Coming off a perfect 16-0 season and National Championship, the Indiana Hoosiers put forth a record-breaking showing in the 2026 NFL Draft. A total of eight Hoosiers were selected, breaking the previous program record of seven, which came back in 1976 when there were a whopping 17 rounds in the draft.
Furthermore, Fernando Mendoza and Omar Cooper Jr. became the first pair of Hoosier teammates to be selected in the first round of the same draft. Those historic achievements highlighted a remarkable draft for Indiana, further cementing the program's growing presence in the NFL. Heading into the 2026 NFL season, plenty of Hoosiers are poised to put forth strong campaigns.
Now that the NFL preseason slate has come and gone, roster decisions are being finalized. Teams had until 6 p.m. ET on Sunday night to cut their rosters down to 53 players. Making the 53-man roster is a crucial milestone for any NFL players. For former Indiana football players, some roster decisions were known ahead of time, while others came down to the wire.
Here’s a look at where each former Hoosier landed as teams finalized their rosters.
Hoosiers who made the 53-man roster
A total of 18 former Hoosiers have been named to NFL 53-man rosters. Several former Hoosiers are now officially teammates at the NFL level. The 49ers named QB Kurtis Rourke, RB Kaelon Black, and DT C.J. West to their 53-man roster. WR Omar Cooper Jr, CB D'Angelo Ponds, and LB Marcelino McCrary Ball are all playing for the Jets. In addition, QB Fernando Mendoza and TE Ian Thomas are now teammates in Las Vegas.
Here's a look at the full list of Hoosiers on 53-man rosters:
- QB Fernando Mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders
- QB Kurtis Rourke - San Francisco 49ers
- LB Aiden Fisher - Houston Texans
- WR Omar Cooper Jr. - New York Jets
- TE Riley Nowakowski - Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR Elijah Sarratt - Baltimore Ravens
- RB Kaelon Black - San Francisco 49ers
- C Pat Coogan - Tennessee Titans
- TE Ian Thomas - Las Vegas Raiders
- LB Micah McFadden - New York Giants
- G Dan Feeney - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WR Ke'Shawn Williams - Cincinnati Bengals
- OT Luke Haggard - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- OT Khalil Benson - Kansas City Chiefs
- CB D'Angelo Ponds - New York Jets
- LB Marcelino McCrary Ball - New York Jets
- DT C.J. West - San Francisco 49ers
- WR Myles Price - Minnesota Vikings
Indiana players waived or released during roster cuts
Players who didn't make the cut for the 53-man roster can end up on the practice squads for their respective teams. That means they could still have a chance to play for their teams at some point throughout the season. A lot of former Hoosiers fit that category. NFL teams have until Noon ET to claim players who have been waived. After that, teams can sign players back to their practice squads.
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was released by the Colts over the weekend, making him an unrestricted free agent effective immediately.
- RB Roman Hemby - Las Vegas Raiders
- S Louis Moore - Miami Dolphins
- CB Devan Boykin - Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine - Indianapolis Colts (released)
- WR E.J. Williams - Las Vegas Raiders
- S Raheem Lane - New York Giants
- LB Cam Jones - Kansas City Chiefs
- TE Zach Horton - Detroit Lions
- OT Trey Wedig - Indianapolis Colts
- DT Mikhail Kamara - San Francisco 49ers (injured reserve)
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