Indiana

TCU transfer Josh Hoover is expected to succeed Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback. The Daily Hoosier's spring quarterback review credited Hoover with 3,472 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2025, and Cignetti said his spring progression compared favorably with previous portal starters at the same stage. Hoover brings substantial Power Four experience, but he must apply it in a new offense with a largely new group around him.

That supporting cast is the offense's central construction project. Leading 2025 running backs Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black departed, leaving returnee Lee Beebe Jr. and transfer Turbo Richard among the prominent options. The receiving corps lost Elijah Sarratt, E.J. Williams, Jonathan Brady and Omar Cooper; returnee Charlie Becker and transfers Nick Marsh and Shazz Preston now headline a group that must establish its roles and timing with Hoover.

Tight end is undergoing a similar reset after Riley Nowakowski, Holden Staes and James Bomba exhausted their eligibility. Blake Thiry and Andrew Barker return, Miami transfer Brock Schott joins them and three freshmen enter the room. Their development matters beyond the receiving totals: Indiana needs the group to support the running game and give Hoover dependable access to the middle of the field.

The offensive line should give those new combinations room to develop. Smith, Drew Evans and Bray Lynch return, while Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner arrives after making 24 consecutive starts at left guard. Indiana Athletics noted that the line was a Joe Moore Award semifinalist in each of the past two seasons. That experience can protect Hoover from carrying the entire transition and help keep the offense on schedule while the backs and receivers settle into place.

On defense, Tucker is the established centerpiece after totaling 40 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks. Mario Landino also returns inside, while transfers Tobi Osunsanmi, Chiddi Obiazor and Josh Burnham join a front replacing Mikail Kamara, Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley. Tucker gives Haines a proven source of interior disruption; finding a productive edge rotation is the accompanying task.

Behind that front, Jones and Rolijah Hardy return as the established linebacker pair in Haines' adjustable 4-2-5 structure. Jones assumes the primary communication role after Aiden Fisher's departure, with Kaiden Turner and Jeff Utzinger supplying experienced depth. That combination gives Indiana returning production in the middle of the defense, but Jones' command will be as important as his individual play.

The secondary has a smaller returning foundation. Safety Amare Ferrell and corner Jamari Sharpe are back, but three starters from 2025 departed, including NFL-bound boundary corner D'Angelo Ponds. Byron Baldwin, Jaylen Bell and transfers A.J. Harris, Preston Zachman and Jiquan Sanks are among the leading candidates for open roles. The issue is not simply choosing starters; the rebuilt group must restore the coverage communication that prevents assignment errors and explosive plays.

Special teams also demand attention because most of the operation is being reassembled. Nico Radicic returns as a kicking option, while transfers Billy Gowers, Drew Clausen and Paddy McAteer were added after Indiana lost its primary punter, long snapper, kickoff specialist and punt returner. Those changes introduce a hidden-yardage variable that may not become clear until the new units work under game pressure.

The schedule offers an early runway, beginning with four straight home games against North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky and Northwestern. The Northwestern game opens Big Ten play, followed by consecutive October trips to Rutgers and Nebraska. The schedule's sharpest pressure point comes next: Ohio State visits Bloomington before Indiana travels to Michigan the following week. Minnesota and USC later visit Memorial Stadium, a trip to Washington follows, and Purdue closes the regular season in Bloomington.

Indiana therefore enters 2026 with continuity in coaching, scheme and several of the positions closest to the ball, but not with a finished roster hierarchy. Hoover's transition, the distribution of touches, the edge rotation, secondary communication and the rebuilt specialist units will shape how much that veteran core can support. Fall camp still must settle those roles, and a roster listing alone does not establish health, eligibility or opening-week availability. No record prediction is warranted from what is currently known.

Win probability

95%