Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers secured another headline-grabbing win on Friday afternoon. Indiana landed a commitment from 5-star WR Monshun Sales, who becomes the first 5-star high school commit in Indiana football program history.
In doing so, Indiana also handed the Alabama Crimson Tide yet another loss. Kalen DeBoer and the Tide were involved in Sales' recruitment from the beginning, and were in the running up until the very end as a final contender. But when it came down to decision time, Sales picked Indiana.
Sales' decision is just the latest way in which Indiana has continued to be a thorn in Alabama's side over the last few months.
5-star WR Monshun Sales picks Indiana over Alabama months after Rose Bowl
Back in January, Indiana raised eyebrows by dominating Alabama in the Rose Bowl during the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers cruised to an emphatic 38-3 win, and held the Crimson Tide to just 193 yards of total offense. It was IU's first win of their historic CFP run to a National Championship. Now, the top WR in the country for the 2027 class picked Indiana over Alabama in his highly-anticipated commitment announcement.
Curt Cignetti landing Monshun Sales proves again why he's the top coach in the nation
While Sales also had Ohio State, Texas, and LSU among his list of finalists, Alabama was a serious contender throughout his recruitment process. While Sales plays high school football at Lawrence North, his family is originally from the state of Alabama. He grew up cheering on the Crimson Tide, and even had the nickname of "Bama" as a kid. Those family ties made Alabama a threat to win his contentious recruiting battle.
But instead, Sales ultimately chose Indiana. Did the Rose Bowl have an impact on his decision-making process? That is unknown at this time, but the Crimson Tide certainly didn't do themselves any favors with that performance. Given his ties to Alabama, missing out on Sales has to sting for Crimson Tide fans.
Indiana lures Aiden Sherrell away from Alabama in the transfer portal
The gridiron isn't the only place where Indiana has bested Alabama over the past few months. On the hardwood, Darian DeVries and the Hoosiers were able to lure coveted power forward Aiden Sherrell away from the Crimson Tide in the transfer portal.
Sherrell is Indiana's highest-ranked portal addition, as he was rated as a 4-star transfer and the No. 14 overall player on the market according to On3. His move from Tuscaloosa to Bloomington is a disappointing loss for Alabama and a huge win for Indiana.
Owning a 6'11" 255-pound frame, Sherrell brings some much-needed size and versatility to Indiana's new-look frontcourt. He averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53.9% from the floor this past season. Heading into his junior season in 2026-27, Sherrell figures to take on a large role for the Hoosiers this season. His performance could go a long way in getting Indiana back to the NCAA Tournament.
Add us as a preferred source on Google