Indiana Being the 'Next Alabama' Discussed at Hoosiers Pro Day

Wednesday was a day unlike any other in the history of Indiana Hoosiers football.

No, a national championship parade wasn't had, and no game was actually won, but the eyes of the entire football world were on Bloomington, Indiana.

The Hoosiers will almost certainly see Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza selected first overall in three weeks, but the power and draw of the Indiana football program was on full display Wednesday.

All 32 NFL Teams Attended Indiana's Pro Day

A large part of the narrative of Indiana winning the national championship last season was how it did so without many prized recruits.

That is certainly true, but what is also obvious is Indiana's ability to recognize and develop talent.

All eyes on us. 👀 pic.twitter.com/clZGslZdSO
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) April 1, 2026

All 32 NFL teams didn't send someone to Bloomington to watch Mendoza toss bombs to his former teammates one last time, they went because the Hoosiers have a host of guys who will play at the highest level.

With that in mind, one former Indiana standout used his time with the media to share what he hopes the future holds for the Hoosiers football program.

Indiana Turning Into Old Alabama?

Defensive end Mikail Kamara met the media following his Pro Day and made a bold statement about what he hopes Indiana football can turn into in the years to come.

“Hopefully we can turn this into Bama…old Bama”

Mikail Kamara on how prominent Indiana football is going to be in the NFL in the future. #iufb pic.twitter.com/ciXMfRztLN
— Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) April 1, 2026

Hopefully turn this into like Bama...old Bama.

But you know, Coach Cig (Curt Cignetti) and the rest of the staff are really great at developing players, not just developing players, but also, you know, bringing the right guys who have the work ethic and who have the drive to come in every single day and try to get better so at the end of the day, this race that we, that we all have as football players, is just who wants to get better every single day, who's not willing to quit?

Cignetti being a branch on the Nick Saban tree doesn't hurt when it comes to being the next Alabama, but the fact of the matter is there won't be another Alabama in modern college football.

The transfer portal has been the great equalizer, and nobody has had more success with it in short order than Indiana, but what has helped make the Hoosiers so good so fast under Curt Cignetti, will also be large in keeping it from being the next Alabama.

Those Alabama teams from 2009 through 2020 were beyond loaded with NFL talent. It simply doesn't happen anymore because if guys don't play, they jump in the portal and head to a place they do.

Indiana has certainly benefited from that, but the ability to build as deep of roster as Alabama would regularly under Saban is vitrually impossible.

Now that all said, Indiana is still in a group of a handful of programs you take the next half-decade over literally every other program in college football.