Indiana’s 2026 transfer haul is loaded on the defensive side and on special teams, but the Hoosiers didn’t ignore the offense. They added six offensive transfers, and three of them stand out as immediate-impact pieces heading into the 2026 campaign.
The headline name is quarterback Josh Hoover, but the supporting cast matters too. Indiana brought in Joe Brunner, Turbo Richard and Nick Marsh, and each arrives with a clear path to playing time.
Brunner comes in with a résumé that jumps off the page. In 2025, the former Wisconsin guard played 694 snaps, started all 12 games at left guard, and did it without allowing a sack while drawing just one penalty.
That wasn’t a one-year spike, either. Across his entire college career, Brunner has logged 1,541 snaps, committed only five penalties and never given up a sack.
He has been a left guard throughout his college career, but Indiana already has Drew Evans, a proven left guard with 21 career starts. Evans took reps at center in the spring, which could keep Brunner at left guard.
If Evans ends up staying at left guard, Brunner can slide over to right guard. Either way, the Hoosiers expect him to start.
Richard gives Indiana a backfield weapon who produced even when Boston College’s offense was struggling. The Eagles went 2-10 in 2025, and the passing game offered little help, but Richard still delivered 749 rushing yards, nine touchdowns and 5.2 yards per carry while defenses crowded the box. He also added 30 catches for 213 yards and two scores.
His game is built on patience, vision and burst, and he keeps his legs driving through contact. He also brings value as a receiver, where his hands and ability to turn short throws into bigger gains make him a useful outlet. Indiana is expected to use him as its 1a running back alongside returner Khobie Martin, giving the Hoosiers what could be one of the nation’s top backfield pairings.
Marsh arrives with production and traits that make him hard to ignore. In two seasons at Michigan State, he piled up 100 receptions for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the Spartans in receiving yards and touchdowns in both 2024 and 2025.
At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Marsh has the size and athleticism to work on the outside. He brings vertical explosion, straight-line speed and enough quickness to make defenders miss once the ball is in his hands. He’s also physical enough to survive contested catches and tough tackles.
That combination makes him dangerous at every level. Marsh can stretch the field, win 50-50 balls and create separation with route running.
He also does damage on slants, comebacks and outs, where his strength and burst can turn routine completions into chunk plays. Indiana will have him in the mix for All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2026.
In Other News...
Indiana Suddenly Has A Player In College Footballs Biggest Money Talk
The latest reminder of how fast college football money has changed comes from a place that would have sounded impossible not long ago: a player in the Big Ten is now part of the sports biggest NIL conversation. With LeBron James taking a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers and several college stars projected to out-earn him this season, the market has moved into territory that once belonged only to pro contracts.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah sits at the top of the list at $6.5 million, with Oregons Dante Moore and Ohio States Jeremiah Smith both projected at $5 million. Indianas presence in that upper tier is a sign of how far the Hoosiers have come in the NIL era, and it adds another layer to a roster that now has real financial weight attached to its most important positions. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Lands 10 Preseason All-Big Ten Honors And National Respect
The preseason respect keeps piling up for Indiana, and The Athletics 2026 All-Big Ten teams offered another reminder of how far the rosters profile has risen. The Hoosiers landed 10 selections overall, third-most in the conference behind only Ohio State and Oregon, with first-team nods for Charlie Becker, Carter Smith, Tyrique Tucker, Rolijah Hardy, Isaiah Jones and Nico Radicic.
For a program trying to turn last seasons momentum into something lasting, that spread of recognition matters as much as any one headline name. Beckers emergence at receiver, Smiths return up front, the defensive punch from Tucker, Hardy and Jones, and Radicics reliability all point to a team that is drawing national notice before a snap is played, even if the bigger question is how all of those pieces fit once the games start counting again. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Defensive Transfer Haul Shows The Hoosiers New Standard
Indianas recent transfer haul says plenty about how the program is being built now, especially on defense. Preston Zachman arrives from Wisconsin with a chance to step into a major role at strong safety, Tobi Osunsanmi comes over from Kansas State as another edge presence, and A.J. Harris brings the kind of experience in the secondary that can raise the floor of a unit quickly. For a team trying to keep its momentum, those are not just depth additions. They are the kind of moves that signal a higher standard for who Indiana expects to land.
What makes the group stand out is how directly it addresses the parts of the roster that can swing a season. Zachman gives the Hoosiers a steadier back-end option, Osunsanmi adds pressure off the edge, and Harris offers another proven piece in coverage. Indiana has done well to build a class that looks ready to matter in 2026, and the bigger question now is how much of that talent can translate once the games start and the new pieces are asked to mesh right away. [Read more 🡒]