Trayce Jackson-Davis Is All In on Indiana Football’s Cinderella Run-and He’s Not Hiding It
SAN FRANCISCO - Trayce Jackson-Davis is no stranger to the spotlight. Back at Indiana, he was the face of Hoosier hoops-a high-flying, rim-rocking star who helped lift the program back into March relevance. But these days, the Warriors’ rookie big man is finding himself just as fired up about what’s happening on the gridiron in Bloomington as he ever was about what went down inside Assembly Hall.
Indiana football, long an afterthought in the Big Ten, is now on the doorstep of a national championship. And no one in the Bay Area is riding harder for the Hoosiers than Jackson-Davis.
“IU 35, Miami 24,” he predicted confidently, flashing a grin when asked for a score ahead of Monday night’s title game between Indiana and the Hurricanes.
That’s not just school pride talking-it’s belief in a team that’s pulled off one of the most stunning turnarounds in recent college football memory. And Jackson-Davis has been locked in every step of the way, even if NBA duties have made it tough to catch every snap.
When Indiana stunned Ohio State to win the Big Ten title in early December, the Warriors were in Cleveland. Jackson-Davis and a few teammates caught part of the second half on a projector in the locker room. Last week, he watched the first half of IU’s 56-22 blowout over Oregon before suiting up against Sacramento.
But even when he’s not in front of a screen, he’s keeping tabs. That’s what happens when your alma mater goes from perennial doormat to national title contender in the span of a few seasons.
A big reason for that turnaround? Curt Cignetti, the head coach with the swagger of a heavyweight champ and the résumé to back it up.
Jackson-Davis still remembers Cignetti’s now-famous line from his 2024 introductory press conference: *“I win. Google me.”
That moment stuck with him. It stuck with a lot of people-including Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
“I remember laughing when I saw him at that press conference and he said, ‘Google me,’” Kerr said. “I was like, ‘Man, this guy’s got some you-know-what.’
And he was right. That guy’s awesome.”
Jackson-Davis met Cignetti not long after that press conference, and he was sold.
“The way he was talking-it was bold,” Jackson-Davis said. “But I was like, ‘If he’s gonna say it, then he’s gonna say it.’ He stood on business, and I like people who stand on business.”
And for anyone tempted to call Jackson-Davis a bandwagon fan? Don’t.
He was in the stands during the lean years, including a 2022 game where Indiana eked out a win over Western Kentucky on a last-second 51-yard field goal. That season, the Hoosiers won just four games.
He remembers. He was there.
Still, even with Indiana now sitting atop the college football world, Jackson-Davis isn’t ready to crown them as the football program in the state just yet. That title, in his mind, still belongs to Notre Dame-at least for now.
“It’s like saying Purdue, having had recent success in basketball, is now the premier something in the state,” he said, taking a playful jab at the Boilermakers. “Until we get a few of them, I’m still going to say Notre Dame. But we’re on the come up, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we pass them.”
That blend of humility and confidence is classic Jackson-Davis. He’s proud of his school, proud of what the football team is doing, and proud to be part of a fan base that’s showing up in a big way.
After Indiana’s semifinal win over Oregon, social media lit up with images of red-clad Hoosier fans packing the stadium in Atlanta-outnumbering Ducks fans by what looked like a 10-to-1 margin. Jackson-Davis wasn’t surprised.
“We all represent cream and crimson, and we travel,” he said. “Whenever you’re successful, it shows, because that alumni and fan base will move heaven and earth to support their Hoosiers.”
That passion runs deep. He recently wore a sweater embroidered with “Indiana vs. Everybody” after a Warriors game-a nod to the underdog mentality that’s driving this football run and a reflection of the pride he still carries for his school.
Trayce Jackson-Davis might be making his name in the NBA now, but make no mistake-his heart is still in Bloomington. And if the Hoosiers pull off one more win, don’t be surprised if he finds a way to celebrate, even with a game of his own to play.