Indiana Football HC Curt Cignetti From: Sportskeeda
As the Indiana Hoosiers finished another disappointing season, many looked to AD Scott Dolson to pull the trigger and fire Tom Allen. Allen, who struggled to sustain success after leading IU to their first 8 win season since 1993, was canned. There were plenty of rumors swirling on who the Hoosiers could hire. Even Jon Gruden was a "longshot", but that rumor was later dismissed. Instead, Dolson went to newly minted D1 program James Madison to find his new HC. Curt Cignetti was named the 30th Head Coach of Indiana Football.
Retaining Talent
Naturally, many players hopped in the portal after Allen was fired. In total, nearly 30 players entered the offseason transfer portal. Key contributors like RB Jaylin Lucas and QB Brendan Sorsby were among many. However, Coach Cig has already gone to work to bring players back to Bloomington. Perhaps the two best Hoosiers in the portal, Carter Smith and Donaven McCulley, both recently announced they will be withdrawing from the transfer portal and returning to IU. If Cignetti can bring back Lucas and possibly WR Cam Camper, the Hoosiers could have a sneaky good offense in 2024.
Transfer Portal
Although it seems an exodus of talent has occurred in Bloomington, Cignetti has been able to land key transfers already in the portal. Standout Ohio QB Kurtis Rourke announced his commitment to the Hoosiers last week. Rourke, a former MAC Player of the Year, struggled in 2023 after trying to come back from a torn ACL. In 2022, Rourke threw for 3257 yards and 25 touchdowns, while just turning the ball over 4 times. He also added 4 touchdowns on the ground. Rourke seems to be a guy that the coaching staff fell in love with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-A9Rc1m-iM
From: Hyper Highlights via Youtube
Indiana also added Wake Forest RB Justice Ellison. With the likely departure of Jaylin Lucas, it made sense to bring another back into the fold. In a limited role, Ellison averaged 4.5 yards per carry at a power conference, which should translate to the B1G. As I was writing this, they also grabbed former 4-star tackle Trey Wedig from Wisconsin. Being able to poach a player from a school in conference means Coach Cignetti's staff is out for blood, and ready to go to war for Indiana football.
Big Things for Indiana Football in 2024?
All of the additions are fun in the offseason, but will they translate to on-field wins? Luckily for the Hoosiers, they have 8 home games in 2024. An early schedule of FIU and Western Illinois should have them 2-0 headed into the UCLA game at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins have had their fare share of turmoil, with Chip Kelly out the door. A 3-1 start is not out of the question, and it will be up to the Hoosiers to pick up signature wins to get to bowl eligibility. Indiana will have to win 3 of their remaining 8 games to get to a bowl:
Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
September 28 | vs Maryland |
October 5 | @ Northwestern |
October 19 | vs Nebraska |
October 26 | vs Washington |
November 2 | @ MSU |
November 9 | vs Michigan |
November 23 | @ OSU |
November 30 | vs Purdue |
An optimist says 5-1 before Washington. A realist probably has them at 4-3 before October 26. Purdue is the easiest game they have left, which should be a W. Looking at Indiana's schedule, there is a decent chance they're bowling in 2024. Curt Cignetti has brought a shot of energy into an Indiana program that had very little. Even without a bowl game, a 5-win season would give the Hoosiers an upward trajectory for the future. NIL funding, a big conference, a great coaching staff, and a beautiful campus has Indiana in a prime spot to become a nationally relevant program in the modern era of college football.