Curt Cignetti’s work on the recruiting trail is starting to look like more than just a strong cycle for Indiana. With the Hoosiers sitting on 16 commitments for their 2027 class, the early returns point to a group that is not only balanced, but good enough to keep Indiana in the conversation for its best high school haul ever.
That’s where the conversation gets interesting. Indiana is currently No. 29 in the Rivals rankings for the 2027 cycle, which puts the program within reach of its highest-rated high school recruiting class in school history.
The standard was set in 2022, when Indiana finished No. 25 nationally. Since then, the Hoosiers have landed classes ranked 59th, 60th, 53rd, and 30th in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings.
This 2027 group already has some real blue-chip weight to it. Half a dozen of Indiana’s 16 commitments are considered blue chip prospects, including EDGE Myles Smith, LB Jalaythan Mayfield, OT Mason McDermott, and DL Reinaldo Lopez, who are all rated as 4-star recruits by Rivals. S Brady Scott picked up a 4th star from ESPN, while WR Branden Sharpe earned 4-star status from 247Sports.
The ceiling may be even higher. Lawrence North WR Monshun Sales is in the middle of his decision process, and Indiana is viewed by multiple recruiting experts, including Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong, as the frontrunner. If that comes through, the Hoosiers would land their first-ever 5-star recruit.
Even with a stronger high school pipeline taking shape, Cignetti isn’t moving away from the transfer portal. It has been a central part of what he’s built at Indiana, and there’s no sign that changing. The portal remains a dependable source of talent for the Hoosiers, even as the program adds more blue chip high school players.
That formula has already produced a 27-2 record across Cignetti’s two seasons with rosters loaded with experienced portal additions. Transfer quarterbacks Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza both made major impacts at Indiana, with Mendoza leading IU to its best-ever season while also winning the Heisman Trophy.
The next portal group also looks loaded. Former TCU QB Josh Hoover and former Michigan State WR Nick Marsh headline Indiana’s 2026 incoming transfers, and 247Sports has ranked the Hoosiers’ portal class No. 8 in the country.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Landed A Massive National Spotlight Moment
Indiana has a fresh national-stage reminder that its recent rise has reached beyond Bloomington. ESPNs early 2026 ESPY nominations put multiple Indiana-connected figures in the spotlight, with former Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza drawing notice in two separate individual categories and the football program earning a place among the nations top teams. Add former IU basketball standout OG Anunoby to the list, and it becomes a pretty strong showing for an athletic department that has been pushing itself back into bigger conversations.
Mendozas double nomination speaks to how quickly his profile has grown, while the football teams presence in the Best Team field gives the program another platform after a perfect championship run. Indiana will have plenty of company among the nominees, with the category crowded by recent winners and title teams, but just getting into that mix says plenty about where the Hoosiers stand right now. The only real question is how much more hardware this burst of attention can bring back to Bloomington when the awards are handed out. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Lost Another Experienced Arm To The Portal
Indianas pitching depth took another hit this offseason as an experienced arm moved on after one year in Bloomington. The left-handed reliever had already bounced from Delaware to Indiana, and he entered the portal after his latest stop with the Hoosiers, part of the wider roster churn that has become a constant for programs trying to keep veteran bullpen pieces in place.
His departure adds another layer to Indianas search for reliability on the mound, especially with a pitcher who had already logged a few seasons of college baseball and could give a staff some stability. Instead, he is headed to USC for his fifth collegiate season, while the Hoosiers are left to sort through another turnover point as the roster continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Vaughn Karvala Faces One Big Test To Earn Indiana Minutes
Vaughn Karvala arrived at Indiana with the kind of profile that usually gets attention right away: a highly regarded freshman who committed and signed in November and brings the athleticism and scoring pop that made him one of the more intriguing names in the class. For the Hoosiers, though, the excitement around his arrival comes with an immediate reality, since freshmen are walking into a roster built around experienced transfers who have already spent multiple years at the high-major level.
That makes Karvalas path to minutes less about reputation than readiness. His talent gives Indiana another upside piece to develop, but the first challenge is simply finding a way to break into the rotation ahead of older, more seasoned options. The Hoosiers will keep watching how he adjusts, because his role could grow quickly if he shows he can handle the physical side of college basketball and keep his game translating against adults. [Read more 🡒]