Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers are set to begin their quest to defend last season's historic national title. Spring practice has wrapped up, and while the start of the regular season is still more than three months away, it's never too early to take a look at how the top players in college football stack up.
On3 has released its listing of the Top 100 players in college football for the upcoming season, and the Hoosiers are extremely well-represented. Indiana boasts a total of eight players on the list, which is tied for the most of any team in the country.
Indiana dominates On3's list of Top 100 college football players
The highest-ranked Hoosier on the list is OT Carter Smith, who comes in at No. 11 overall and is the top-ranked offensive lineman. Smith has been among the most reliable offensive linemen in all of college football throughout his career in Bloomington. He's made 41 consecutive starts at left tackle dating back to 2023, and has allowed just four sacks over 2,516 career snaps. He played a major role in Fernando Mendoza's Heisman Trophy-winning season, and was a key anchor in a Hoosier offensive line that was named semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award in both 2024 and 2025.
Curt Cignetti just landed another receiving weapon for Indiana's 2027 class
After Smith, Indiana's next highest-ranked player is WR Charlie Becker. The 6'4" 207-pound wideout is Indiana's top returning receiver from last year's National Championship team, as he hauled in 34 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns. He was at his best when it mattered most, coming up with clutch catch after clutch catch during Indiana's College Football Playoff run.
Both Smith and Becker have First Round potential, and they figure to lead an Indiana offense that should be among the best in all of college football once again this season.
Full list of Hoosiers in On3's list of the Top 100 players in college football
No. 11: OT Carter Smith
No. 47: WR Charlie Becker
No. 51: LB Isaiah Jones
No. 60: DL Mario Landino
No. 62: Amare Ferrell
No. 83: IOL Drew Evans
No. 89: QB Josh Hoover
No. 90: WR Nick Marsh
Hoosiers looking to defend their title in 2026
The Hoosiers lost plenty of big names to the NFL such as Fernando Mendoza, Omar Cooper Jr, Elijah Sarratt and D'Angelo Ponds, but Cignetti has re-vamped IU's roster with an impressive portal class. Plus, Indiana has steady contributors returning at several position groups, most notably on the defensive line.
With Cignetti at the helm, long gone are the days of the Indiana football program being overlooked. Nowadays, the Hoosiers are no longer considered a long shot or an underdog. Instead, they are expected to make the College Football Playoff and compete for a national title.
Coming off a perfect 16-0 season, the Hoosiers enter the 2026 campaign with plenty of hype. Indiana's win total for 2026 is listed at 10.5Â on FanDuel Sportsbook, which is tied with Oregon for the highest mark in the Big Ten and trails only Notre Dame's 11.5 for the highest in the country. Furthermore, Indiana is among the favorites to win the National Championship on just about every sports betting platform out there.
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