For Louis Moore, The Grass Wasn't Greener. Now, He Stars in Indiana Football Secondary.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — By the time Curt Cignetti first entered his Indiana football office Dec. 1, 2023, his roster had already dwindled. It was, he acknowledged the following spring, in a crisis situation.

But Cignetti thought he had a chance to stop the proverbial roster bleeding. He thought he could keep several players who ultimately chose to leave. He thought, more specifically, he could bring back safety Louis Moore, who tied for the team lead with three interceptions and three forced fumbles and ranked second in tackles with 82.

Moore, who declared his intention to enter the transfer portal Nov. 29 but left all options open, dashed Cignetti's dream. He committed to Ole Miss on Dec. 11, 2023, just 10 days after Cignetti arrived in Bloomington.

"I thought we were going to be able to retain him, and he ended up leaving," Cignetti said. "I based it on — all these guys I had one-on-one meetings with."

After two years at Navarro Community College and a pair of seasons with the Hoosiers, Moore had only one year of eligibility remaining when Cignetti took over. Indiana went only 7-17 during Moore's time in Bloomington, and Ole Miss, which went 11-2 and played in the Peach Bowl in 2023, appeared a more successful destination.

Thus, Indiana's efforts to keep Moore proved futile.

"Tried to keep him here when we got here," Indiana safeties coach Ola Adams said Oct. 30 on the Inside IU Football radio show. "But it's kind of hard when you go through some of those experiences. And this transfer portal, sometimes you might think the grass is greener."

Moore had a solid, albeit unspectacular, season at Ole Miss. He played 442 total snaps, including 350 on defense, according to Pro Football Focus, and he started two of his 11 appearances. Moore collected 36 tackles and two tackles for loss on the back end of the Rebels' defense.

Ole Miss went 10-3 and finished No. 11 in the final AP poll — three spots behind Indiana, which surged to an 11-2 record and College Football Playoff berth in Cignetti's first season.

Moore entered the transfer portal Dec. 25, and soon after, he received a text from a close friend: Indiana safety Amare Ferrell.

"I wanted him to come back, so when he hit the portal, I texted him and was like, 'You might want to come back,'" Ferrell said in the spring.

Moore, naturally, saw the Hoosiers' success from afar, and he decided to return to the team Dec. 28. He played 60 snaps in the Rebels' bowl game, a 52-20 win over Duke, on Jan. 2 and then reported to Indiana.

Cignetti held no ill-will toward Moore and Kahlil Benson, who transferred from Indiana to Colorado after the 2023 season but now serves as the Hoosiers' starting right tackle.

"I thought they were good players when they were here. They were productive players where they went. They saw the program change here and wanted to be a part of it," Cignetti said Monday. "There's no hard feelings from my side.

"They made a business decision. Then I made a business decision bringing them back."

The decision has netted a substantial profit. Moore is the Hoosiers' leading tackler, owning 56 stops, and he's tied for the Big Ten lead with five interceptions — the most by any player in Bryant Haines' four years as the sole defensive coordinator, and most under Cignetti since 2019.

Moore's latest interception may have been his most impressive. With Indiana leading Maryland 10-3 in the second quarter Nov. 1, Moore backpedaled on the left hash before ranging to the right sideline, where he leapt above receiver Kaleb Webb and snatched quarterback Malik Washington's high-lofted pass.

Indiana scored a touchdown on its ensuing drive, seizing control en route to a 55-10 victory.

Moore's productivity extends beyond takeaways. Among those with more than 15 snaps this season, Moore is Indiana's third highest-graded player by Pro Football Focus at 81.2, while his 87.2 coverage grade is the best within the same parameters.

Cignetti cited Moore's experience — he's played 60 career games entering the Hoosiers' noon kickoff Saturday against Penn State — as a key reason to his success.

"He's a veteran," Cignetti said Oct. 18. "Got a nose for the ball, instincts and I think he's having fun."

Moore arrived at Indiana during spring practice ready to work, Ferrell said. He always asked questions in meetings and wanted to get better. He took over a leadership role in the Hoosiers' secondary, as All-American junior cornerback D'Angelo Ponds said earlier this season he often leans on Moore's veteran presence.

There was a point this season where neither Moore nor Indiana knew whether he'd still have the chance to play. Due to an eligibility trial between himself and the NCAA, Moore needed three two-week-long temporary restraining orders from the Dallas County Court to finish fall camp and play the first four weeks, and he didn't receive season-long clarity until a court decision Sept. 24.

Now, with his shoulders lighter and his mind clearer, Moore is thriving in the Hoosiers' secondary — nearly two years removed from leaving to chase the life he's rediscovered in Bloomington.

"I think he came in and saw how things had changed since he left," redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Jones said Tuesday. "I thought he picked up that this is a new era at Indiana, and I think he really molded into the type of player he is now, coming back and seeing how we had changed here.

"I think that just elevated him and his game and his leadership, his role on the team."