Indiana’s 2026 season outlook has a couple of names worth circling, and neither one is coming from the obvious place.
On the defensive line, the buzz is building around true freshman Blake Smythe, an in-state three-star from Trafalgar, Ind., who entered Indiana’s 22-player 2026 signing class as the 16th-highest rated recruit. The Franklin Community High School product was ranked the No. 123 defensive line recruit and No. 20 prospect from Indiana by 247Sports, and even with offers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, Louisville, Purdue and others, he wasn’t exactly the headliner in IU’s class.
That changed during spring camp.
Smythe made a strong enough impression to earn early praise from the veterans around him, including defensive tackle Mario Landino, who said, "Blake's a very smart kid," said IU defensive tackle Mario Landino. "He comes in early.
He's always working after. Like, I see him working with (defensive assistant) James Carpenter in the meeting roof after when we're all gone.
He's putting it together."
At 6-foot-2 and 283 pounds, Smythe already looks physically ahead of a lot of first-year Big Ten linemen. He still has room to grow in the weight room, but he didn’t look out of place against Indiana’s offensive line this spring.
Long term, he seems best built for the 3-tech defensive tackle spot, much like Landino, thanks to his quickness and athleticism. That gives him some pass-rush upside and a chance to slide toward the edge in certain packages.
Landino and All-American Tyrique Tucker are expected to take most of the starting interior snaps this fall, but Smythe has a path to real playing time if he keeps stacking good practices through camp. His role could end up resembling Landino’s in 2024, when he started with limited snaps before growing into a much bigger part of the rotation later in the season.
That matters even more because this is a foundational year for Indiana’s defensive line. Tucker is set to graduate after the season, so the Hoosiers need the next wave of tackles to start showing themselves. Smythe looks like one of the underclassmen who could force his way into that conversation if he keeps building on what he showed in the spring.
In the secondary, the spotlight shifts to A.J. Harris, and the competition is still unresolved.
Indiana has not yet settled on a second starting cornerback next to Jamari Sharpe, with Harris and Ryland Gandy expected to battle for the job in fall camp. So this one is still a projection, not a finished result.
Still, Harris feels like the likeliest answer. Indiana went after him as a major transfer addition this offseason, and that kind of move usually says plenty about how a staff views the player. Curt Cignetti didn’t bring in a one-year corner like Harris just to watch him sit, and the expectation is that he arrives as a starting-caliber piece.
Harris’ career has taken a strange turn. The former five-star recruit started at Georgia, where he played in seven games as a true freshman in 2023.
He then transferred to Penn State, where he had his best season in 2024 with 48 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and one interception while appearing in all 16 games. But 2025 was a step back, as he finished with 33 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and one pass breakup.
Now he’s at his third school in four years, trying to get back on the track many expected him to stay on. At 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds, with long arms and impressive length, Harris still looks the part of an early-round NFL cornerback. The production has not always matched the profile, but Indiana is betting its development system can help unlock him.
That means working under cornerbacks coach Rod Ojong, who just helped turn D’Angelo Ponds into a second-round pick, and Bryant Haines, the Broyles Award winner overseeing the defense. If Harris responds the way Indiana hopes, the Hoosiers could end up in far better shape at corner than they appear right now.
Replacing Ponds is a huge task. Landing a former elite recruit with Power Four experience and putting him through the IU School of Cornerbacks is at least a strong place to start. If Harris wins the job in camp and delivers, Indiana may have another NFL cornerback on its hands.
In Other News...
Curt Cignetti Just Pushed Indiana Recruiting Into Unthinkable Territory
Curt Cignettis run on the recruiting trail has started to look less like a hot streak and more like a program shift. Over the past 60 days, Indiana has stacked up six Rivals300 commitments, a pace that would have sounded far-fetched not long ago for a school trying to change how it is perceived nationally.
The most striking part is not just the volume, but the company Indiana is now keeping in the recruiting conversation. Landing top-end talent in back-to-back classes has given the Hoosiers a credibility boost that reaches beyond the usual Big Ten chatter, and it has put the program in a space where elite prospects are at least willing to treat Bloomington like a real destination. [Read more 🡒]
Darren Harris Could Become Indianas Most Important Portal Addition
Darian DeVries has spent the offseason reshaping Indianas roster, and one of the more intriguing additions is Duke transfer guard Darren Harris. He is part of a seven-transfer haul for the Hoosiers, but his appeal goes beyond simply filling a spot. DeVries has pointed to Harriss shooting and the way he has looked in summer games as signs that he can carve out a meaningful role when the season begins.
The opportunity is there because Harris never got much runway at Duke, where he was buried in a limited role across two seasons. Indiana saw enough to win out over Virginia in the portal, and the early returns have only added to the optimism. In the FISU America Games, Harris followed a strong opener from deep with a well-rounded performance against Chile, giving the Hoosiers another reason to believe he might end up being one of the most important newcomers on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Just Landed A Recruiting Win Hoosiers Fans Will Love
Indianas basketball and football programs both had reasons to feel good this week, with the Hoosiers mens team rolling through the FISU America Games in Peru and moving into the championship game after three lopsided wins. IU also continued to flesh out its nonconference basketball schedule for the upcoming season, adding another marquee road test that gives the program a bigger-stage showcase before Big Ten play begins.
Curt Cignettis biggest smile, though, probably came from the recruiting trail, where Indiana landed a commitment from quarterback Lukas Prock. The 2028 prospect is already considered one of the more coveted young passers in the country, and his choice gives the Hoosiers another sign that the programs pitch is resonating with high-end talent as it tries to keep building momentum under Cignetti. [Read more 🡒]