Indiana’s 2026 season is going to look different than 2025, when the Hoosiers brought back huge chunks of production and added Fernando Mendoza through the portal. That kind of luxury won’t be there again, but Indiana still has a few returners positioned to take on bigger jobs - or different ones - next fall.
One of the most interesting names is Khobie Martin. He put up 505 yards and six touchdowns on 78 carries in 2025, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt, but most of that damage came in garbage time behind Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black, who both went over 1,000 yards and formed a strong backfield tandem.
Martin could now be in line for a much larger workload, especially if he teams with transfer Turbo Richard to give Indiana another productive rushing duo. In April, Curt Cignetti said Martin “has really taken a step” and has “improved as much, or more so, as anyone in that first recruiting class.”
If the carries are there, Martin looks ready for a breakout.
Up front, Drew Evans gives Indiana a proven piece with real flexibility. He started 12 games at left guard last season and missed four because of injury, but he’s back and gives the Hoosiers an experienced option on the line.
Cignetti also said in the spring, “We also think Drew Evans, another veteran guy, can be a really good center,” which matters with Pat Coogan gone from that spot. Evans may stay at guard, or he may slide over to center, but either way Indiana has a veteran lineman it can trust.
Amare Ferrell is another returner with a clear role. He finished 2025 with 48 tackles, six pass deflections and four interceptions, and he comes back as one of the top safeties in the Big Ten and the country.
His value goes beyond the stat sheet, though. Indiana will need him to help settle the secondary and bring the newcomers along, which could end up being just as important as his playmaking.
Blake Thiry is a different kind of returner, because he didn’t play a snap in 2025 and redshirted. Now he’s in position to move into a starting role.
Cignetti described him in the spring by saying, “Blake Thiry, who has never really blocked before because he didn’t split out all the time in high school, sticking his nose out and can run,” and Indiana’s decision not to add a tight end in the portal says plenty about how the staff views the current group. Thiry should get a real chance to prove that confidence was well placed.
Daniel Ndukwe also earned a bigger look after his postseason surge. He finished with seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the postseason, and that was enough to secure his place in the rotation. He could compete with Kansas State transfer Tobi Osunsanmi at the “stud” spot, a role described as 70-percent defensive end and 30-percent linebacker, but Ndukwe has already shown enough to suggest he’ll keep finding ways onto the field.
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