they were listed on the MOST first team All-America teams competing against players at that position only. To be selected a player must be named first team on at least two of the five selected All-America teams.
Here is the full list of consensus All-Americans:
Offense
WR—Makai Lemon, Southern California, 5-11, 195, Jr.
WR—Jeremiah Smith, Ohio St., 6-3, 223, So.
WR—Skyler Bell, UConn, 6-0, 185, Sr.
TE—Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 235, Sr.
OL—Spencer Fano, Utah, 6-6, 308, Jr.
OL—Kadyn Proctor, Alabama, 6-7, 366, Jr.
OL—Carter Smith, Indiana, 6-5, 313, Jr.
OL—Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL), 6-6, 335, Jr.
C—Logan Jones, Iowa, 6-3, 302, Sr.
QB—Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, 6-5, 225, Jr.
RB—Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame, 6-0, 214, Jr.
RB—Ahmad Hardy, Missouri, 5-10, 210, So.
PK—Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii, 6-2, 200, Sr.
Returner/All-Purpose—KC Concepcion, Texas A&M, 5-11, 190, Jr.
Returner/All-Purpose—Kaden Wetjen, Iowa, 5-9, 196, Sr.
Defense
DL—Cashius Howell, Texas A&M, 6-2, 248, Sr.
DL—Kayden McDonald, Ohio St., 6-3, 326, Jr.
DL—David Bailey, Texas Tech, 6-3, 250, Sr.
DL—Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL), 6-3, 270, Jr.
LB—Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, 6-1, 235, Sr.
LB—Arvell Reese, Ohio St., 6-4, 243, Jr.
LB—CJ Allen, Georgia, 6-1, 235, Jr.
DB—Caleb Downs, Ohio St., 6-0. 205, Jr.
DB—Leonard Moore, Notre Dame, 6-2, 195, So.
DB—Mansoor Delane, LSU, 6-0, 190, Sr.
DB—Bishop Fitzgerald, Southern California, 5-11, 205, Sr.
P—Cole Maynard, Western Ky., 6-1, 180, Sr.
NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Curt Cignetti was the first repeat National Coach of the Year winner for multiple versions of that award.
Thus far he has been named this season’s top coach by the AP, AFCA, Sporting News, Home Depot, and Walter Camp.
He is also a finalist for the Dodd Trophy, the only national coach of the year award he didn’t win last year, because he wasn’t eligible. First-year coaches can’t win that one.
No. 1 Indiana (13-0) returns to the field on January 1 when they take on either Oklahoma or Alabama at the Rose Bowl.
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