Preseason Central: Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After a 2024 season that included a program-record 11 victories and a College Football Playoff appearance, head coach Curt Cignetti and the Indiana football program are firmly focused on an encore during the 2025 campaign with fall camp scheduled to get underway July 30.
Our Preseason Central page will keep you up-to-date with all the preseason news, notes and honors from start of fall camp up to the 2025 season opener against Old DOminion on Saturday, Aug. 30, inside Memorial Stadium. From updated awards, press conference, content from IUHoosiers.com insider Pete DiPrimio, and everything in between, this will be your one-stop shop for Indiana football conent.
DON'T MISS A PETE
Follow along with IUHoosiers.com staff writer Pete DiPrimio as he brings you an inside look at the Hoosier football program as it progresses through fall camp and into the season.
Fall Camp
‘Phenomenal’ – Ponds Pushes To Be The Best (8/23)
Keeping It Simple Fuels Radicic’s Kicking Success (8/21)
‘Dominate’ – Wyatt Adds Versatility to Defensive Line (8/19)
‘Complete Back’ – Versatile Hemby Ready to Share in Powerhouse Backfield (8/14)
‘Fine Tuning’ – Coogan Set to Anchor Potential Powerhouse Offensive Line (8/12)
‘No Limits’ – Fall Camp Opener Showcases Hoosier Potential (8/2)
With Winning Culture in Place, Hoosiers Ready to Roll (7/30)
Winter Workouts/Spring Ball
‘Going Great’ -- Anticipation Grows for Mendoza and Hoosiers (7/29)
Ready to Mold -- Cignetti, Hoosiers Seek More This Season (7/25)
‘Leave a Mark’ – Black Aims for Big Final Season (7/18)
Doing More – Versatile Ferrell Seeks to Continue Difference-Making Play (7/9)
‘Data Nerd’ – Regression, P Value and Langston’s Long-Snapping Success (7/2)
‘Fun Journey’ – Beebe Jr. Gambled on his Running Back Skills, and Won (6/25)
Older, Wiser McCarthy Embraces IU Punting Opportunity (6/18)
Ready for More – IU Seeks to Build Off Record-Setting Season (6/12)
Big-Play Potential -- Hemby Looks Forward to Hoosier Challenge (6/4)
Williams Jr. Adds to IU’s Offensive Fun (5/21)
Still Hungry – Love of the Game Fuels D’Angelo Ponds (5/12)
Pound the Ground -- IU Running Game Poised for More Big Things (5/5)
Cooper, Hoosiers Flash Potential in Spring Game (4/17)
Spring Game Will Have Same Focus -- Fast, Physical, Relentless (4/16)
‘Game On’ – Coogan Transitions from Irish to Hoosier (4/14)
Cignetti Is Spring-Practice Clear -- Never Waste a Chance to Improve (4/12)
Beware the ‘Dog’ – Kamara Remains in Attack Mode (4/7)
‘Gamer’ – Fernando Mendoza Sets Early Hoosier Quarterback Tone (4/4)
‘Not Over’ – Smith Sees Big Things Once Again from Offensive Line, Hoosiers (3/31)
‘One More Ride’ – Fisher Back and Ready to Lead (3/17)
Spring Practice Focus: Improve, Develop, Compete (3/10)
‘Needs Addressed’ – Strong Newcomer Class Reflects Unprecedented Success (2/12)
Power Push – Hoosiers Hungry for More Football Success (2/21)
Spring Practice Focus: Improve, Develop, Compete (3/10)
‘One More Ride’ – Fisher Back and Ready to Lead (3/17)
MEDIA AVAILABILITIES
See and hear everything that head coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosier student-athletes are talking about during fall camp media availabilities.
Curt Cignetti Press Conference (7/30)
Student-Athlete Media Availability (7/31)
Curt Cignetti Press Conference (8/4)
Student-Athlete Media Availability (8/5)
Student-Athlete Media Availability (8/8)
Curt Cignetti Press Conference (8/11)
Student-Athlete Media Availability (8/13)
Curt Cignetti Press Conference (8/19)
Student-Athlete Media Availability (8/21)
PRESEASON AWARDS & HONORS
From preseason player rankings to all-conference honors, here are the Hoosiers that people are talking about entering 2025.
Curt Cignetti | Head Coach
Tabbed national coach of the year by six different outlets during his first season at the helm of the Hoosier program and guided IU to its winningest season in program history. Set the program record for victories (11) and Big Ten victories (8) in initial season on campus, which helped Indiana earn a berth into the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
- Bobby Dodd Preseason Coach of the Year Watch List
Pat Coogan | OL | R-Sr.
One of the new faces on the roster in 2025, Coogan helped Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game a season ago as one of the top centers nationally. He has blocked for back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers and the ground attack piled up 73 rushing scores.
- Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List
Drew Evans | OL | R-Jr.
Part of an offensive line that was named semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2024, Evans started the first nine games of the season before a season-ending injury prior to Week 11 against Michigan (11/9). One of six Hoosiers to make a first collegiate start in 2024, he was part of an offensive line that didn’t allow a sack in back-to-back Big Ten games (Week 9, Washington; Week 10, at Michigan State) for the first time since a five-game streak in 2001.
- Comeback Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List
Aiden Fisher | LB | Sr.
After he was the first-ever first-team All-America pick at linebacker in program history in 2024, Fisher is back after his 118-tackle season that ranks No. 16 on the single season charts. The first-team All-Big Ten pick last season anchored a defense that led the nation in rushing defense.
- ESPN Top-100 CFP Players Entering 2025 (No. 77)
- Associated Press Preseason second-team All-America (LB)
- Athlon Sports Preseason third-team All-America (LB)
- Phil Steele Preseason second-team All-America (LB)
- Sporting News Preseason first-team All-America (LB)
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List
- Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List
- Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List
Roman Hemby | RB | R-Sr.
A two-time All-Big Ten pick over his four seasons at Maryland, Hemby appeared in 41 career games with 38 consecutive starts to cap his Terps career. The Edgewood, Maryland, native owns 3,352 career all-purpose yards (2,347 rushing, 921 receiving, 84 kickoff return) and has scored 27 career touchdowns (22 rushing, 5 receiving). He has seven career 100-yard rushing games and five career multi-touchdown games.
- Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List
Makai Jackson | WR | Sr.
In 37 career games, Jackson has made 20 starts over three collegiate seasons, two at Appalachian State (2023-24) and one at St. Francis (Pa.) (2022). He earned FCS All-America honors as a freshman at SFU and owns a reception in 24-straight games and 36 of 37 career games played. He has seven career 100-yard receiving games and two multi-receiving touchdown games.
- Paul Hornung Award Preseason Watch List
Mikail Kamara | DL | R-Sr.
A finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, Kamara was a second-team All-America pick by The Athletic and first Indiana defensive lineman since Greg Middleton (first team) in 2007 to earn All-America status. The first-team All-Big Ten selection led the FBS in total pressures (73) and graded as the No. 4 edge rusher in the Big Ten and No. 15 in Power 4 (86.7) per Pro Football Focus.
- ESPN Top-100 CFP Players Entering 2025 (No. 35)
- Athlon Sports Preseason second-team All-America (DL)
- Phil Steele Preseason second-team All-America (DL)
- Sports Illustrated Preseason first-team All-America (DL)
- Walter Camp Preseason second-team All-America (DL)
- Lott Trophy Preseason Watch List
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List
- Walter Camp Award Preseason Watch List
- Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List
- Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List
Mark Langston | LS | Gr.+
Starting all 13 games as the long snapper in 2024, Langston was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick from the conference media and coaches. Of his 116 snaps last season, 79 ended in points for the Hoosiers .
- Patrick Mannelly Award Preseason Watch List
Bray Lynch | OL | R-Jr.
Starting all 13 games at right guard in 2024 as part of an offensive line unit that was selected as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. Lynch is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten performer in the classroom and graded out at the No. 10 overall offensive guard in the Big Ten per Pro Football Focus in 2024.
- Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Preseason Watch List
Fernando Mendoza | QB | R-Jr.
With 20 career games played and 19 starts over three seasons at Cal, Mendoza was the No. 14 overall prospect in the Transfer Portal and No. 3 quarterback per 247Sports for the 2025 season. He finished his career as the all-time leader in completion percentage (66.4%) at Cal and tied for No. 7 in 250-yard passing games (10). His 2024 season produced just the ninth 3,000-yard passing season in Cal history (3,004 yards) and a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl.
- Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team
- Wuerffel Tophy Preseason Watch List
- Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
- Davey O'Brien Award Preseason Watch List
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List
D'Angelo Ponds | DB | Jr.
A second-team All-America pick by six outlets in 2024, Ponds was a first-team All-Big Ten pick as a true sophomore. Rated the top cornerback in the Big Ten and No. 9 in Power 4 (84.2) per Pro Football Focus he picked off three passes, broke up nine more passes and ended the season with 55 tackles (35 solo). In one of the season-defining plays of 2024, Ponds opened the scoring versus Washington with a 67-yard pick-six that thwarted a UW scoring opportunity in the first quarter.
- ESPN Top-100 CFP Players Entering 2025 (No. 82)
- Associated Press Preseason second-team All-America (DB)
- Athlon Sports Preseason second-team All-America (DB)
- Phil Steele Preseason third-team All-America (DB)
- Sporting News Preseason second-team All-America (DB)
- Sports Illustrated Preseason first-team All-America (DL)
- Walter Camp Preseason first-team Preseason All-America (DB)
- Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List
- Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List
Elijah Sarratt | WR | Sr.
An all-conference performer in each of his three collegiate season, Sarratt was a third-team All-Big Ten pick in 2024 after he ranked top-40 nationally in receiving touchdowns (No. 36; 8) and receiving yards (No. 35; 957), with both totals top-10 in program history. He graded as the No. 4 receiver in the Big Ten and No. 13 in Power 4 (80.8) per Pro Football Focus (min. 500 snaps) and set an IU record for yards receiving in the Old Oaken Bucket win over Purdue (165 yards).
- ESPN Top-100 CFP Players Entering 2025 (No. 78)
- Associated Press Preseason second-team All-America (WR)
- Athlon Sports Preseason second-team All-America (WR)
- Phil Steele Preseason second-team All-America (WR)
- Walter Camp Preseason second-team All-America (WR)
- Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
- Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List
E.J. Williams Jr. | WR | R-Sr.
Battling injury in multiple seasons during his career, Williams Jr. appeared in four games last season before he redshirted the year. Caught a pass in his first appearance of the season at Northwestern and grabbed a reception in his appearance against Nebraska.
- Comeback Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List
