Replacing the Departed: Who Fills the Shoes of Indiana's Draftees

The Indiana Hoosiers will have turn to some new faces after a program record eight players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. IU has found potential replacements from the transfer portal as well as from within the program.

QB Fernando Mendoza OUT, Josh Hoover IN

Fernando Mendoza is officially a Las Vegas Raider, which means there is a Heisman Trophy-sized hole to fill at quarterback for the Hoosiers. Curt Cignetti has handed the reins of the offense to TCU transfer Josh Hoover.

Hoover has accounted for 73 touchdowns in his college career and comes to Bloomington with plenty of experience. The one-time IU commit had a nice spring, but there is still work to be done. Hoover showed why his talent has IU expected to make another run in the College Football Playoff, but also showed why he turned the ball over over 30 times at TCU.

OUT WR Omar Cooper Jr. , IN Nick Marsh

Cooper was the second Hoosier selected in the NFL Draft's first round. Replacing his team-leading 69 catches and 937 yards will not be easy, especially his ability to churn out yards after contact, but Nick Marsh is a star.

Marsh led the Michigan State Spartans in receiving yards the last two seasons and, outside of the mistake of wearing gold cleats, has meshed in seamlessly with his new team. If Michigan State had won more games, Marsh would be a more recognizable star. He has all the tools to be the next great Indiana receiver.

OUT CB D'Angelo Ponds, IN Jamari Sharpe

It will not be an easy task for Indiana to find a replacement for D'Angelo Ponds. The first man up will be redshirt senior Jamari Sharpe, who started opposite Ponds in 2025. Since the staff change in 2024, Sharpe has been one of the most improved players on the IU roster and people finally learned his name when he sealed IU's national title with an interception with less than a minute to go.

IU brought in AJ Harris (Penn State) and have Ryland Gandy in house, but neither played in the spring game due to injury. Sharpe has the talent and experience to step into Ponds' role, but it'll be nearly impossible to duplicate what he did for IU.

OUT Kaelon Black, IN Khobie Martin

Kaelon Black was one of the more underappreciated Hoosiers on their national championship team. Black had big runs in the biggest games and was a great blocker in protection. Losing those qualities will not be easy to replace.

The replacement for Black is one that Hoosier fans know well, Khobie Martin. The redshirt sophomore played mainly in garbage time last year, but his talent was evident. He finished the year with 505 yards rushing and six touchdowns. IU played a lot of garbage time. Martin looked more physically developed this spring and is ready to see his role increase along side Boston College transfer Turbo Richard and Lee Bebee.

Discuss spring practice and the upcoming football season on the Hoosier Huddle Forums

OUT WR Elijah Sarratt, IN Tyler Morris

Bloomington's lone Waffle House is heading to Baltimore, as Elijah Sarratt was drafted by the Ravens. He takes his 13 touchdowns and contested catch skills with him. Tyler Morris will play where Sarratt will play, but his production could be similiar.

Morris came over from Michigan in 2025, but missed the entire season with a knee injury. He's finally healthy and had a monster spring camp. Not only can he be a big play receiver in the slot, he is an excellent return man.

Tyler Morris with the 70-yard score for team Crimson 😤 @IndianaFootball

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/CqXEfrqhh9
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) April 24, 2026

OUT TE Riley Nowakowski, IN Andrew Barker

Nowakowski was the glue of Indiana's offense. He blocked, caught passes and even ran the ball for the Hoosiers in 2025. There is no clear replacement for him coming out of fall camp. It is not because IU does not have talented tight ends.

The Hoosiers have plenty of talent in the room, but it is very young and all but two were healthy enough to fully participate in spring practice. Andrew Barker has gotten high praise and made major strides in the spring, but there may not be a replacement for Nowakowski.

OUT Pat Coogan, IN Bray Lynch

Rose Bowl MVP Pat Coogan (yes, that's right) will be hard to replace from a leadership standpoint. His replacement will be Bray Lynch when he is fully healthy. While Lynch will need to dial up his leadership skills, he has plenty of experience as he has started at guard the last two seasons. The adjustment at center shouldn't take long as he served as Coogan's backup last season.

OUT Aiden Fisher, IN Isaiah Jones

Fisher was Indiana's heart and soul on defense as well as their green dot player. When he missed some time last year with an injury Isaiah Jones stepped in. Jones exploded onto the scene last season and made impact plays all over the field. He has been working as the green dot player in the spring.

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