First look: Where IU football stands in early top 25 rankings for 2026 season
- Alex Bozich
- 22m ago
IU football won its first national championship on Monday night, beating Miami (FL) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Kickoff for the 2026 season is still more than seven months away, but early top 25 rankings from several national outlets surfaced this morning.
Here’s a roundup of where the Hoosiers stand:
“The greatest turnaround in college football history culminated with Indiana winning its first national championship Monday night. Now, the Hoosiers will have to replace Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, and several key players coach Curt Cignetti brought with him from James Madison. The Hoosiers signed 53 transfers over the past two seasons, and they’re bringing in at least a dozen more this year. Hoover, who started 31 games for the Horned Frogs, could be elite if he cuts down on turnovers. Richard was an important addition with Hemby and Kaelon Black moving on. IU has a handful of other starters, including receiver Omar Cooper Jr., cornerback D’Angelo Ponds and left tackle Carter Smith, who might depart for the NFL. The Hoosiers are losing a lot, but it seems foolish to doubt Cignetti at this point.”
“WR Omar Cooper Jr., LT Carter Smith and CB D’Angelo Ponds have not yet announced their NFL decisions. Regardless, Indiana loses most of its offense after winning the national title, as well as several key defenders, but it should still have explosive skill talent and a stout D-line. Curt Cignetti tapped TCU’s Hoover (9,629 career passing yards) to succeed Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to enter the draft. IU’s highly regarded portal class includes reinforcements at nearly every position, but especially receivers and pass rushers.”
“We doubted Indiana could replicate the 2024 season by reloading again, and yet the Hoosiers were much better. Curt Cignetti will side with a different transfer quarterback for a third straight year, snagging the nation’s passing leader, TCU’s Josh Hoover, to lead the offense. The transfer class included more power conference players than ever before under Cignetti, a sign that the Hoosiers are here to stay.”
“Indiana isn’t going anywhere after its first national title. While many key players will leave, including several former James Madison transfers, the foundation has been set to keep the Hoosiers in the title mix. The biggest adds have been quarterback Josh Hoover (TCU), cornerback A.J. Harris (Penn State), wide receiver Nick Marsh (Michigan State) and offensive lineman Joe Brunner (Wisconsin), part of what is again the nation’s best transfer class. There is every reason to believe Curt Cignetti’s success is sustainable.”
“There’s no more Fernando Mendoza. No more Heisman winner. The dream of the 2025 season for Indiana is complete and now in the rearview mirror. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s next task is to field a team that wins at least 11 games and earns a College Football Playoff invitation for a third consecutive season.”
“Why would we doubt Curt Cignetti? The Hoosiers will have heavy losses to the 2026 NFL Draft – including potential No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza – but Indiana will combine returners such as receiver Charlie Becker and defensive tackle Rolijah Hardy with another strong portal class. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover (3,472 yards, 29 TDs, 13 INTs), Boston College running back Turbo Richard (749 yards, 9 TDs), Michigan State receiver Nick Marsh (662 yards, 6 TDs) and Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi (4 sacks) lead the changes. Indiana had a top-25 recruiting class, too. Ohio State and USC visit Memorial Stadium this year.”
“The Hoosiers have become one of the best teams at navigating the transfer portal and they have the top class in the country in 2026 after winning the national championship this season. Former TCU QB Josh Hoover is in line to replace Fernando Mendoza and WR Nick Marsh is a stellar add from Michigan State. Don’t overlook the edge rushing depth that Curt Cignetti signed as well.”
“At this point, we should trust Curt Cignetti to populate his roster with players capable of competing at the highest level. Yes, the Hoosiers lose a lot of talent off this team. But TCU transfer QB Josh Hoover arrives in Bloomington with an even better resume than Fernando Mendoza had last year. Plus, homegrown talents like receiver Charlie Becker and edge Daniel Ndukwe are ready to become stars.”
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