How Transfer Portal Chaos Affects Indiana Football, Curt Cignetti's Prep for Oregon

During a Zoom press conference Saturday afternoon, Oregon coach Dan Lanning accomplished a feat few others can claim: Prompting a wide smile and brief chuckle from Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti.

Moments prior, Cignetti, a noted film junkie, conceded he hadn't watched much film on Oregon, the Hoosiers' opponent Jan. 9 in the College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Peach Bowl, because he was entertaining recruits.

"With the college football calendar the way it is, we have 13 portal guys on campus right now," Cignetti said. "So, from 10 (a.m.) till 2 (p.m.), my Oregon prep got cut a little bit short. So, I'm going to pick up on that later this evening."

That, Lanning joked, was music to his ears.

"I'll tell you, Coach Cignetti, keep focusing on those portal guys," Lanning said.

Cignetti laughed while Lanning noted the Ducks are enduring the same trouble. Lanning had breakfast with recruits Saturday morning in Eugene, a few hours prior to joining the virtual press conference.

Coaches and teams, Lanning said, have been built to handle chaos. They're tough, malleable and accustomed to change, which has built a culture rooted in resiliency and adaptability.

Cignetti agreed. Adjusting, adapting, improvising and being light on one's feet is essential — but it's also a challenge to balance the present opportunity to win a national championship with a future-focused mindset centered around long-term sustainability.

"I'm not sure it necessarily affects the current team at all because the schedule will be the schedule," Cignetti said. "It obviously influences the '26 roster quite a bit. I think that's what you're seeing is a lot of new faces on every team across the country. Players have a lot more options and the ability to improve their brand."

The transfer portal opened Jan. 2 and closes Jan. 16, giving players a two-week period to enter their names into an ever-growing pool of prospects with hopes of finding a new home.

Indiana has media obligations Wednesday in Atlanta before a walk-through Thursday and College Football Playoff game Friday night, meaning the Hoosiers' coaching staff will miss three days of potential visits. There's also less time to evaluate potential targets within the portal.

"It puts a little more stress on the coaching staff," Cignetti said. "I guess the teams that aren't playing maybe have a little bit more of an advantage right now from a recruiting standpoint. But you got to make time for it. You got to get it done, do the best you can.

"But the focus primarily has to be on preparation for this game."

Cignetti used Friday to get a headstart in his preparation. The Hoosiers landed at 3:30 a.m. Friday morning in Bloomington, and Cignetti gave his coaches and players the day off.

The 64-year-old Cignetti, however, came into office for about eight or nine hours, one day after the first Rose Bowl win in program history.

"Because I knew what I was looking at here," Cignetti said. "The position coaches may have one, two, three guys in at their position that they'll have to have a position meeting with, whereas, I'm going to have to visit with 12, 13 guys, right?

"So, I knew I was going to lose six, seven, eight hours, so I tried to make that up yesterday."

Apart from Saturday morning and afternoon, Cignetti won't spend much more time with transfer portal targets before the Hoosiers head to Atlanta. He'll have a few meetings Saturday night and a few more Sunday morning, then he'll have "100 perfect focus" on Indiana's preparation.

"The thing about the portal guys, they're a little different than the high school guys," Cignetti said. "They don't need 48 hours on campus. It's usually one night, they're making a business decision. They're normally older guys. They've been through it. They know what they're looking for.

"Either you're a fit or you're not."

Indiana has lost six players to the transfer portal since it opened during the team's flight home from the Rose Bowl. Receiver Makai Jackson, cornerback Amariyun Knighten, defensive linemen Andrew and William DePaepe, offensive lineman Mitch Verstegen and defensive end Aden Cannon have entered the portal, according to 247Sports.

Cignetti said a few of Indiana's transfers have chosen to go home and won't be with the team this week, which goes against the Hoosiers' preference to have each of them practice. However, Cignetti said it won't change much.

"I don't think that's going to present a problem for us in terms of our preparation," Cignetti said.

The presence of the transfer portal, evidently, has — it's cost Cignetti several hours of opponent film study and preparation before the biggest game in program history. The playing field is the same for Lanning, along with Ole Miss coach Pete Golding and Miami coach Mario Cristobal, but nonetheless a disadvantage for those still playing.

Yet no matter the distraction or distraction, Cignetti is focused on handling business when the No. 1 Hoosiers (14-0) kick off at 7:30 p.m. Friday against No. 5 Oregon (13-1) inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"Oughta be a great game," Cignetti said. "Looking forward to the challenge"