Indiana’s offense is getting another major transfer addition, and this one comes with a track record of production from the Big Ten.
Donaven Marsh is heading to Bloomington after two seasons at Michigan State, making Indiana the second Big Ten stop of his college career. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver arrived in East Lansing as a four-star prospect in the Spartans’ 2024 signing class, the first class to play for Jonathan Smith, and he wasted little time making an impact.
As a freshman in 2024, Marsh was an immediate factor for Michigan State’s passing game. He finished with 41 catches for 649 yards and three touchdowns, and he topped 100 receiving yards in wins over Maryland and Iowa.
His numbers shifted in 2025, but the production held up in a different way. Marsh’s biggest games weren’t as explosive, yet he was more steady from week to week, catching 59 passes for 662 yards and three touchdowns. That performance earned him All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after the regular season.
Michigan State’s coaching change opened the door for Marsh to move on. The Spartans parted ways with Smith after two seasons and hired Pat Fitzgerald, and Marsh was part of a large group of players who left the program in January.
Marsh joins a growing list of portal additions expected to play key roles for Indiana on offense. Curt Cignetti has built a reputation for identifying the right pieces in the transfer market, and in his first two portal cycles at Indiana he landed eventual 3,000-yard passers, including 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
The Hoosiers replaced Mendoza with former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who piled up 9,629 passing yards in four seasons with the Horned Frogs. That total ranks third in TCU history behind Trevone Boykin and Andy Dalton.
Indiana also turned to the portal at running back, bringing in Boston College transfer Turbo Richard. In two seasons with the Eagles, Richard ran for 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns on 200 carries.
The offensive line got its own reinforcement as well. Indiana added Wisconsin transfer Joe Brunner to fill a need at guard, and he spent three seasons with the Badgers while starting every game in both 2024 and 2025.
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