Curt Cignetti faces an uphill battle in keeping Indiana's Top 2027 WR from SEC powerhouse

Curt Cignetti led the Indiana Hoosiers to a historic National Championship winning season in 2025 thanks to heavily utilizing the transfer portal. Along with impactful portal additions, the Hoosiers' roster consisted of low-ranked recruits coming out of high school who blossomed into steady contributors.

Cignetti continues to lean on the portal, but after a historic season that took the college football world by storm, Indiana is firmly in the hunt to land several 5-star high school recruits to future recruiting classes.

Darian DeVries reminds everyone he is a dad first with emotional postgame moment

When it comes to the 2027 recruiting class, one player at the top of Indiana's list is 5-star WR Monshun Sales. The 6'5" 195-pound wideout is among the most sought-after recruits in the 2027 class, and his recruiting competition is heating up.

Indiana battling to land 5-star WR and in-state product Monshun Sales

Sales is ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the state of Indiana and the No. 1 wide receiver in the country according to 247Sports. Furthermore, he is ranked as the No. 7 overall recruit in the nation by the 247Sports Composite.

Playing for Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, Sales' Indiana roots have him high on Cignetti's list. Sales took a pair of unofficial visits to Indiana on November 15 and January 24, and Hoosier fans are excited to see an official visit to Bloomington scheduled for April 24.

However, industry experts aren't giving the Hoosiers the edge in his recruitment. In December, Rivals' Steve Wiltfong and Greg Smith logged expert predictions for the Alabama Crimson Tide to land Sales.

“Alabama is the leader going into the spring and summer visits for Monshun Sales,” said Wiltfong. Smith added that it's "hard to see him passing up the chance to play in Tuscaloosa." Sales visited Tuscaloosa on January 31, and has an official visit slated for May 29.

At this time, Cignetti and the Hoosiers are still in the race, but they appear to be facing an uphill battle. Sales' visit to Bloomington in April carries plenty of weight, and IU fans are hoping it makes a lasting impression. Along with Indiana and Alabama, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Hurricanes are also firmly in the race.

Sales put together a sensational junior season in 2025, totaling 37 catches for 794 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games. He also added 56 tackles on defense.

As it stands, Indiana's 2027 recruiting class features five commits: 4-star CB Monsanna Torbet Jr, 3-star QB Jameson Purcell, 3-star S Garyon Hobbs, 3-star WR Ja'Hyde Brown, and 3-star OT Jeremiah Jones. If Cignetti is able to keep Alabama from plucking Sales out of the Hoosier State, it would be a tremendous recruiting win for IU.