INDIANA HOOSIERS

Indiana bottomed out at 4-8 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023 under Tom Allen, then Curt Cignetti arrived in 2024 and led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and their first College Football Playoff appearance. The 2025 season brought a perfect 16-0 national championship run, a Big Ten title, and quarterback Fernando Mendoza becoming the program's first Heisman Trophy winner. The title run sent a program-record eight players to the 2026 NFL Draft, including Mendoza, running back Roman Hemby, wide receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarratt, and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, driving collector demand for cards from a championship roster that transformed from overlooked transfers into national champions.

Where they stand: The Hoosiers enter the 2026 season under third-year head coach Curt Cignetti as defending national champions. Indiana faces significant roster turnover, losing at least 10 starters to graduation including running backs Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black, receiver Elijah Sarratt, and key defenders Aiden Fisher and Louis Moore. The program signed 22 freshmen and added 17 transfers in the offseason, with the transfer class ranking first in the On3/Rivals transfer portal index, positioning the Hoosiers to defend their title when the season begins.