Defending a perfect season is its own animal
No team has gone back-to-back unbeaten in the CFP era — letdown spots against inferior competition are a real, recurring pattern for defending champions across all sports.
BIG TEN FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 2 OF 18
INDIANA HOOSIERS
2026 Season Snapshot • Bloomington, Indiana
16-0 (9-0 Big Ten) — National Champions
B1G
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Indiana.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Curt Cignetti — 3rd season at Indiana
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
146–37 overall (27–2 at Indiana)
Delivered the most improbable turnaround in modern college football history: 11-2 and a CFP berth in year one (2024), then a perfect 16-0 national championship in year two (2025) — the first 16-win season in FBS history. Also won big at James Madison (FCS playoffs) and IUP (D-II). Two-time unanimous national Coach of the Year.
INDIANA ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
Indiana went 16-0 in 2025, the first perfect national-title season by a Power 4 program in the CFP era, and did it without a single five-star recruit on the roster. Cignetti's Hoosiers have covered as sizable underdogs repeatedly, including the CFP semifinal and title game as the betting underdog against Oregon and Miami.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$13.03M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
$32.4M (est.)
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Hoosiers Connect
Coach salary per Sportico/MOU obtained by The Daily Hoosier. NIL figure is a third-party roster valuation estimate (The NIL Standard); not officially disclosed by IU or the NCAA.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Defending a perfect season is its own animal: No team has gone back-to-back unbeaten in the CFP era — letdown spots against inferior competition are a real, recurring pattern for defending champions across all sports.
- NIL spending jumped dramatically: Indiana's roster valuation went from roughly $20M (2025 title team) to an estimated $32.4M for 2026 — a real departure from the "underdog" identity that fueled the championship run, and worth watching whether internal culture holds.
- New starting QB after a Heisman winner: Fernando Mendoza is gone to the NFL; TCU transfer Josh Hoover steps in with real starting experience (32 straight starts) but zero snaps in this specific system under pressure.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Mike Shanahan • Tino Sunseri — 3rd/2nd season • Pro spread
The engine behind the highest-scoring offense in program history in 2025. Loses Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza but returns WR Charlie Becker and adds two marquee transfer weapons in QB Josh Hoover and WR Nick Marsh to keep the machine running.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Bryant Haines — 3rd season • Multiple 4-2-5
Winner of the Broyles Award (nation's top assistant coach) in 2025. Built one of the best defenses in the country over the last two seasons; Indiana retained its entire coordinator staff for a second straight year, a rare continuity advantage for a title defense.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
16–0 (9–0 Big Ten) — National Champions
CFP National Championship: W 27-21 vs. Miami. Also beat Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl (CFP Quarterfinal) and Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal). The most dominant single season in modern college football history.
HOME FIELD
Memorial Stadium
Artificial turf (Matrix Turf), Bloomington. Attendance and season-ticket demand exploded after the title run — a home environment that has been completely transformed from the program's historically quiet reputation.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Josh Hoover | Sr | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER TCU transfer (On3 composite HS: 3-star, 86.65 rating); No. 24 overall transfer, No. 6 QB nationally. 32 consecutive starts, 3,472 yards/29 TD in his final TCU season. On3 NIL Valuation: $4.0M . |
| RB1 | Turbo Richard | — | ★★★★★ | Boston College transfer; lightly recruited out of high school (ranked outside the national top-1,000 by 247Sports composite, No. 107 RB). 1,027 rush yds, 11 TD over two BC seasons. No individual NIL figure published. |
| WR1 | Nick Marsh | Jr | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Michigan State transfer (On3 composite HS: 4-star, 92.45 rating); No. 15 overall transfer, No. 5 WR nationally. 100 catches, 1,311 yds, 9 TD over two MSU seasons. On3 NIL Valuation: $1.0M . |
| WR2 | Charlie Becker | Jr | ★★★★★ | Returning starter and projected 2027 first-round NFL Draft pick per ESPN; forms one of the Big Ten's best WR duos alongside Marsh. No individual NIL figure published. |
QB1Josh HooverSr★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
TCU transfer (On3 composite HS: 3-star, 86.65 rating); No. 24 overall transfer, No. 6 QB nationally. 32 consecutive starts, 3,472 yards/29 TD in his final TCU season. On3 NIL Valuation: $4.0M .
RB1Turbo Richard—★★★★★
Boston College transfer; lightly recruited out of high school (ranked outside the national top-1,000 by 247Sports composite, No. 107 RB). 1,027 rush yds, 11 TD over two BC seasons. No individual NIL figure published.
WR1Nick MarshJr★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
Michigan State transfer (On3 composite HS: 4-star, 92.45 rating); No. 15 overall transfer, No. 5 WR nationally. 100 catches, 1,311 yds, 9 TD over two MSU seasons. On3 NIL Valuation: $1.0M .
WR2Charlie BeckerJr★★★★★
Returning starter and projected 2027 first-round NFL Draft pick per ESPN; forms one of the Big Ten's best WR duos alongside Marsh. No individual NIL figure published.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Brunner | IOL | — | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER Wisconsin transfer; consensus four-star HS signee (2022, No. 8 OT nationally, top player in Wisconsin) who chose the Badgers over LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon. No. 87 overall transfer, No. 3 interior OL nationally — zero sacks allowed on 749 pass-block snaps at Wisconsin. |
| CJ Scifres | OL | Fr | ★★★★★ | Incoming HS signee (Center Grove, Ind.) in the 2026 class, part of a retooled line. No NIL figure published for incoming freshmen. |
Joe BrunnerIOL—★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
Wisconsin transfer; consensus four-star HS signee (2022, No. 8 OT nationally, top player in Wisconsin) who chose the Badgers over LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon. No. 87 overall transfer, No. 3 interior OL nationally — zero sacks allowed on 749 pass-block snaps at Wisconsin.
CJ ScifresOLFr★★★★★
Incoming HS signee (Center Grove, Ind.) in the 2026 class, part of a retooled line. No NIL figure published for incoming freshmen.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- Brunner's addition was specifically targeted to protect a new starting QB — worth tracking Hoover's pressure/sack rate early as a leading indicator of continuity.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Tobi Osunsanmi | Edge | Kansas State transfer; four-star HS signee (On3 composite: 87.24 rating, top-20 national edge, consensus top-5 recruit in Kansas). No. 29 overall transfer, No. 5 edge rusher nationally. |
| Joshua Burnham | Edge | Notre Dame transfer (No. 246 overall, No. 29 edge) adding depth to a front that must replace departed NFL talent. |
| Chiddi Obiazor | Edge | Kansas State transfer (No. 345 overall, No. 32 edge) joining Osunsanmi as part of a portal-built edge rotation. |
Tobi OsunsanmiEdge
Kansas State transfer; four-star HS signee (On3 composite: 87.24 rating, top-20 national edge, consensus top-5 recruit in Kansas). No. 29 overall transfer, No. 5 edge rusher nationally.
Joshua BurnhamEdge
Notre Dame transfer (No. 246 overall, No. 29 edge) adding depth to a front that must replace departed NFL talent.
Chiddi ObiazorEdge
Kansas State transfer (No. 345 overall, No. 32 edge) joining Osunsanmi as part of a portal-built edge rotation.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Indiana's linebacker corps returns real experience from a defense that won the Broyles Award-winning coordinator's unit in 2025 — one of the more stable position groups on the roster heading into the title defense.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Harris | CB | ★★★★★ | Penn State transfer (originally a top-50 national HS recruit who signed with Georgia); No. 125 overall transfer, No. 8 CB nationally — a direct Big Ten rival addition to the secondary. |
| Preston Zachman | S | ★★★★★ | Wisconsin transfer; three-star HS signee (On3 composite: 82.83 rating). No. 71 safety in the portal; one of four Sunday transfer-portal additions alongside Hoover and Marsh. |
| Jiquan (Quan) Sanks | S | ★★★★★ | Cincinnati transfer; three-star HS signee (On3 composite: 84.74 rating, No. 631 overall transfer, No. 55 safety) adding depth to the back end. |
A.J. HarrisCB★★★★★
Penn State transfer (originally a top-50 national HS recruit who signed with Georgia); No. 125 overall transfer, No. 8 CB nationally — a direct Big Ten rival addition to the secondary.
Preston ZachmanS★★★★★
Wisconsin transfer; three-star HS signee (On3 composite: 82.83 rating). No. 71 safety in the portal; one of four Sunday transfer-portal additions alongside Hoover and Marsh.
Jiquan (Quan) SanksS★★★★★
Cincinnati transfer; three-star HS signee (On3 composite: 84.74 rating, No. 631 overall transfer, No. 55 safety) adding depth to the back end.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. Indiana's off-field spending story dominates the offseason narrative more than any specific special- teams edge — a program that went from a $23K average roster NIL value in 2025 to an estimated $32.4M valuation for 2026.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
10-6
62.5% cover rate — 17th of 82
2025 Straight up
16-0
Point differential +479
Scoring environment
53.3
Combined points per game — 33rd highest of 82
Home / road ATS
4-3 · 3-2
Totals 10-6 O/U (5-2 home, 3-2 road)
Points scored / allowed
41.6 per game scored (1st) · 11.7 allowed (2nd)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +29.9 (1st) · Strength of schedule +6.1
- Home / road: Home 4-3 ATS, road 3-2 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 10-6 O/U — 5-2 at home, 3-2 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 10-6 (62.5% cover rate) across 16 games.
- Trend: Averaged 41.6 points and allowed 11.7, a 53.3 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+25.4
1st of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+19.4
1st of 82
Defensive SRS
+17.2
2nd of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+29.9 · 1st of 82
Against the spread
10-6 (62.5%) · 17th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
53.3 · 33rd of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Indiana.
Program Context
NIL spending jumped dramatically
Indiana's roster valuation went from roughly $20M (2025 title team) to an estimated $32.4M for 2026 — a real departure from the "underdog" identity that fueled the championship run, and worth watching whether internal culture holds.
Quarterback
New starting QB after a Heisman winner
Fernando Mendoza is gone to the NFL; TCU transfer Josh Hoover steps in with real starting experience (32 straight starts) but zero snaps in this specific system under pressure.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
Brunner's addition was specifically targeted to protect a new starting QB — worth tracking Hoover's pressure/sack rate early as a leading indicator of continuity.
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