After Indiana's magical 2024 season, the Hoosiers are going to have a different look in 2025, with lots of players either hitting the transfer portal or out of eligibility. Indiana lost 16 players to the transfer portal and roughly the same to being out of college eligibility or going to the NFL Draft.
Head coach Curt Cignetti made do when he first came to Indiana, and he can do it again. He has already broken even by bringing in more players from the portal than he lost, with 19 new Hoosiers joining the roster. However, some player's departures are going to hurt more than others.
Granted, there is nothing Cignetti or anyone at Indiana can do about players being out of eligibility, but losing players to the portal is never easy. So whether they are leaving because of eligibility or the portal, here are three of the biggest departures from Indiana's 2024 football roster.
Shawn Asbury II is heading to the NFL Draft even though he could have stuck around with the Hoosier for one more year with his final season of eligibility. Instead, Asbury is going to take his chances with the big dogs in the NFL. Asbury was a top defensive back for the Hoosiers this season with 69 total tackles, 28 solo tackles, four passes defended, 1.5 sacks, and one interception.
This is a tough loss for Indiana, a team that should see a good portion of their secondary return. In the cornerback position, though, Indiana only returns one starter, so losing Asbury becomes a bigger problem that the Hoosiers are trying to solve.
Losing Tayven Jackson hurt because, at the same time, Indiana is losing starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke due to eligibility/NFL Draft. Jackson appeared in a few games for Indiana this season but had to play a full game and a half when Rourke injured his thumb and had to have surgery on it. Jackson stepped up and got the start against Washington and was able to keep the Hoosier's unbeaten streak alive.
Yes, Indiana did bring in Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but Jackson had been a part of this program for two seasons, he knew how everything ran. Jackson could have potentially been the starter next season, but instead, he will be competing for a starting spot down in Orlando, Florida, at UCF under new head coach Scott Frost.
These two practically come as a tandem, as both were used interchangeably in Cignetti's offense. Both Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton won't be returning for the Hoosiers next season, leaving a big hole in the running back room for the Hoosiers. Ellison and Lawton were the two leading rushers for Indiana, and the Hoosiers also lost their fourth-leading rusher, Elijah Green, to the transfer portal.
The run game could look incredibly different next season without these two, but the good news is that new quarterback Mendoza has more mobility than Rourke did. Cignetti brought in just two running backs from the portal, but this is probably going to be the biggest loss for Indiana next season.