QUOTED: National Signing Day
2/5/2025 1:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti met with the media on Wednesday (Feb. 5) inside Memorial Stadium to talk about Indiana's group of newcomers on National Signing Day.
Below is a full transcript of the press conference, while video of the media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Curt Cignetti | Head Coach
Opening Statement…
CC: All right, another recruiting season has come and gone. With what we got done, filling immediate needs in the portal, 19 portal guys; if you count E.J. Williams Jr., who was in the portal and returned, it's almost 20. Along with 23 high school guys, 14 are enrolled mid-year, I feel like we addressed the needs that we needed to address for the '25 season. And the high school guys are developmental, our kind of guys. So, staff looking forward to taking a couple of days off because I don't think we really had a day off since we came back to work in July and get back at it.
On what drew him to hiring Chandler Whitmer as his new quarterbacks coach…
CC: Well, really happy for Tino to get the opportunity to coordinate an offense. Did a great job for us.
Was very impressed with Chandler in our conversations -- came highly recommended, a lot of knowledge, been around a lot of great people, excellent teacher. Looking forward to having him join our offense.
On roster retention in the offseason…
CC: There really weren't many conversations. I think everybody was in a good place, excited about where we're going. Obviously had a good experience last fall. And really didn't lose anybody that was in our long-term plan, which is a real plus.
Now, your key guys, all-conference guys, the very visible players, you know, we handled those guys on the front end. And I like what's going on. We're off to a good start in the weight room. Derek likes what he sees. So the retention piece was not really an issue.
On his approach to non-conference scheduling…
CC: I like winning ball games. I think most coaches do. I mean, we play nine Big Ten Conference games, which is more than most the other conferences. So I'm going to play who's on the schedule. And I think we got Notre Dame coming up down the road. But I'm going to play who's on the schedule.
On Whitmer's experience with high-level quarterbacks in the NFL…
CC: We're looking to bring in a guy to develop the quarterback, mainly. We've had great success with quarterbacks. Four straight players of the year offensively. And then Kurtis was number one in the country in quarterback rating, but made second-team all-conference. He had a great year.
That, first and foremost, quarterback developer. And you're always looking for ideas from every staff member. But his number one job is to develop the quarterback.
On the initial approach the coaching staff has with incoming freshmen…
CC: I think they just try to get up to speed with the standards, the day-in and day-out consistency, the routine. When they come in as freshmen, they're behind the older guys. So they're just trying to get in the groove and make progress daily.
All we ask of anybody in this program is be accountable, be where you're supposed to be, and hopefully five minutes early, do your best, and rub off on others positively and the process will take care of itself.
So there's no pressure on anyone to be a starter in the fall or whatever. It's just do those things and you'll develop.
On if the approach to adding transfers changed in year two after the success of year one…
CC: Well, I think winning opens doors. There's no doubt about it. Now, whether they're more talented remains to be seen. We haven't had a practice yet.
We like who we got. They checked the boxes in terms of character, athletic ability. Almost all of them were starters where they came from. I think we had one guy that had started and played significant minutes but wasn't a full-time starter. So they fit what we're looking for and they fit our positions of need.
On the tight end additions of Riley Nowakowski and Holden Staes…
CC: We'll find out in spring ball. But Nowakowski went to Wisconsin as a walk-on, a wrestler also. Played fullback. Coaching change, moved to tight end, excellent blocker, good hands, really a hardworking guy.
And Holden Staes has good movement skills. So we'll see what he can give us both in the run game and the pass game. But I'm glad we got those two guys because it was a position of need.
On Fernando Mendoza and the process to adding him for 2025…
CC: Well, obviously been aware of him for a while because we got Alberto, the younger brother, here. Two-year starter at Cal, did a lot of really good things on tape.
Was under duress quite a bit. I mean, the protection wasn't great out there. Not only did he show the ability to make all the throws from the pocket, but to extend plays and be able to make plays on the move with his arm and his legs. He's an extremely intelligent guy, and he's got two years.
He was a target. And that was a good day when he decided to come.
On the approach and additions to the offensive line from the transfer portal…
CC: Well, we look to improve every position, and one of the many reasons that I retained Coach Bostad initially was what I had been told about the line's improvement in his one year at Indiana before I arrived. And I had known of Bob for about a dozen years.
I thought he did a great job with that line. I thought the line functioned well.
I'm excited about the guys we're able to bring in from the portal. Kahlil Benson did a really nice job here at offensive tackle the year before I came. Obviously Coogan started a lot of games at Notre Dame and played well. And Zen started and played meaningful minutes at Ohio State.
I'm excited about what that line can look like, but it's a day-to-day process. Like every other position, earned not given.
I try not to get too excited on the front end. I want to see it between the white lines.
But I thought the one telling thing about what we've accomplished in a short time we've been here is we had two starters from the year before that had gone to the portal and left -- one went to Ole Miss and one went to Colorado -- and wanted to return after they saw what was going on here at Indiana.
That would be Kahlil Benson and Louis Moore, who earned some All-Big Ten honors in '23. And E.J. Williams who had -- E.J. wanted to redshirt after his fourth game. And like I said to him, I decide who redshirts. If you can help the team, then that's what everybody is here to do. And he had dreams of playing in the league. It was his last year. So his only recourse was to go into the portal.
About mid-December we got together. We wanted him back; he wanted to come back. So that was another win for us as well, another guy that had started in '23, the year before I got here. So I think it says a lot about what went on last year that guys who had left on the front end and then returned.
On the never satisfied approach and how that trickles down…
CC: Well, I think you have high standards in everything you do, right? And if you prepare the right way, you expect success. You don't have a lot of time to enjoy it because the next challenge is coming up and you've got to get ready and you've got to prepare for that accordingly or you're not going to have success.
So I think that's part of being never satisfied. And that's the separator between good and great, is never being satisfied and resting on your laurels.
And I can promise you, this team is a hungry, humble team right now that's working really hard in the offseason program. And we've got to string together days, months, heading into the fall.
On the experience and depth Tyler Morris adds to the wide receiver's room…
CC: Experience, like you said. He's a senior. He's played a lot football, started a lot of games, made some big plays in some big games. There's a real benefit in that, and I'm glad we got him.
On the priorities he has for spring practice…
CC: I think spring ball is always you want to develop players, practice habits, start to develop some intangibles on your football team -- consistency, toughness, resiliency, competitiveness. Get an idea of what your two-deep might look like heading into the fall. And then you might look at a couple of things schematically -- offense, defense, special teams -- which is a continual process.
On Roman Hemby's versatility…
CC: Kind of fits the bill what we look for because our backs do catch a number of passes also.
Yeah, I was impressed with his game against us here in the fall and obviously been watching tape of him for a while. He's got a lot of experience. Got a lot of career total yards, whether it's rushing or receiving. And we lost our top two guys. So he was a perfect fit for what we were looking for.
On if he feels they added flexibility to the offensive line and the depth with the young core of players…
CC: Well, you know, competition is a great thing; it makes everybody better. So we'll have increased competition on the offensive line.
Most of the guys up front can play multiple positions. They're smart guys. Maybe some of the interior guys wouldn't necessarily project real well at tackle, but there's a few who could and vice versa.
I think some of the young guys, this is their opportunity to take another step. There's a couple that we think could be ready to take meaningful snaps and play successful football in the fall.
And that's the bottom line. If you can play successful football, we're going to find a role for you. So we don't want to throw anybody out there before they're ready, that's for darned sure. And I think we're in a position right now as a football team where we shouldn't have to do that.
On if revenue sharing has changed his approach…
CC: I think all coaches have had to adjust and the rules are changing all the time, the landscape. You've got to be light on your feet. You've got to do the best job with whatever resources you have to put together the best roster you can.
So we've always done a good job of that. And I think we did a pretty good job this past winter.
On the process to Bryant Haines' new contract extension…
CC: Well, you know, when you're successful and you win and you're a coordinator and your side of the ball excels -- I think we're number one in the country against the run, number two in total defense, we're number one in Big Ten in other categories -- he's done a great job for me. I think he just completed his third year as coordinator. He's been with me 11 or 12 years -- people are going to come after him.
The blue bloods were knocking at the door and we didn't want to lose him and we were proactive. I really appreciate President Whitten and Scott Dolson for the tremendous support that they've provided since I've become the head coach that enables us to keep a key person like Bryant Haines.
On how he feels about the depth at cornerback…
CC: No, I don't think -- we added some pieces in the portal, which probably expedited an exit or two. We didn't lose, you know, anyone that we were projecting to start in the fall, let me just put it that way. But everything is earned, not given, so you never know. I like who we have. Coach Ojong likes who we have. And I think we have an opportunity to have better depth than we did last season.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
152501-1-1045 2025-02-05 17:29:00 GMT.
Below is a full transcript of the press conference, while video of the media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Curt Cignetti | Head Coach
Opening Statement…
CC: All right, another recruiting season has come and gone. With what we got done, filling immediate needs in the portal, 19 portal guys; if you count E.J. Williams Jr., who was in the portal and returned, it's almost 20. Along with 23 high school guys, 14 are enrolled mid-year, I feel like we addressed the needs that we needed to address for the '25 season. And the high school guys are developmental, our kind of guys. So, staff looking forward to taking a couple of days off because I don't think we really had a day off since we came back to work in July and get back at it.
On what drew him to hiring Chandler Whitmer as his new quarterbacks coach…
CC: Well, really happy for Tino to get the opportunity to coordinate an offense. Did a great job for us.
Was very impressed with Chandler in our conversations -- came highly recommended, a lot of knowledge, been around a lot of great people, excellent teacher. Looking forward to having him join our offense.
On roster retention in the offseason…
CC: There really weren't many conversations. I think everybody was in a good place, excited about where we're going. Obviously had a good experience last fall. And really didn't lose anybody that was in our long-term plan, which is a real plus.
Now, your key guys, all-conference guys, the very visible players, you know, we handled those guys on the front end. And I like what's going on. We're off to a good start in the weight room. Derek likes what he sees. So the retention piece was not really an issue.
On his approach to non-conference scheduling…
CC: I like winning ball games. I think most coaches do. I mean, we play nine Big Ten Conference games, which is more than most the other conferences. So I'm going to play who's on the schedule. And I think we got Notre Dame coming up down the road. But I'm going to play who's on the schedule.
On Whitmer's experience with high-level quarterbacks in the NFL…
CC: We're looking to bring in a guy to develop the quarterback, mainly. We've had great success with quarterbacks. Four straight players of the year offensively. And then Kurtis was number one in the country in quarterback rating, but made second-team all-conference. He had a great year.
That, first and foremost, quarterback developer. And you're always looking for ideas from every staff member. But his number one job is to develop the quarterback.
On the initial approach the coaching staff has with incoming freshmen…
CC: I think they just try to get up to speed with the standards, the day-in and day-out consistency, the routine. When they come in as freshmen, they're behind the older guys. So they're just trying to get in the groove and make progress daily.
All we ask of anybody in this program is be accountable, be where you're supposed to be, and hopefully five minutes early, do your best, and rub off on others positively and the process will take care of itself.
So there's no pressure on anyone to be a starter in the fall or whatever. It's just do those things and you'll develop.
On if the approach to adding transfers changed in year two after the success of year one…
CC: Well, I think winning opens doors. There's no doubt about it. Now, whether they're more talented remains to be seen. We haven't had a practice yet.
We like who we got. They checked the boxes in terms of character, athletic ability. Almost all of them were starters where they came from. I think we had one guy that had started and played significant minutes but wasn't a full-time starter. So they fit what we're looking for and they fit our positions of need.
On the tight end additions of Riley Nowakowski and Holden Staes…
CC: We'll find out in spring ball. But Nowakowski went to Wisconsin as a walk-on, a wrestler also. Played fullback. Coaching change, moved to tight end, excellent blocker, good hands, really a hardworking guy.
And Holden Staes has good movement skills. So we'll see what he can give us both in the run game and the pass game. But I'm glad we got those two guys because it was a position of need.
On Fernando Mendoza and the process to adding him for 2025…
CC: Well, obviously been aware of him for a while because we got Alberto, the younger brother, here. Two-year starter at Cal, did a lot of really good things on tape.
Was under duress quite a bit. I mean, the protection wasn't great out there. Not only did he show the ability to make all the throws from the pocket, but to extend plays and be able to make plays on the move with his arm and his legs. He's an extremely intelligent guy, and he's got two years.
He was a target. And that was a good day when he decided to come.
On the approach and additions to the offensive line from the transfer portal…
CC: Well, we look to improve every position, and one of the many reasons that I retained Coach Bostad initially was what I had been told about the line's improvement in his one year at Indiana before I arrived. And I had known of Bob for about a dozen years.
I thought he did a great job with that line. I thought the line functioned well.
I'm excited about the guys we're able to bring in from the portal. Kahlil Benson did a really nice job here at offensive tackle the year before I came. Obviously Coogan started a lot of games at Notre Dame and played well. And Zen started and played meaningful minutes at Ohio State.
I'm excited about what that line can look like, but it's a day-to-day process. Like every other position, earned not given.
I try not to get too excited on the front end. I want to see it between the white lines.
But I thought the one telling thing about what we've accomplished in a short time we've been here is we had two starters from the year before that had gone to the portal and left -- one went to Ole Miss and one went to Colorado -- and wanted to return after they saw what was going on here at Indiana.
That would be Kahlil Benson and Louis Moore, who earned some All-Big Ten honors in '23. And E.J. Williams who had -- E.J. wanted to redshirt after his fourth game. And like I said to him, I decide who redshirts. If you can help the team, then that's what everybody is here to do. And he had dreams of playing in the league. It was his last year. So his only recourse was to go into the portal.
About mid-December we got together. We wanted him back; he wanted to come back. So that was another win for us as well, another guy that had started in '23, the year before I got here. So I think it says a lot about what went on last year that guys who had left on the front end and then returned.
On the never satisfied approach and how that trickles down…
CC: Well, I think you have high standards in everything you do, right? And if you prepare the right way, you expect success. You don't have a lot of time to enjoy it because the next challenge is coming up and you've got to get ready and you've got to prepare for that accordingly or you're not going to have success.
So I think that's part of being never satisfied. And that's the separator between good and great, is never being satisfied and resting on your laurels.
And I can promise you, this team is a hungry, humble team right now that's working really hard in the offseason program. And we've got to string together days, months, heading into the fall.
On the experience and depth Tyler Morris adds to the wide receiver's room…
CC: Experience, like you said. He's a senior. He's played a lot football, started a lot of games, made some big plays in some big games. There's a real benefit in that, and I'm glad we got him.
On the priorities he has for spring practice…
CC: I think spring ball is always you want to develop players, practice habits, start to develop some intangibles on your football team -- consistency, toughness, resiliency, competitiveness. Get an idea of what your two-deep might look like heading into the fall. And then you might look at a couple of things schematically -- offense, defense, special teams -- which is a continual process.
On Roman Hemby's versatility…
CC: Kind of fits the bill what we look for because our backs do catch a number of passes also.
Yeah, I was impressed with his game against us here in the fall and obviously been watching tape of him for a while. He's got a lot of experience. Got a lot of career total yards, whether it's rushing or receiving. And we lost our top two guys. So he was a perfect fit for what we were looking for.
On if he feels they added flexibility to the offensive line and the depth with the young core of players…
CC: Well, you know, competition is a great thing; it makes everybody better. So we'll have increased competition on the offensive line.
Most of the guys up front can play multiple positions. They're smart guys. Maybe some of the interior guys wouldn't necessarily project real well at tackle, but there's a few who could and vice versa.
I think some of the young guys, this is their opportunity to take another step. There's a couple that we think could be ready to take meaningful snaps and play successful football in the fall.
And that's the bottom line. If you can play successful football, we're going to find a role for you. So we don't want to throw anybody out there before they're ready, that's for darned sure. And I think we're in a position right now as a football team where we shouldn't have to do that.
On if revenue sharing has changed his approach…
CC: I think all coaches have had to adjust and the rules are changing all the time, the landscape. You've got to be light on your feet. You've got to do the best job with whatever resources you have to put together the best roster you can.
So we've always done a good job of that. And I think we did a pretty good job this past winter.
On the process to Bryant Haines' new contract extension…
CC: Well, you know, when you're successful and you win and you're a coordinator and your side of the ball excels -- I think we're number one in the country against the run, number two in total defense, we're number one in Big Ten in other categories -- he's done a great job for me. I think he just completed his third year as coordinator. He's been with me 11 or 12 years -- people are going to come after him.
The blue bloods were knocking at the door and we didn't want to lose him and we were proactive. I really appreciate President Whitten and Scott Dolson for the tremendous support that they've provided since I've become the head coach that enables us to keep a key person like Bryant Haines.
On how he feels about the depth at cornerback…
CC: No, I don't think -- we added some pieces in the portal, which probably expedited an exit or two. We didn't lose, you know, anyone that we were projecting to start in the fall, let me just put it that way. But everything is earned, not given, so you never know. I like who we have. Coach Ojong likes who we have. And I think we have an opportunity to have better depth than we did last season.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
152501-1-1045 2025-02-05 17:29:00 GMT.
Players Mentioned
OL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ FootballFB: Aiden Fisher - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Saturday, September 27
FB: Fernando Mendoza & Elijah Sarratt - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Saturday, September 27
FB: Pat Coogan - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Saturday, September 27
FB: Week 5 (at Iowa) - Curt Cignetti Post Game Press Conference
Saturday, September 27