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Indiana football heads into perhaps its most interesting offseason ever after a historic season in Bloomington. To say that head coach Curt Cignetti overachieved in his first year would be a massive understatement. The Hoosiers finished the regular season 11-1 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play. This record was good enough to give Curt Cignetti's team its first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff.
The Hoosiers' season subsequently ended in the first round of the playoff to eventual runner-up Notre Dame. Nevertheless, this past year's squad reached ten wins for the first time in school history, showcasing that it's a new era for this program under its charismatic coach. The question is, going into 2025, can this success be sustained?
Indiana football does not necessarily need to return to the playoff next year. However, doing that twice in a row would prove that Indiana football is here to stay as a Big Ten power in the present and future.
But there will be many new additions to this roster who the public will doubt. And the program isn't done yet adding players. In fact, Indiana is targeting several prospects before National Signing Day in February, including two intriguing ones who can help rebuild one of the best offenses in the country in 2024.
Indiana football's 2025 recruiting class and overall outlook
In his first year in Bloomington, Curt Cignetti brought 48 newcomers to Indiana football, including 31 transfers. While the Hoosiers will not undergo as much change in 2025, this roster will still lose several players from last year's playoff squad. The headlining departure is star quarterback Kurtis Rourke.
The Ohio transfer led the Hoosiers' explosive aerial attack, which was this team's strength. Indiana's offense subsequently ranked second in the nation, scoring 41.3 points per game. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, they will return their top two receivers in Elijah Surrat and Omar Cooper Jr. In addition, Former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza has transferred to Indiana football to replace Kurtis Rourke.
The Miami, Florida native is a phenomenal talent at QB. At 6'5, 225 lbs with a cannon of an arm, Mendoza was viewed as a top talent in the transfer portal with first-round in the NFL Draft upside. While the incoming junior may not be as proven as Rourke was coming into Bloomington, he has the potential to be even more effective in Curt Cignetti's offense.
As of December 2024, Indiana's incoming recruiting class is ranked 41st in the country. The Hoosiers are bringing in 42 commits, including two 4-star prospects. With that in mind, despite the turnover, Indiana is ranked 17th in the nation according to ESPN's way-too-early rankings.
Overall, this program's success under Cignetti is expected to continue. Indiana football does face a more daunting schedule in 2025, with trips to Penn State and Oregon on the slate. Those two teams project to be in the top ten heading into next season. However, the Hoosiers' very light nonconference schedule likely means there will still be little room for error if they want to return to the College Football Playoff.
But Curt Cignetti has not finalized his roster yet. There are various prospects Indiana football's head coach is trying to add before National Signing Day. And these two standouts below could continue to boost an offense that is primed to be just as potent as it was in 2024.
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WR DL Hardison
DL Hardison is a 3-star wideout out of Melbourne, Florida. The Class of 2025 prospect has a 77 scout grade on ESPN. At 5'10, 165 lbs, Hardison will likely have to put on some more weight before playing at the FBS level. But he projects as a dynamic playmaker.
Hardison's senior season highlight tape shows that he is an absolute burner on the perimeter and can develop into an elite deep threat with more seasoning. The Florida native can make opponents miss in the open field with succinct but effective cuts. Hardison also exhibits a lack of fear when making catches across the middle of the field in tight windows.
The Class of 2025 wide receiver is currently considering 17 schools. Those programs include Texas A&M and Big Ten foes in Nebraska, Penn State, and Rutgers. As of January 28, Indiana is still very much in the running to sign Hardison.
TE Aaron Mattingly
Aaron Mattingly has the potential to make the tight end position more of a weapon under Curt Cignetti's team in the near future. The 3-star recruit out of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, is 6'5, 210 lbs, with an excellent frame to gain muscle to deal with the physicality of the position. Since his junior year, Mattingly has already put on 30 pounds while playing both tight end and wide receiver during his high school career.
Mattingly's tape shows a prospect with a surprising breakaway speed and an ability to catch tightly contested jump balls in the red zone. With a few years under Curt Cignetti, the Tennessee native will be a problem for any team in the nation. In fact, Mattingly might be ready to contribute to the program right away with his physical upside.
Aaron is currently considering 13 schools. In addition to the Hoosiers, the Power Four programs include Duke, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia. With all due respect to the other programs listed above, it has been decades since any of those schools have not come anywhere close to the ceiling that Curt Cignetti and company just exhibited.
