BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Reminders of Indiana’s historic 2025 season are all over the place within the Hoosier State this spring. On the Indianapolis airport, a large “Nationwide Champions” mural depicting Fernando Mendoza and Charlie Becker clasping palms greets flyers in the primary concourse. Within the present store, Colts and Pacers merch is now crammed in a nook to make method for dozens of IU soccer gadgets — together with a crimson “Curt’s So Good” T-shirt in honor of head coach Curt Cignetti.
One place you received’t discover that imagery? Cignetti’s workplace. No bowl or Faculty Soccer Playoff trophies. No Huge Ten championship trophy. No framed photos from that dramatic win over Miami.
One other place you received’t hear reminiscing about 2025? Contained in the Hoosiers’ locker room.
“Nobody (on the present group) talks about what this group did final 12 months,” says Wisconsin switch guard Joe Brunner. “Everybody’s moved previous it, and it is a new group.”
In a present store on the Indianapolis Worldwide Airport, there may be a variety of Indiana attire, together with a T-shirt that claims “Curt’s so good.” (Stewart Mandel / The Athletic)
A dozen or so starters from the nationwide championship group are presently ready to listen to whether or not their names get known as in Thursday night time’s NFL Draft. Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, the anticipated No. 1 choose, shall be one in every of them. So will cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt and linebacker Aiden Fisher. A number of others are projected to affix them.
Don’t be fooled by all that departed star energy. Indiana shall be excellent once more this fall. Faculty soccer’s latest $13 million coach will make sure that of that.
“Coach Cignetti operates at his greatest when he has a chip on his shoulder,” athletic director Scott Dolson stated final week. “And I might positively say his chip on his shoulder is greater than final 12 months — after we received the nationwide championship.”
Work day ‼️ pic.twitter.com/zXSZoiF40i
— Indiana Soccer (@IndianaFootball) April 16, 2026
Attending an Indiana follow isn’t fairly the identical as a Nick Saban-era Alabama follow, the place each single offensive and defensive lineman regarded inbuilt a lab, or an Ohio State follow the place seemingly each receiver runs a 4.3. However there’s a crispness to every drill you don’t usually see 5 months earlier than the season — particularly with a bunch of portal guys nonetheless new to the system.
And there are playmakers everywhere in the area.
Throughout a roughly 90-minute follow final week, Kansas State switch pass-rusher Tobi Osunsanmi exploded off the sting to power a strip-sack. Returning operating again Khobie Martin burst by a gap for a future. Michigan State switch receiver Nick Marsh made a few Sarratt/Cooper Jr.-type catches. Cornerback Jamari Sharpe, who nabbed the game-sealing interception towards Miami, pressured two turnovers.
Cignetti has the method down by now. It started earlier than final season ended, when he signed one other portal class stuffed with older, confirmed guys. They already know the way to play high-level soccer, however they want a full offseason to soak up Cignetti’s playbook and expectations. The aim is to have everybody buzzing by Week 1, however what he’s seeing now doesn’t match that normal, giving him an annual case of “spring anxiousness.”
“All these new guys all the time form of comply with the identical trajectory after they are available, you realize what I imply?” Cignetti stated. “They did some good, some unhealthy. They’re a little bit higher by the tip of spring. They’ve an important summer time and fall camp; they’re like new guys.
“However I’ve all the time acquired this spring anxiousness. All the time.”
Tobi Osunsanmi, a switch from Kansas State, is among the new additions to the Hoosiers’ defensive entrance. (Peter Aiken / Getty Photos)
Along with Osunsanmi, Marsh and Brunner, at the least six different transfers determine to start out or at the least play key roles this season.
Defensive ends Joshua Burnham (Notre Dame) and Chiddi Obiazor (Okay-State) be part of Osunsanmi and incumbent defensive tackles Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino on a defensive position that folks throughout the program consider shall be higher than final season’s. Boston Faculty operating again Turbo Richard joins returnees Martin and Lee Beebe Jr. to type an explosive three-man backfield rotation. Preston Zachman (Wisconsin) is pushing for a beginning security job, and A.J. Harris (Penn State) must be the second or third cornerback.
“This is among the greatest cultures in school soccer, if not one of the best, proper? And that makes it a brilliant simple transition,” stated Brunner. “You’re round a bunch of fellows who performed a variety of soccer. They know the way to welcome guys with open arms and the way to deliver them right into a tradition.”
However it’s not just like the Hoosiers have zero continuity from 2025.
Initially, Cignetti managed to retain all however one on-field assistant. Most notably, defensive coordinator and Broyles Award winner Bryant Haines acquired a increase to $3 million per 12 months, and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s wage was bumped as much as $1.7 million per 12 months.
“It says lots about Coach Cignetti, how he runs this system, how he treats his employees, that they wish to be right here,” stated Dolson. “Now, they wish to be pretty compensated within the market, which anyone can be, which we actually wish to do. However it wasn’t like they had been looking for greener pastures someplace else.”
As for gamers, the vast majority of IU’s protection is again, led by Sharpe, Tucker, linebacker Rolijah Hardy and security Amare Ferrell. Veteran linebacker Isaiah Jones steps in for Fisher in the midst of the protection. On offense, All-American left sort out Carter Smith shall be again, although he’s sitting out spring whereas recovering from shoulder surgical procedure, in addition to two different starters. At receiver, there’s Becker, the breakout star of Indiana’s postseason, and former Michigan switch Tyler Morris.
The Hoosiers had been already thought-about “outdated” final season, but even after all of the turnover, they may wind up with as many as 14 starters in at the least their fifth 12 months of eligibility.
That features the brand new beginning quarterback. Although he can also be Indiana’s query mark.
Spring scenes. pic.twitter.com/1DrGlXoJIE
— Indiana Soccer (@IndianaFootball) April 10, 2026
When the QB musical chairs cycle started final winter, Cignetti honed in on TCU’s Josh Hoover, a fifth-year senior who’s thrown for 9,629 yards over two-plus seasons as a starter. It was a notable resolution, given Cignetti’s sterling monitor document of growing QBs. (He likes to level out that every one however one in every of his QBs since 2019 at James Madison have been named convention participant of the 12 months.)
However Hoover’s coach at TCU, Sonny Dykes, raised eyebrows in March when he threw shade on the quarterback on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast, declaring Hoover’s 42 turnovers (33 INTs, 9 misplaced fumbles) over 31 begins. Cignetti responded with one in every of his trademark one-liners, saying, “When Josh acquired right here, he met his two new greatest associates: nice protection and a extremely good run sport.”
TCU HC Sonny Dykes didn’t maintain again speaking about Josh Hoover heading to Indiana
“Josh began 31 video games right here as a quarterback, and turned the ball over 42 occasions.” pic.twitter.com/hIXly5IOUW
— Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) March 25, 2026
It was exhausting to get a very good learn on Hoover throughout group drills due to the offensive line holdouts, which left the IU quarterbacks with little time to throw. He confirmed good zip on his deep balls, however a number of throws had been off beam.
“He’s nonetheless making an attempt to get a very good grasp of the offense after being in TCU so lengthy,” stated his future left sort out, Smith. “As soon as the summer time hits, as soon as he’s in a position to work one-on-one together with his receivers a little bit extra outdoors of 7-on-7 or in between follow is the place he actually begins to grasp the sport plan.”
People in this system notice that Mendoza himself was hardly a completed product final spring and made his largest soar from summer time to preseason camp.
“(Hoover) might be about the place a lot of the quarterbacks have been on this a part of the spring,” stated Cignetti.
It’s all a part of the method.
“It takes some time,” Cignetti stated, “and yearly you’ve acquired to start out over.”
