Curt Cignetti’s summer work on the recruiting trail has already given Indiana real momentum, and now the Hoosiers have a shot to stay in the mix for one of the best linebackers in the 2028 class.
The latest boost comes from 4-star LB Judah Blair, who recently cut his list to 10 schools and included Indiana among them. Blair, a Cincinnati native who plays at Lakota West, is ranked by Rivals as the No. 3 prospect in Ohio and the No. 6 linebacker in the country. The other schools still in the hunt are Oregon, Kentucky, Penn State, NC State, Missouri, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and Tennessee.
NEWS: Four-Star LB Judah Blair is down to 10 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
The 6’1 200 LB from West Chester, OH is ranked as a Top 85 Recruit in the 2028 Rivals Industry Rankings https://t.co/7c4jrOkb5J pic.twitter.com/VsCunUuiHF
- Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) September 24, 2026
Blair backed up the ranking with production as a sophomore. At Lakota West, he finished with 57 total tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and an interception. He’s taken another step as a junior, piling up 49 total tackles through five games and putting himself on track to blow past last season’s numbers.
Indiana has been involved for quite a while. Cignetti offered Blair on May 22, 2025, and the next step is getting him to Bloomington for an official visit. Blair is expected to sort through his official visit schedule over the next few months before trimming his list again.
For the Hoosiers, the pursuit fits a pattern. Cignetti has already shown he can develop linebackers, with Aiden Fisher following him from James Madison to Indiana and becoming a key piece in IU’s National Championship-winning season last year.
Fisher was a two-time First-Team All-American in Bloomington before being drafted by the Houston Texans in the 7th round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Indiana also has Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones in 2026, and both are currently among the best linebackers in the Big Ten.
In Other News...
Indiana Win Brings Two Injury Worries Hoosier Fans Will Be Watching
Indianas win over Northwestern came with an unwelcome dose of concern, as the Hoosiers saw running back Turbo Richard leave in the first half and never return. Head coach Curt Cignetti addressed Richards injury and the circumstances surrounding the tackle afterward, adding a small postgame cloud to what should have been a clean result.
Rolijah Hardy added to the uneasy feeling later in the game when the starting linebacker went down as well, though he was able to walk off the field on his own. Jeff Utzinger stepped in for Hardy, and Indiana will now wait to see whether either injury lingers beyond a victory that otherwise moved the team forward. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Escapes To 4-0 With A Bigger Problem Ahead
Indianas Big Ten opener delivered the kind of result that keeps an undefeated start intact and, for stretches, showed why this team has been able to survive early tests. The defense set the tone against Northwestern, holding the Wildcats to negative rushing yards in the first half, while quarterback Josh Hoover steadied things after some early struggles and helped guide the scoring drives that carried Indiana to a 29-23 win and a 4-0 record.
The bigger issue now is what the victory may have cost. Injuries to running backs Turbo Richard and Khobie Martin surfaced as the game went on, and in a conference stretch where depth matters almost as much as momentum, Indiana will need answers quickly if it wants the start to mean more than just a strong September. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Survived A Real Big Ten Test After A Costly Scare
Indiana had to work for every bit of this one at Memorial Stadium, where Northwestern pushed the Hoosiers far harder than the final margin might suggest. The 29-23 win came with a heavy dose of urgency after Turbo Richard left the game injured, forcing Indiana to lean even more on Lee Beebe Jr., who responded with 203 rushing yards and a touchdown to keep the offense moving.
Josh Hoover eventually delivered the play that settled it, scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a quarterback run late in the game. For Indiana, the bigger concern may be what came before that final push, because surviving a Big Ten test is one thing, but doing it while watching an important back exit in the middle of the fight changes the conversation heading into what comes next. [Read more 🡒]