Curt Cignetti has done nothing but work wonders since taking over at the helm of the Indiana football program. Since being named as IU's next head coach on November 30, 2023, Cignetti has won 27 of his 29 games in Bloomington. He led the Hoosiers to a historic national title last season that also included wins in the Big Ten Championship Game, Rose Bowl, and Peach Bowl.
Fernando Mendoza's big game brilliance clashes with Dan Orlovsky's absurd narrative
Looking ahead, Cignetti has Indiana among the favorites to win the National Championship next season. The road to back-to-back nattys starts now, as spring practice is officially here.
Indiana is set to begin spring practice on Thursday, March 26. This is a later start to the spring slate than usual, as the Hoosiers played all the way through January 19 in their National Championship journey. Needless to say, Cignetti and company don't mind the late start.
Key dates to know for Indiana's spring practice schedule
According to NCAA rules, college football programs are allowed to conduct 15 on-field practices over a 34-day period. However, Cignetti has never used the full allotment of practices, which will most likely be the case again this spring.
Spring camp gets underway on Thursday, March 26 and culminates in the annual spring game on Thursday, April 23. That is the same day the 2026 NFL Draft begins, which presents an exciting day for Hoosier football fans. Fernando Mendoza is widely expected to be selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick, and he leads a stacked Hoosier draft class that has a chance to break the Indiana program record for most players selected in a single NFL Draft.
Indiana's Pro Day is set for Wednesday, April 1. Like the combine, Indiana's Pro Day provides draft-eligible players the opportunity to perform tests and drills in front of NFL coaches, scouts, and front office personnel from the comfort of their home campus. A total of 23 Hoosiers are slated to participate in Indiana's Pro Day in Bloomington.
Indiana begins spring practice with plenty of new faces
Indiana loses significant production from this past season, as several key contributors are preparing for the NFL Draft. A total of nine Hoosiers were present at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month, which was a program record. To show just how impressive Cignetti's tenure has been, IU sent just one player, LB Aaron Casey, to the combine two years ago.
Notable players leaving for the NFL Draft include QB Fernando Mendoza, WR Elijah Sarratt, WR Omar Cooper Jr, C Pat Coogan, LB Aiden Fisher, CB D'Angelo Ponds, and RB Roman Hemby. With so much production to replace, Cignetti and his staff have been hard at work re-tooling Indiana's roster for next season.
Cignetti signed a top-20 recruiting class that features 19 signees and a trio of 4-star prospects in DL Kevontay Hugan, LB Ja'Dyn Williams, and CB Kashmir Hicks.
Cignetti also utilized the transfer portal to bring in 17 transfers, many of whom figure to see plenty of playing time right away. Notable incoming transfers include QB Josh Hoover (TCU), WR Nick Marsh (Michigan State), WR Shazz Preston (Tulane), CB A.J. Harris (Penn State), and OL Joe Brunner (Wisconsin)
Even with plenty of new faces in town, Hoosier fans have plenty of confidence in Cignetti's ability to keep things rolling in Bloomington.