Indiana’s rise under Curt Cignetti is showing up in more than just wins. It’s starting to look like an NFL pipeline.
After setting a program record with nine draft picks this spring, the Hoosiers already have nearly 20 former players signed with NFL teams and battling for roster spots before the 2026 season. And if ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid is right, the 2027 class could be even bigger.
Reid projected Indiana for nine total selections in the 2027 NFL Draft, including two first-rounders. The headliners on his board are junior wide receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, who Reid views as IU’s best shot at going in the opening round.
“[Becker] averaged 19.9 yards per catch in 2025 (seventh most in the FBS), and even though his sample size is small (eight career starts), he is in the top-20 discussion,” Reid wrote. “Becker is joined by Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh, a chiseled receiver who plays well through contact. Both could be first-round picks.
Reid also slotted four Hoosiers into Day 2 or mid-round territory: offensive lineman Carter Smith, safety Amare Ferrell, defensive end Tobi Osunsanmi and quarterback Josh Hoover.
“[Hoover is] an aggressive thrower who will need to limit his turnovers (13 interceptions in 2025) to improve his midround grade,” Reid wrote. “While Hoover won't likely follow in No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza's footsteps, he has the mentality as a passer to rise up the board.”
“Offensive tackle Carter Smith is a technician who consistently stacks wins,” Reid wrote, “but an up-and-down national title game against Miami's first-round edge rushers raised questions about his long-term future at tackle. There are teams that have him with Day 2 grades at guard and/or center.”
Beyond that group, Reid listed 15 more Indiana players as possible Day 3 or late-round picks: linebackers Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy; EDGEs Joshua Burnham, Chiddi Obiazor and Stephen Daley; defensive tackles Joe Hjelle and Tyrique Tucker; cornerbacks Jamari Sharpe and A.J. Harris; offensive linemen Bray Lynch, Drew Evans and Joe Brunner; and running backs Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr.
Reid also singled out a few names with his superlatives. Becker was labeled Indiana’s “top prospect to know,” Richard was named the “sleeper prospect to watch,” and IU’s Oct. 17 matchup with Ohio State was picked as the “game circled on the schedule.”
“Jamari Sharpe and Penn State transfer AJ Harris form one of the better cornerback tandems in the country, with Sharpe's interception of Carson Beck sealing Indiana's national championship,” Reid wrote. “Both have Day 3 projections, while safety Amare Ferrell is earning midround grades.
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