Much of Indiana’s rise over the last two seasons has come from Curt Cignetti squeezing value out of the transfer portal. That approach has filled out the roster with experienced help, but it has also meant freshmen have had a tougher path to the field.
That could shift a bit in 2026. Indiana is now working through its third high school recruiting class in Bloomington, and there’s real talent in the group.
Rivals has the Hoosiers sitting at No. 29 nationally in the 2026 cycle, with 22 players and seven blue-chip prospects in the class. A few of those newcomers already look capable of forcing their way into the conversation.
One of the clearest names to watch is offensive lineman Sam Simpson. Indiana’s line is loaded with returning experience, with five-year seniors holding down most of the starting spots.
The exception is right guard, where sophomore Adedamola Ajani is projected to start and Simpson is backing him up. Simpson has been working with the second unit in fall camp, and that alone gives him a path to rotation work if the opportunity opens.
Ajani played left guard, right guard and right tackle last season, but Cignetti expects him to settle in at right guard. With that adjustment still taking shape, Simpson’s chance to sneak onto the field is real.
He arrives with plenty of buzz as the No. 4 overall player from Wisconsin in the 2026 class.
Tight end Parker Elmore may have an even cleaner opening. Indiana’s TE room is the thinnest and least experienced group on the roster, and every tight end on hand is either a redshirt freshman or a true freshman.
That makes the incoming rookie from Columbus North High School a legitimate candidate to contribute early. Elmore was Indiana’s highest-ranked offensive player in the 2026 class according to Rivals, and ESPN had him as the No. 16 tight end nationally.
At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he’s the tallest tight end in the room, which only adds to the intrigue around where he lands on the Week 1 depth chart.
On defense, linebacker Jacob Savage is the freshman who seems most ready to crack the rotation. Indiana has a deep front and a crowded linebacker group, so nothing will come easy there.
Even so, Savage has drawn praise as the most field-ready rookie in fall camp. The 6-foot-1, 219-pound linebacker from Union, Kentucky, was ranked the No. 5 overall player in Kentucky in the 2026 class.
Right now, he projects as Indiana’s third-team WLB, but his athleticism and versatility could help him work into more spots around the middle of the field as camp continues.
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