Much of Indiana's success over the last two seasons has been thanks to Curt Cignetti's masterful use of the transfer portal. Cignetti has relied heavily on experienced players via the portal, which hasn't led to an overwhelming amount of playing time for incoming freshmen.
That will likely be the case again in 2026, but now that he is onto his third high school recruiting class in Bloomington, Cignetti could look to his freshmen a bit more this season. The Hoosiers currently own the No. 29 recruiting class in the country for the 2026 cycle according to Rivals. The class features 22 total players and 7 blue-chip prospects, and there is plenty of potential to go around.
Here are a trio of rookies who could earn their way into some playing time this season.
OL Sam Simpson
Indiana's offensive line features plenty of returning production and experience. The starting group features 5t-year seniors across the board, with the exception of right guard. Sophomore Adedamola Ajani is slated to be the starter with freshman Sam Simpson as the back-up. Simpson has been getting reps with the second-team in fall camp, and could work his way into the rotation at some point in time.
Curt Cignetti's Alabama comments highlight what sets him apart in big moments
Ajani played left guard, right guard, and right tackle last season. Moving forward, Cignetti expects him to hold down the right guard spot. However, his relative inexperience and learning curve with a new position could open the door for Simpson to get some playing time. He is obviously inexperienced himself, but comes to Indiana with plenty of hype as the No. 4 overall player out of the state of Wisconsin in the 2026 recruiting class.
TE Parker Elmore
Indiana's TE competition is wide open. It is by far and away Indiana's thinnest position and most inexperienced position group. All six tight ends on the roster are either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen. Thus, incoming freshman Parker Elmore certainly has a shot to make a name for himself right away.
Hailing from Columbus North High School, Elmore was the highest-ranked offensive player in Indiana's 2026 class according to Rivals. He was rated as the No. 16 tight end in the country for the 2026 recruiting class by ESPN, and own a 6'5" 230-pound frame. That makes him the tallest option in the Hoosiers' TE room. It will be interesting to see where Elmore ends up on the Week 1 depth chart.
LB Jacob Savage
Indiana's defensive front and linebacker core has an insane amount of depth. But if there is one rookie who can work his way into the rotation at linebacker it's Jacob Savage. Owning a 6'1" 219-pound frame, Savage is receiving praise as the most field-ready incoming freshman at this point in fall camp.
Savage hails from Union, KY, and was ranked as the No. 5 overall player in the state of Kentucky for the 2026 recruiting class. As it stands, Savage figures to be Indiana's third-team WLB, but his athleticism and versatility could lead to him moving around the middle of the field a little more. He is definitely a name to watch as fall camp rolls on.
Add us as a preferred source on Google