It's not an exaggeration to say that the job Curt Cignetti has done at the helm of the Indiana football program is among the greatest turnaround stories in sports history.
Taking over for the program with the most losses in college football history, Cignetti has led Indiana to an overall record of 27-2 that includes two trips to the College Football Playoff to go along with wins in the Big Ten Championship Game, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, and CFP National Championship Game. Not too shabby.
Looking ahead, Cignetti gives Indiana plenty of staying power in 2026 and beyond. The offseason he has put together in Bloomington is just the latest way in which Cignetti continues to remind the Big Ten why he is so dangerous.
Curt Cignetti continues to be a transfer portal master
Like the vast majority of teams out there, Cignetti once again leaned on the transfer portal to construct his roster this offseason. While dipping into the portal has become commonplace in today's age of college football, nobody has been nearly as successful at pushing the right buttons as Cignetti during his two seasons at Indiana.
Cignetti's first portal class in 2024 consisted of 31 players, and the group helped Cignetti find immediate success in Bloomington with an 11-1 record and a trip to the College Football Playoff. Last year, Cignetti brought in 23 transfers that played a major role in Indiana's historic National Championship campaign.
This offseason, Cignetti has landed a group of 17 transfers, and its his highest-ranked portal class yet. Previously, Cignetti's 2024 portal class was ranked No. 30 in the nation and last year's class came in at the No. 24 spot in the country. According to the College Football Transfer Portal Team Rankings from 247 Sports, Indiana has the No. 8 transfer portal class in the country entering the 2026 season. The class is about as well-rounded and experienced as it gets, and it features plenty of star power.
Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh headline Indiana's transfer portal class
In total, Indiana's 2026 portal class features four top-100 players according to 247Sports: WR Nick Marsh (No. 15), QB Josh Hoover (No. 24), EDGE Tobi Osunsanmi (No. 29), and OL Joe Brunner (No. 87). Hoover and Marsh are the headliners of the class, and together they have the potential to be among the best QB/WR combinations in college football this season.
In four seasons with TCU, Hoover appeared in 36 games and made 31 consecutive starts from 2023-25. The 6'2" 200-pound gunslinger has thrown for 9,629 yards and amassed 79 total touchdowns in his collegiate career, which gives him the most production out of any returning QB in the country heading into 2026.
Marsh comes to Indiana after spending the last two seasons in East Lansing with the Michigan State Spartans. Last season, the 6'3" 203-pound wideout led the Spartans in catches (59), receiving yards (662), and receiving touchdowns (6). With Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. off to the NFL, Marsh could have an opportunity to be Indiana's WR1 in 2026. He could also form a lethal receiving tandem with Charlie Becker.
With Hoover and Marsh leading the way, the Indiana offense seems to be in great shape as Cignetti and the Hoosiers look to defend their national title.
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