The Indiana Hoosiers are set to enter the 2026 college football season with plenty of new faces on the roster. Curt Cignetti has become a transfer portal master, and over the offseason he brought in another loaded portal class.
Coming off a perfect 16-0 season and historic National Championship, Indiana's group of transfers collectively have a lot of pressure on them. But due to the high-profile departures of many big-names, there are some incoming players that are under the microscope more than others.
Here is a look at five portal additions that have big shoes to fill in 2026.
Josh Hoover is tasked with arguably the toughest task in all of college football this season. He follows in the footsteps of Fernando Mendoza, who cemented himsef in Hoosier lore last season. Mendoza led Indiana to the greatest season in program history, and won the Heisman Trophy along the way. Being the quarterback to follow him is an impossible task for anybody out there.
But Hoover is poised to handle all of the pressures that come with following Mendoza. He brings plenty of experience and talent to Bloomington, and he is extremely familiar with Indiana's RPO-heavy offensive style. Hoover has thrown for nearly 10,000 yards over his 36 collegiate appearances (31 starts), and has accounted for 79 total touchdowns. Cignetti has proven that he knows what he's doing when it comes to finding transfer quarterbacks and putting them in the best position to succeed. It's rather obvious, but Hoover's performance this season will go a long way into Indiana's season outlook.
The Hoosiers saw Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. combine for 1,767 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns last season. They are both off to the NFL, but the good news is that Charlie Becker returns. He figures to take on a leading role in Indiana's WR room this season. But if the Hoosiers want to boast another elite WR 1-2 punch, Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh needs to shine.
Marsh was the Spartans' leading receiver over the past two seasons, but MSU's passing attack was one of the worst in the Big Ten. Now in a much better situation in Bloomington, Marsh could be on the verge of a career year. Owning a 6'3" 213-pound frame, Marsh is extremely athletic and flashes eye-popping speed. He excels at racking up yards after the catch, which could pair well with Becker's ability to come down with contested catches down the field.
Last year, both Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black reached the 1,000-yard mark on the ground. They also combined for 17 rushing touchdowns. With both of them gone, Indiana will be looking to Boston College transfer Turbo Richard to take on a leading role in the Hoosier backfield this season. Richard ran for 749 yards and 9 touchdowns on 145 carries last season, while also catching 30 passes for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Cignetti likes to utilize multiple running backs, and with both Khobie Martin and Lee Beebe Jr. returning, the Hoosiers seem to have a well-balanced backfield with solid depth. But with that being said, Richard is expected to lead the way. Look for Richard to see plenty of opportunities early and often throughout the upcoming season.
With Jamari Sharpe back, Penn State transfer A.J. Harris is aiming to take one of Indiana's starting cornerback positions. Harris is a former 5-star prospect who was ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the 2023 recruiting class. He has played meaningful snaps in both the SEC and Big Ten, as he has 34 appearances with 26 starts under his belt after spending one season at Georgia and two seasons at Penn State.
Over the course of 11 games last season, Harris collected 33 tackles and a fumble recovery. He was one of the Big Ten's top shutdown corners, and earned All-Big Ten defensive honorable mention recognition for his efforts. D'Angelo Ponds delivered several memorable moments for Indiana last season, and now Harris will be looking to do the same.
Safety Louis Moore led the Hoosiers with 6 interceptions last season. He emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the country, and was a dominant force all season. Amare Ferrell returns to Bloomington, and is set to grab one of the starting safety spots. The other is most likely going to go to Wisconsin transfer Preston Zachman.
Zachman has battled injuries throughout his college career. The upcoming season will be his 7th, and he played in just 3 games last season before going down with a season-ending injury. He has 35 appearances and 20 starts under his belt in his career, and has 7 interceptions to his name. Given his injury history and Moore's departure, lots of attention will be paid to Zachman in 2026.
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