The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
128 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Indiana did what nobody thought it could, making the College Football Playoff in 2024, its first season under Curt Cignetti. Then in 2025, the Hoosiers did the unthink- able, winning the program's first-ever na- tional championship. Google it — that hap- pened. Indiana entered the 2025 season as the losingest team in college football history. However, in the middle of the fall, that shameful title fell on Northwestern when the Hoosiers kept winning … and never lost. Indiana became the first team in the mod- ern era to finish 16-0 and the first team to do it since the 1894 Yale Bulldogs. The scary thing for opponents is that Cignetti is just getting started, and the Hoosiers reloaded by finishing No. 1 in On3's team transfer portal rankings this offseason. That started with landing a third straight starting quarterback out of the portal in redshirt senior TCU transfer Josh Hoover. It worked the last two years with Kurtis Rourke from Ohio and Fernando Mendoza from California, who won the Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick of the Las Vegas Raiders. Hoover is much less mobile than Men- doza, so some changes will come to the offense, but he's efficient and has a ton of experience with 31 career starts. In 2025, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Heath, Texas, native completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,472 yards and 29 touchdowns with 13 in- terceptions, going 8-4 in the regular season. Indiana's offense must replace two 1,000-yard rushers in Roman Hemby (1,176) and Kaelon Black (1,057), plus the team's top two wideouts in Omar Cooper Jr. (937 yards, 13 TD) and Elijah Sarratt (830 yards, 15 TD). But they'll once again go with a running back by committee, and they plucked junior wideout Nick Marsh from Michigan State. An honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, Marsh hauled in 59 catches for 662 yards and 6 touchdowns for the Spartans in 2025. Junior receiver Charlie Becker, a 6-foot-4, 207-pounder, was one of the Hoosiers' most underrated pieces last season, with 34 catches for 679 yards and 4 touchdowns. Michigan transfer Tyler Morris will also contribute, potentially as a starter. He missed the entire 2025 campaign with in- jury but is back healthy now. The 5-foot-11, 186-pounder has been a part of two na- tional title teams and contributed a big 38- yard touchdown in the Wolverines' Rose Bowl victory over Alabama Jan. 1, 2024. First-team all-conference left tackle Carter Smith headlines an offensive line that returns two other starters. The Hoo- siers put up 41.6 points per game last sea- son, ranking third nationally, and are ex- pected to be potent again. The offense may take a slight step back, but the defense could be even better — hard to imagine after finishing second in the country by holding opponents to 11.7 points per game. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, the 40-year-old Broyles Award winner as the nation's top assistant coach, is being paid the big bucks, up to $3 million in 2026, to elevate his group even further. Cignetti believes it's possible. "We were pretty solid Year 1, and last year we were obviously good," Cignetti said this spring. "We just seem to be farther along right now." Five starters remain from that group — both starting defensive tackles in redshirt senior Tyrique Tucker (12 TFL, 6 sacks) and junior Mario Landino (6 TFL, 5 sacks), ju- nior linebacker Rolijah Hardy (team-high 102 tackles, 15 TFL, 8 sacks), redshirt se- nior cornerback Jamari Sharpe (6 TFL, 1 interception, 6 pass breakups) and senior safety Amare Ferrell (4 interceptions, 6 pass breakups). Sharpe made the champi- onship-sealing pick against Miami in the final game, and the Hoosiers will need more of that playmaking after losing D'Angelo Ponds, a second-round pick to the New York Jets, at cornerback. ❑ Curt Cignetti Is Working His Magic Again At Indiana GAME 7 • INDIANA HOOSIERS • OCT. 24 Junior linebacker Rolijah Hardy has appeared in 29 games with 20 starts during his career. PHOTO BY SPENCER MEYER/INDIANA ATHLETICS QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 62-11 First Meeting: U-M 12, IU 0 (Nov. 3, 1900, in Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: IU 20, U-M 15 (Nov. 9, 2024 in Bloomington, Ind.) Head Coach: Curt Cignetti, 27-2 at IU (third year), 60-15 overall (7th year in Division I) 2025 In Review: 16-0, 9-0 Big Ten Final 2025 Ranking: No. 1 AP, No. 1 coaches Returning Starters: 9 (3 offense, 5 de- fense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2025 (Rose Bowl vs. Alabama, W 38-3; Peach Bowl vs. Or- egon, W 56-22) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Grant Wilson (5 yards) Rushing: Khobie Martin (506 yards, 6 TD) Receiving: Charlie Becker (679 yards, 4 TD) Tackles: Rolijah Hardy (102) Sacks: Rolijah Hardy (8) Interceptions: Amare Ferrell (4) 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 NORTH TEXAS — Sept. 12 HOWARD — Sept. 19 WESTERN KENTUCKY — Sept. 25 NORTHWESTERN — Oct. 3 at Rutgers — Oct. 10 at Nebraska — Oct. 17 OHIO STATE W, 13-10 Oct. 24 at Michigan — Oct. 31 MINNESOTA — Nov. 14 USC — Nov. 21 at Washington — Nov. 28 PURDUE W, 56-3 REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • More Curt Cignetti magic • Another great transfer QB • Defense has a lot of talent Cignetti shut all doubters up last season if he didn't in his first year at Indiana. There's no reason to believe this team can't con- tend. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Losing QB Fernando Mendoza • Need players to step up at RB, TE • Hard to repeat Indiana lost eight NFL Draft picks, and it'll be tough to fully replicate what was accom- plished last year.