Indiana is sitting in a prime spot for one of the country’s most coveted recruits, but the Hoosiers still have one heavyweight standing in the way.
Five-star wide receiver Monshun Sales has finished his official visits and is now in decision mode. Indiana has picked up momentum in a big way, with Rivals’ Greg Smith and Steve Wiltfong both logging expert predictions for Sales to land in Bloomington. The Rivals Industry Consensus also gives the Hoosiers an 81.7% chance to secure his commitment.
Still, this one is far from over. Sales’ final group has been trimmed to Indiana, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, and LSU, and that is a loaded field. Of those programs, Ohio State looks like the most dangerous challenger for Curt Cignetti and his staff.
The Buckeyes have made a habit of turning elite receivers into stars. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Terry McLaurin are all recent Ohio State wideouts now making noise in the NFL. Jeremiah Smith is still in Columbus, and he is expected to be in the mix for the Heisman Trophy this upcoming season.
Ryan Day has a track record that sells itself, and Ohio State made sure Sales saw it during his official visit to Columbus last month. Brian Hartline is now leading the USF program, but new Ohio State WR coach Cortez Hankton brings his own impressive résumé to the table. At LSU and Georgia, Hankton recruited and coached Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., George Pickens, Mecole Hardman, Ladd McConkey, and Riley Ridley.
That kind of competition makes Indiana’s position all the more impressive. If the Hoosiers can close here, it would be a major recruiting win on its own. If they can beat Ohio State for Sales, it would carry even more weight.
Sales would become Indiana’s first-ever five-star high school recruit in program history if he chooses the Hoosiers. And with the recent back-and-forth between Indiana and Ohio State on the field, the matchup adds another layer to the race. Ohio State beat Indiana in 2024, which remains Cignetti’s only loss against Big Ten competition since taking over the IU program.
Indiana answered back in last December’s Big Ten Championship Game, and that win powered the Hoosiers’ postseason run to their first-ever National Championship. Now the next statement could come on the recruiting trail, where Cignetti has a chance to land a program-changing commitment in the coming weeks.
In Other News...
Indiana Landed A Defensive Back With A Football Pedigree
Rico Jacksons rise has been building for a while, and the Quince Orchard defensive back brings more than just size and speed to Indianas recruiting board. The rising senior from Maryland has drawn Division I attention, spent time training with NFL receivers Stefon Diggs and Jordan Addison, and carries a football background that starts with his father, former NFL safety Tanard Jackson.
For Indiana, the appeal is obvious: a defensive back with a strong pedigree, high-level training and the kind of profile that tends to keep climbing as the season goes on. Quince Orchard is expecting Jackson to be a major piece of its upcoming run, which only adds to the intrigue around how much more his stock can still rise before he takes the next step. [Read more 🡒]
What Indiana Practice Just Revealed About This New Roster
A Tuesday morning practice at Cook Hall offered an early look at how Indianas new roster is beginning to take shape as the Hoosiers prepare for their trip to Peru for the FISU America Games. Inside the Hall watched the session and came away with a clearer sense of which players are already carving out roles, with Markus Burton, Darren Harris and Aiden Sherrell all standing out in different ways as IU builds toward the 2026-27 season.
Burton showed the kind of all-around presence that can steady a young group, while Harris looked like more than just a perimeter threat and Sherrells length and comfort away from the basket hinted at lineup possibilities that could give Indiana some real flexibility up front. There was also a reminder that summer practices are still about sorting through the details, and one players limited participation added a small wrinkle to the evaluation process as the Hoosiers continue piecing together what this roster can become. [Read more 🡒]