Projecting Indiana Football's 2026 Statistical Leaders in Key Categories

Indiana’s 2024 College Football Playoff berth was a magical story the football world could get behind, but also an anomaly – or so went the general consensus. Then the Hoosiers rattled off 16 straight victories en route to a national title in the 2025 season.

Who will lead Indiana football in major stats in 2026?

Now, less than three years since Curt Cignetti was hired, Indiana is a powerhouse with a target on its back. But that’s a price any program will happily pay to be a perennial contender – which the Hoosiers now appear to be.

But who will lead them in 2026? Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is gone, two workhorse running backs departed to the NFL, and three of Indiana’s top four receiving threats from 2025 are also out of the mix.

On defense, the Hoosiers lost stars at all three levels (namely D’Angelo Ponds, Aiden Fisher and Mikail Kamara).

Fortunately, there still are a handful of key contributors back (especially on defense) and Cignetti and Co. also did excellent work in the transfer portal. Here are the top projected performers in each statistical category:

Passing Yards: Josh Hoover

This one is no fun. Josh Hoover, a TCU transfer, is Indiana’s starting quarterback entering the 2026 season. There won’t be any competition for Hoover in terms of leading the squad in passing yards.

Rushing Yards: Turbo Richard

Although Boston College transfer Turbo Richard is the projected lead back, this one isn’t a cut-and-dry situation. There has been notable buzz around sophomore Khobie Martin, who totaled 506 yards and six touchdowns last season, this summer.

Expect the pair to split carries (while Lee Beebe Jr. also chips in) but Richard to just barely get the edge. (Richard and Martin could both feasibly surpass the 1000-yard mark as Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black did last year.)

Receiving Yards: Nick Marsh

Wide receivers Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker are each prime candidates to lead the Hoosiers in receiving yards. Becker may be a huge deep-ball threat, but in Indiana’s RPO-heavy scheme, Marsh, who will slot as the “X” receiver, is likely going to see more targets than Becker. (Of note, Marsh also has legitimate big-play ability.)

Tackles: Rolijah Hardy

There is no reason to overthink this one. Rolijah Hardy led the Hoosiers in tackles with 103 last season. He enters 2026 as one of the top linebackers in the country. Expect him to match – or perhaps even surpass – that tackle digit this year.

Sacks: Stephen Daley

Get this: Stephen Daley started in just six games in the 2025 season. Between serving as a backup early in the campaign and suffering a late-season injury, Daley didn’t have infinite opportunities to make an impact.

But that didn’t stop him from racking up 5.5 sacks – which ranked fourth on the team. If he’s back in action and plays a full season for the Hoosiers, expect Daley to live behind the line of scrimmage and cruise past the double-digit mark.

Interceptions: Amare Ferrell

One of the nation’s premier ballhawks for two seasons running, Amare Ferrell has racked up eight interceptions over the past two years (four in 2024 and four in 2025).

Interceptions are less predictable than other stats, but Ferrell has a nose for the ball and he isn’t short on chances to make a play on it. As a grizzled veteran heading into the 2026 season, it’s almost the expectation to see his interception total rise to a career-best digit this year.

Add us as a preferred source on Google