Indiana Football Draft: Picking The Top 14 Hoosiers For 2026

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –– Indiana will no longer be college football's Cinderella story in 2026, rather the defending national champions going into coach Curt Cignetti's third season.

Some parts of the roster will look familiar, but Indiana also lost several notable players from the 2025 team. That includes Fernando Mendoza, Roman Hemby, Kaelon Black, Omar Cooper Jr., Elijah Sarratt, Riley Nowakowski, E.J. Williams Jr., Pat Coogan, Kahlil Benson, Aiden Fisher, Louis Moore, D'Angelo Ponds, Devan Boykin, Stephen Daley, Mikail Kamara, Hosea Wheeler and Kellan Wyatt.

So to get familiar with some of Indiana's top players heading into next season, Indiana Hoosiers On SI reporters Daniel Flick and Jack Ankony alternated through 14 picks and explained why they're important for the Hoosiers in 2026.

Here’s how their draft turned out.

Pick No. 1: QB Josh Hoover

FLICK: It feels a bit cheap to give the nod to a player who had no part in the Hoosiers’ run to the national championship, but the stage is set for Hoover to flourish. Four of the last five quarterbacks to play under Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan have won conference player of the year, and Hoover, the nation’s fourth-leading passer with 289.3 yards per game at TCU this past season, arrives in Bloomington with strong pedigree. This seems like a marriage that should bear tremendous fruit.

Pick No. 2: LT Carter Smith

Carter Smith Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers offensive lineman Carter Smith (65) celebrates after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2026 Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ANKONY: The Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year could have gone to the NFL Draft, but instead he returned to Bloomington for his final year of eligibility. He’ll be the leader of what should be another elite offensive line under coach Bob Bostad, whose group won the 2025 Joe Moore Award. Smith didn’t allow a single sack in the regular season, and should help keep Hoover upright in 2026.

Pick No. 3: LB Isaiah Jones

Isaiah Jones Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Isaiah Jones (46) celebrates after recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. | James Lang-Imagn Images

FLICK: Jones enjoyed a breakthrough redshirt junior season, ranking fourth on the team with 78 tackles and second in both sacks (seven) and tackles for loss (15.5) as the third linebacker in the Hoosiers’ trio package. With senior Aiden Fisher, the heart of Indiana’s defense the past two years, off to the NFL, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines said in December that Jones will take over Fisher’s role in 2026. Jones will have more responsibility, and playing time, than ever — and he’s poised to star.

Pick No. 4: WR Charlie Becker

Charlie Becker Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker (80) makes a contested catch against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ANKONY: Becker would have been nowhere near this list going into last season, but he broke out as a vital weapon down the stretch and in the College Football Playoff. Despite having just seven catches through the first nine games, he finished as Indiana’s second-leading receiver with 679 yards. Indiana’s national title run may not have been possible without the 6-foot-4 receiver’s clutch, contested catches against Penn State, Ohio State and Miami.

Pick No. 5: LB Rolijah Hardy

Rolijah Hardy Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) tackles Miami Hurricanes running back CharMar Brown (6) during the National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

FLICK: After sitting behind Fisher and senior linebacker Jailin Walker as a true freshman in 2024, Hardy burst onto the national scene with a brilliant sophomore season in 2025. He led the Hoosiers with 102 tackles and eight sacks, and he ranked third on the team with 15 tackles for loss. Hardy’s range, explosiveness and playmaking instincts give him the ceiling of one of college football’s most disruptive, game-wrecking linebackers.

Pick No. 6: DT Tyrique Tucker

Tyrique Tucker Indiana Football — Indiana's Tyrique Tucker (95) celebrates after winning the National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ANKONY: An AP third-team All-American in 2025, Tucker finished third among Hoosiers with six sacks and fourth with 12 tackles for loss. And with Mikail Kamara, Stephen Daley, Hosea Wheeler and Kellen Wyatt all gone, Tucker is a building block for a Bryant Haines defense that has become known for pressuring the quarterback and generating tackles for loss. Tucker is another prime example of Cignetti’s player development and talent evaluation, as he committed to James Madison as an unranked high school recruit.

Pick No. 7: WR Nick Marsh

FLICK: Hoover aside, Marsh was Indiana’s flashiest transfer. One of the top-ranked receivers in the portal, Marsh caught 100 passes for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns the past two years at Michigan State. He thrived against Indiana, totaling 12 receptions for 142 yards and a pair of scores in two matchups. Marsh is a superb talent with a background of productivity, and he should be a tremendous complement to Becker in a 1A, 1B, manner similar to what the Hoosiers had with Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. in 2025.

Pick No. 8: S Amare Ferrell

Amare Ferrell Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Amare Ferrell (1) celebrates against the Miami Hurricanes in the National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

ANKONY: Ferrell has been extremely valuable to Indiana’s defense the last two seasons because of his versatility. Playing both safety spots and rover, he can help stop the run or drop back in pass coverage. The All-Big Ten safety was second among Hoosiers in pass breakups and interceptions last season. Ferrell deciding to return instead of going to the NFL Draft was huge for an Indiana defense that lost All-American safety Louis Moore.

Pick No. 9: DT Mario Landino

Mario Landino Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Mario Landino (97) reaches to deflect a pass from Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson at the Rose Bowl. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

FLICK: Landino will pair with Tucker to give Indiana one of the nation’s best interior defensive lines. After a flash-filled freshman season in 2024, the 6-foot-4, 284-pound Landino took a significant step forward, logging five sacks and six tackles for the Hoosiers. He had a sack in the Big Ten title game and two fumble recoveries against Oregon in the Peach Bowl. Landino is strong, quick, disruptive and still ascending. He’s in line for a big junior year.

Pick No. 10: Edge Tobi Osunsanmi

ANKONY: Ranked No. 5 among edge transfers and No. 37 overall, Osunsanmi was Indiana’s most important transfer portal addition on defense this offseason. He’ll help replace Kamara, Daley, Wyatt and Wheeler, and joins returners like Tucker and Landino to form what should be another imposing defensive line. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Osunsanmi made six tackles for loss and four sacks in just six games for Kansas State in 2025.

Pick No. 11: CB Jamari Sharpe

Jamari Sharpe Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Jamari Sharpe (22) celebrates after intercepting Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

FLICK: Sharpe will forever be ingrained in Hoosier history for his game-sealing interception in the closing seconds of the national championship game. And after starting every game in 2025, he’s in line for bigger responsibilities in 2026. With All-American corner D’Angelo Ponds declaring for the NFL Draft, Sharpe figures to take over as Indiana’s top outside cornerback. He’s already proven he’s ready for the spotlight.

Pick No. 12: OL Joe Brunner

ANKONY: Indiana’s offensive line was in good shape with Smith, Bray Lynch, Drew Evans and Adedamola Ajani returning, but the addition of Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner really took the group over the top. Brunner received an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2025, starting 12 games at left guard. He allowed just four pressures and one sack while being penalized just once all season.

Pick No. 13: RB Turbo Richard

FLICK: Cignetti’s philosophy with running backs is rooted in rotation — he prefers a three-headed monster over a singular bell-cow — and Richard will split touches with returners Lee Beebe Jr. and Khobie Martin. Still, Richard, who had 962 scrimmage yards in 2025 at Boston College, figures to play an extensive role. He’s a home-run hitter whose speed and playmaking should be on full display in the Hoosiers’ offense.

Pick No. 14: K Nico Radicic

Nico Radicic Indiana Football — Indiana Hoosiers place kicker Nico Radicic (15) kicks a field goal against the Miami Hurricanes in the National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ANKONY: We had to show some love to special teams on this list, especially with Indiana returning arguably the nation’s best place kicker. Radicic tied for the FBS lead in field goal percentage at 94.7%, and he led the nation with 87 extra-points made without a single miss. He also went 2-for-2 in the national championship, while the Miami kicker missed his lone attempt in a six-point loss.

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