In a short amount of time, Curt Cignetti has completely transformed what's possible for Indiana football recruiting. After decades of being overlooked by the nation's top prospects, Bloomington is now firmly on the radar for 4 and 5-star recruits all across the country.
Furthermore, Cignetti has the Hoosiers well-positioned to land the top players in the state of Indiana. Cignetti has already set that process in motion in a major way, and he is aiming to keep it rolling.
Curt Cignetti makes Indiana the prime landing spot for the state's top recruits
Earlier this summer, Lawrence North WR Monshun Sales became the first 5-star high school commit in Indiana football program history. The highly-touted prospect was ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 WR in the country for the 2027 cycle at the time of his commitment. It was a momentous victory for Cignetti and the Hoosiers, as Indiana beat out traditional recruiting blue bloods such as Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, and LSU. Imagine showing that to a college football fan a few years ago. They would have looked at you like you were from Mars.
When looking at the 2027 recruiting class, Indiana has secured commitments from 3 of the Top-10 ranked players in the state: WR Monshun Sales (No. 1), WR Branden Sharpe (No. 4), and OT Mason McDermott (No. 9). No other team has more than one.
With those victories, it's clear that Cignetti is focusing on keeping the state's best talent in Indiana. He now has a prime opportunity to build on that momentum with his pursuit of the top-ranked player in the Hoosier State for the 2028 cycle.
Curt Cignetti honing in on Indiana's top 2028 recruit Javontae Eldridge
According to 247Sports, the top 2028 prospect in Indiana is Javontae Eldridge. Eldridge is a 6'1" 243-pound defensive lineman hailing from Wayne High School in Fort Wayne. His recruitment process is still in the early stages, but as he heads into a pivotal junior season, things are ramping up quickly.
Eldridge's list of offers now includes over a dozen schools, and Indiana is in the running. The next step in his process is to get visits scheduled for the fall, and Hoosier football fans will be excited to see Bloomington on his agenda.
Eldridge will be at Indiana for the season opener against North Texas next weekend. He broke the news via his X (formerly Twitter) page on Thursday.
I will be at @IndianaFootball September 5th!! @CCignettiIU @brooks_halsey @coach_buddha @CoachShanahan_ @Coach_PatKuntz @Coach_BHaines @MikeFerraraIU @JSrofe @Coach_r0zaay @RivalsHS @Rivals @247Sports @IUFBRecruiting @Dre_Muhammad @SWiltfong_ @AllenTrieu @TomLoy247 @daily_hoosier pic.twitter.com/eD4Qd4oDaT
— Javontae “Hitman”Eldridge (@EldridgeJE99) August 27, 2026
It is certainly a great sign for Cignetti and his staff, and it won't be the first time that Eldridge takes in the sights from Bloomington. He's taken two unofficial visits to Indiana over the past year, which included being in attendance for Indiana's 38-13 win over Michigan State on October 25 of last season. Eldridge then visited during the spring back on April 1.
Along with Indiana, other teams fighting for Eldridge's services are Notre Dame, Missouri, Illinois, and Purdue, among others. With a National Championship ceremony planned before the game, the Hoosiers are looking to make a lasting impression on Eldridge during his visit.
Cignetti's success both on the field and the recruiting trail shows that Indiana’s top talent doesn’t need to leave the state to find a place to compete at the highest level. If that trend continues, the Hoosiers can continue to build something special with the best from their own backyard.
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