Six Indiana Players Who Could Swing the CFP National Championship Game

The No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers stampeded through the College Football Playoff with an unblemished record all the way to the national championship game to face the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. While the Hoosiers have needed contributions across the roster to stay unbeaten, here are six key players to keep an eye on:

Aiden Fisher, LB

After following Curt Cignetti from James Madison, Fisher led the Hoosiers as the centerpiece of the defense for the past two years. The senior made the leap to the Big Ten look seamless, and delivered in the biggest moments during the 2025 season, which included 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the regular-season win at Oregon, an interception when Indiana was being tested at Penn State and a forced fumble in the Rose Bowl to squash any sort of positive Alabama momentum. He earned first-team All-American honors in back-to-back seasons with the Hoosiers.

Elijah Sarratt, WR

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the engine who powered Indiana into the national championship game, but it sure helped to have players like Sarratt on the receiving end of his passes. Another James Madison transfer, the senior wideout was one of the most sure-handed targets in the sport this season and was even more of a threat in the red zone with his ability to make contested catches. Sarratt led the nation this season with 15 receiving touchdowns, three of which came in the College Football Playoff.

Pat Coogan, OL

The only player on either team’s roster to play in back-to-back national championship games over the past two years, the Notre Dame transfer reliably clogged up the middle along the Indiana offensive line. Coogan started every game for the Hoosiers and hardly came off the field, even while playing a punishing role, both protecting Mendoza and clearing massive holes for Indiana’s running back tandem. The 23-year-old was rewarded for his efforts by being named Rose Bowl MVP, powering an Indiana run game that rushed for 215 yards against Alabama.

D’Angelo Ponds, DB

Standing at just 5' 9", the junior cornerback may be undersized but was one of the toughest players on Indiana’s defense all season. Ponds drew the most difficult defensive assignment each game and delivered, leading the Hoosiers in pass breakups. He also sent the Indiana faithful into pandemonium on the opening play from scrimmage in the Peach Bowl when he intercepted a pass from Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and returned it for a touchdown—a feat that prompted the city of Bloomington to temporarily name a local pond after him.

Riley Nowakowski, TE

Though his numbers don’t pop off the stat sheet, Nowakowski is a pivotal piece of what Indiana has done on offense. Handling much of the work as a run blocker, but also capable of giving Mendoza a big target as a pass catcher, the Wisconsin transfer logged the most snaps among any Indiana skill player this season. Nowakowski does much of the dirty work so that the Indiana offense can look smooth and still was able to log 30 catches and two touchdowns, while going the entire season without a dropped catch.

Tyrique Tucker, DT

Indiana dominated opponents along the line of scrimmage this season, leading the country in tackles for loss—and Tucker was a major reason why. Another one of Cignetti’s prized transfers from James Madison, the junior defensive tackle clogged up the middle with 12 tackles for loss and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. When fellow defensive lineman Stephen Daley sustained an injury after the Big Ten championship game, Tucker didn’t skip a beat during Indiana’s playoff run, completely shutting down opposing run games.

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