Indiana Football Bolsters Secondary, Lands Cincinnati DB in Transfer Portal

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football has added another transfer portal piece to its secondary.

The Hoosiers secured a commitment from Cincinnati safety Jiquan Sanks on Sunday night, according to On3 Sports insider Hayes Fawcett on X. Sanks has two years of eligibility remaining.

Sanks is the second safety Indiana has landed in the portal, as Wisconsin's Preston Zachman verbally pledged to the Hoosiers on Sunday morning. In addition to Sanks and Zachman, Indiana's transfer portal haul currently includes Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh, TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi and Boston College running back Turbo Richard.

Meet Jiquan Sanks

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Sanks arrived at Cincinnati as a consensus three-star recruit in 2024, and the early enrollee made an immediate impact, becoming the first true freshman to start the season opener since 2015.

Sanks enjoyed a productive freshman campaign, collecting 42 tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble in 12 games, five of which were starts.

The Columbus, Ga., native took a step forward as a sophomore in 2025, tallying 50 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and four pass breakups while starting seven of his 12 appearances.

Sanks wore several hats on the back end for Cincinnati, which placed him at the "star" position. He played 506 defensive snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and spent 242 snaps in the box, 207 snaps at free safety and 56 snaps at slot corner. He also held a role on special teams, working on the kickoff coverage and field goal block units.

What Jiquan Sanks brings to Indiana football

The Hoosiers' secondary will be re-made in 2026. Starting safety Louis Moore, who’s tied for second in the FBS with six interceptions, will be out of eligibility after this season. The same is true for Devan Boykin, who plays rover, a combination of safety and nickel corner — partially similar to the role Sanks held at Cincinnati.

Junior safety Amare Ferrell, who starts next to Moore, is slated to return, as is true freshman Byron Baldwin, who’s seen meaningful snaps in the second half of the year. Baldwin was in contention to start at rover entering the year before suffering an undisclosed injury late in fall camp. He figures to play a significant role in the secondary in 2026.

But with Boykin and Moore both departing, Indiana has two spots open on its back end. Zachman and Sanks, each of whom have experience playing high-level football, should be among the favorites to earn considerable snaps next season.