It didn't take long for Curt Cignetti to turn the Indiana Football program into a national powerhouse. Taking over a program that had won a total of nine games over the previous three seasons, Cignetti has led Indiana to an overall record of 27-2 to go along with two College Football Playoff appearances, a Big Ten Championship, and a National Championship in his two seasons in Bloomington.
Following that historic national title campaign, Cignetti has the Hoosiers primed to take over the 2026 NFL Draft later this week.
Curt Cignetti's Indiana turnaround continues in upcoming NFL Draft
Before Cignetti came to town, the Indiana Football program wasn't well-represented at the NFL Draft. In fact, Indiana has had 27 total players drafted since 2000, which averages out to about one player every year. That isn't exactly going to make national headlines.
But Cignetti is changing that perception.
Two years ago before Cignetti took over, LB Aaron Casey was Indiana's lone representative at the 2024 NFL Combine. Fast forward two years, and IU set a program record by sending nine players to the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month.
Headlined by presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosiers will have a handful of players drafted when the process begins on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
Indiana has had 27 players drafted from 2000-2025. ~1 every year on average.
— Ish Thomas (@HoosierIsh) April 21, 2026
They are going to have 8+ players drafted this year alone, plus the #1 overall pick.
The “emerging superpower in college football” has made its way to the NFL. pic.twitter.com/wTKWMCdiwU
Indiana can make history in the 2026 NFL Draft
The current program record for most Hoosiers selected in a single NFL Draft is seven, which occurred back in 1976. Things were a lot different back then, as there were only 28 teams in the NFL and the draft featured a whopping 17 rounds. Today's drafts have just seven rounds for the league's 32 teams.
Why Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins could be the perfect QB pairing for the Raiders
Last year, Indiana had two players selected: DT CJ West (4th Round, No. 113 overall to the 49ers), and QB Kurtis Rourke (7th Round, No. 227 overall to the 49ers). This year, Mendoza is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Raiders, and Omar Cooper Jr. is projected as a mid-to-late first round pick.
A handful of other players are expected to hear their names called before the end of Day 2. When its all said and done, Indiana can break a program record by having eight or more players picked in the 2026 draft. That is yet just another example of how far Cignetti has brought the Hoosier Football program over the last two seasons.
The 2026 NFL Draft is slated for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. The festivities begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
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