The biggest “Cinderella” story from the 2024 college football season belonged to the Indiana Hoosiers and heading into 2025, head coach Curt Cignetti has reloaded the Hooisers with all sorts of weapons and are on track to continue to keep building the program up in 2025.
2024 Indiana Football Breakdown:
Indiana hired Cignetti after a five-year stint at James Madison, where he compiled an impressive 52-9 record with the program.
It all started with a bold statement made last offseason by Cignetti in his introductory press conference, “I win, google me.”
Cignetti proved his statement right, leading the Hooisers to a magical 11-2 season, their best season since 1945 and first 10 win season in program history, while ultimately taking Indiana to the Inaugural 12 team College Football Playoff.
Led by quarterback Kurtis Rourke who transferred in from Ohio, it turned out to be a perfect fit behind an offense that was built to score with just about any team in college football.
The Hooisers would start 10-0 with key road wins against UCLA and Michigan State and big home wins against Nebraska and Michigan.
Despite losing on the road to Ohio State in a top 10 ranked matchup and a first round loss to national-runner up Notre Dame, it was still a dream season for the Hoosiers that will be talked about for a long time.
2024 Statistics:
QB- Kurtis Rourke: 3,042 PYDS, 69.4%, 29 TD, 5 INT
RB- Justice Ellison: 848 RYDS 10 TD
RB- Ty Son Lawton: 668 RYDS 12 TD
WR- Elijah Sarratt: 53 REC 957 YDS 8 TD
WR- Omar Cooper Jr.: 28 REC 594 YDS 7 TD
WR- Myles Price: 38 REC 466 YDS 3 TD
LB- Aiden Fisher: 118 TOT 6 TFL 1.5 SACK
DL- Mikail Kamara: 47 TOT 15 TFL 10 SACK
2025 Indiana Football Breakdown:
Cignetti and the Hooisers lost some big pieces from last seasons team, but they made up for it by reloading in the transfer portal.
The biggest name to commit to the Hooisers this offseason was former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who threw for 3,004 YDS, 16 TDS and 6 INT as a sophomore with the Golden Bears in 2024.
Similar to 2024, Indiana’s schedule sets up nicely for the Hooisers in 2025, they don’t have to play Ohio State and Michigan, but will face tough tests in Oregon and Penn State.
Key Players:
RB- Roman Hemby: (Maryland transfer)
Roman Hemby is a solid running back, having started three of his four years at Maryland and that experience will be key for a backfield that lost its top two rushers from last season.
Hemby ran for 607 YDS and 6 TDs in 2024, two years removed from a 989 YD, 10 TD campaign in 2022.
WR- Omar Cooper Jr.:
Having a wide receiver return that knows what is expected out of the offense will be beneficial for Mendoza and the Hoosiers in 2025.
Cooper should start the season as the teams top target in 2025.
DL- Mikail Kamara:
Kamara decided to return to Indiana for his senior season rather than entering the NFL Draft and Indiana will benefit greatly from his decision.
Kamara might not have the size of your average pass rusher, but his 21.5 career sacks speak for themselves.
Key Games:
9/20- Vs Illinois
9/27- At Iowa
10/11- At Oregon
11/8- At Penn State
11/15- Vs Wisconsin
Replicating an 11-2 season with a College Football Playoff berth in 2025 will be very tough, but as we learned week in and week out last season, Curt Cignetti is the man that can and will do it for this program.
2025 Indiana record prediction: 8-4