Rose Bowl Talent Gap: Alabama’s Recruiting Power vs. Indiana’s Grit
When the Rose Bowl kicks off, the numbers behind the matchup tell a story that’s hard to ignore. Alabama is bringing a roster stacked with blue-chip talent - nine former five-star recruits will be in the starting lineup for the Crimson Tide.
Indiana? Not a single one.
This isn’t just a case of stars on paper. The difference in recruiting pedigree between these two College Football Playoff quarterfinal teams is as stark as it gets.
Alabama will start 14 players who were ranked in the top 100 nationally coming out of high school. Indiana has one.
That’s not a typo.
Let’s be clear: Indiana isn’t new to this kind of challenge. The Hoosiers faced a similar talent deficit in the Big Ten Championship game against Ohio State.
But Alabama takes it to another level. The Buckeyes had 10 former top-100 recruits in their starting lineup.
Alabama’s rolling out four more than that - including three who were top-10 national recruits in their class.
Wide receiver Ryan Williams was the No. 4 overall recruit in 2024. Left tackle Kayden Proctor?
No. 10 in 2023. And cornerback Domani Jackson was the fifth-ranked player in the 2022 class.
These aren’t just highly touted names - they’re players who’ve lived up to their billing on the biggest stages in college football.
Indiana, on the other hand, continues to be the outlier in this year’s playoff field. The Hoosiers have never signed a five-star recruit out of high school.
Their current starting lineup includes just two former four-star players: wide receivers E.J. Williams and Omar Cooper Jr.
Compare that to Alabama, where all but four starters were rated four stars or higher.
And yet, Indiana keeps winning.
Their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is a perfect example of the Hoosiers' underdog story. A two-star recruit ranked No. 2,149 overall and the 140th quarterback in the 2022 class, Mendoza went on to win the Heisman Trophy this season.
That same year, Alabama’s starting quarterback Ty Simpson was the No. 26 overall recruit and the fourth-ranked quarterback in the nation. On paper, it’s a mismatch.
On the field? Mendoza has shown he belongs.
Let’s dig into how the two teams stack up position by position - and what it says about the programs they've built.
Quarterbacks
- Indiana: Fernando Mendoza (2022) - 2 stars, No. 2,149 overall
- Alabama: Ty Simpson (2022) - 5 stars, No. 26 overall
This is the headline matchup. One of the biggest recruiting steals in recent memory versus a blue-chip quarterback who’s been groomed for this moment.
Skill Positions
Wide Receivers:
- Indiana: Elijah Sarratt (2022) - 0 stars Omar Cooper Jr. (2022) - 4 stars, No. 299 E.J. Williams Jr. (2020) - 4 stars, No.
69
- Alabama: Germie Bernard (2022) - 4 stars, No.
237
- Ryan Williams (2024) - 5 stars, No.
4
- Isaiah Horton (2022) - 4 stars, No.
372
Running Back:
- Indiana: Roman Hemby (2021) - 3 stars, No. 1,767
- Alabama: Jamarion Miller (2022) - 4 stars, No. 87
Tight End:
- Both teams start a former zero-star recruit at tight end - Riley Nowakowski for Indiana and Josh Cuevas for Alabama - proving that even in a game full of stars, some positions still come down to grit and development.
Offensive Line
This is where Alabama’s depth really shows.
- Indiana’s left tackle: Carter Smith - 3 stars, No. 730
- Alabama’s left tackle: Kayden Proctor - 5 stars, No. 10
Across the board, Alabama fields a line built from four- and five-star talent, including 2025 recruit Michael Carroll at right tackle (5 stars, No. 17). Indiana’s line is mostly made up of three-star players and even a zero-star starter at left guard (Drew Evans).
Defensive Line
- Indiana: Mario Landino - 3 stars Tyrique Tucker - 0 stars Mikail Kamara - 0 stars Stephen Daley - 3 stars
- Alabama: James Smith - 5 stars, No.
28
- Tim Keenan III - 4 stars
- Yhonzae Pierre - 5 stars, No. 25
- LT Overton - 5 stars, No. 14
This unit might be the most lopsided in terms of recruiting pedigree. Alabama’s defensive front is loaded with former elite prospects. Indiana’s is made up of players who, in many cases, didn’t even crack the national rankings.
Linebackers
- Indiana: Aiden Fisher - 0 stars Rolijah Hardy - 0 stars
- Alabama: Deontae Lawton - 4 stars, No.
52
- Justin Jefferson - 0 stars
Even Alabama has a few exceptions to the rule, like Jefferson, but overall, the talent gap continues here.
Secondary
Cornerbacks:
- Indiana: D’Angelo Ponds - 3 stars Jamari Sharpe - 3 stars
- Alabama: Zabien Brown - 5 stars, No.
30
- Domani Jackson - 5 stars, No.
5
Safeties and Rover:
- Indiana: Louis Moore - 0 stars Amare Ferrell - 3 stars Devan Boykin - 3 stars
- Alabama: Bray Hubbard - 4 stars Keon Sabb - 4 stars Dashawn Jones - 3 stars
What It All Means
From top to bottom, Alabama’s roster is built on elite recruiting - a pipeline of talent that starts with five-star evaluations and ends with NFL Draft buzz. Indiana, meanwhile, has built its undefeated season on development, chemistry, and a chip on its shoulder the size of the Rose Bowl itself.
And that’s what makes this matchup so compelling. On paper, it’s David vs.
Goliath. But games aren’t played on paper.
They’re played on grass, under lights, with 11 on each side. And Indiana’s been defying the odds all season long.
The Rose Bowl isn’t just a clash of two teams. It’s a collision of two philosophies - five-star firepower versus two-star toughness.
One has the pedigree. The other has the fight.
We’re about to find out which matters more.