2 weeks Ago By Morgan Moriarty
No. 5 Indiana is the surprise team of the 2024 college football season. As Indiana prepares for its biggest test of the year, facing off against No.
2 Ohio State on Saturday, you might be wondering how the Hoosiers rose to the top so quickly. Part of that answer is the success of head coach Curt Cignetti, who has won throughout his career, dating back to his first stint as a head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a candidate to win college football's coach of the year award in 2024 after leading the Hoosiers to a 10-0 record so far.
Cignetti's previous stop at JMU also is playing a huge role in Indiana's success, as a number of players followed Cignetti from JMU to Indiana. Let's dive into how Cignetti, 63, was able to overhaul Indiana's roster via the transfer portal. NCAAF HQ: Live NCAAF scores | Updated NCAAF standings | Full NCAAF schedule JMU transfer players on Indiana The transfer portal has become vital to college football recruiting.
Coaches across the country rely on it to build their respective programs, augmenting with their traditional recruiting classes each year. Cignetti relied on the portal heavily ahead of the 2024 season, his first with Indiana. The Hoosiers added 31 transfers ahead of his debut season.
A whopping 13 of those players played under Cignetti at JMU and followed him to Bloomington. Offense Running back Solomon Vanhorse Wide receiver Elijah Sarratt Offensive lineman Nick Kidwell Tight end Zach Horton Running back Kaelon Black Offensive lineman Tyler Stephens Running back Ty Son Lawton Defense Cornerback D'Angelo Ponds Defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker Linebacker Aiden Fisher Linebacker Jailin Walker Defensive lineman James Carpenter Defensive lineman Mikail Kamara Several of these transfers have proved to be immediate impact players. On offense, former Dukes running back Ty Son Lawton is second on the team in rushing yards, with 508 and nine touchdowns on the season.
Kaelon Black is third on the team with 217 yards and two scores. Receiver Elijah Sarratt leads the Hoosiers with 685 yards with six touchdowns so far. Tyler Stephens has played in several snaps along the offensive line, and is expected to see more playing time due to an injury to Drew Evans.
Solomon Vanhorse is Indiana's leading kick returner. Defensively, the unit is led by JMU transfer linebackers Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker. The two have combined for 157 total tackles, nine passes defended, and Walker has forced a fumble.
Cornerback D'Angelo Ponds is fourth on the team in tackles with 45 stops and two interceptions. Mikail Kamara leads the Hoosiers with 9.5 sacks for 73 yards on the season.
“They believe that they’re going to win,” Cignetti said of his JMU transfers last December. “They think like champions. They believe in the coaches.
They believe in the program. They believe they’re going to step foot on (campus) and make a difference. “Guess what? I believe that too.
” So far, Cignetti's strategy to bring over his talent from JMU is working. MORE: Curt Cignetti's best quotes at Indiana Other Indiana's transfers making an impact Cignetti's portal success isn't limited to former JMU players. Starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who's thrown for 2,410 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions, transferred from Ohio.
Starting running back Justice Ellison, who leads the team with 686 yards and nine touchdowns, came from Wake Forest. Receiver Myles Price, who is third on the team in receiving yards with 377 yards and two touchdowns, came in from Texas Tech. Old Dominion transfer safety Shawn Asbury has 54 total tackles and an interception on the year.
"We have a lot of experience on our team," Cignetti said of his roster in July. "We have a lot of guys that have played winning football that have good career production numbers multiple years, and we've got a good core group of guys that are accustomed to winning and are used to winning. "Now, you probably wonder how you say that inheriting a program like this, but in this day and age in the portal, you can change things real fast.
" MORE: Where Indiana's Curt Cignetti ranks among highest-paid coaches Indiana football depth chart Here's a look at the Hoosiers' depth chart in recent weeks, per OurLads . Former JMU players are bolded. Offense Position Player QB Kurtis Rourke RB Justice Ellison WR 1 Elijah Sarratt WR 2 Miles Cross WR 3 Myles Price TE Zach Horton LT Carter Smith LG Tyler Stephens C Mike Katic RG Bray Lynch RT Trey Wedig Defense Position Player DE Mikail Kamara NT CJ West DT James Carpenter STUD Lanell Carr Jr.
MLB Jailin Walker WLB Aiden FIsher LCB D'Angelo Ponds SS Shawn Asbury II FS Amare Ferrell RCB Jameir Johnson NB Terry Jones Jr. The big test for Cignetti in the years to come will be recruiting at a high level without having former players to choose from. Indiana's 2025 recruiting class currently ranks 39th overall and 13th in the Big Ten.
