“Look, Google me. OK. I win.” Ever since Curt Cignetti took the reins in Indiana, he has been the man who keeps the CFB fans at the edge with his bombarding quotes. Interestingly, he did not only talk big but walked big, too. The Hoosiers went on a winning streak of 10 games. They even crushed Sherrone Moore’s Michigan Wolverines to mere specks of dust with their 20-15 win.

Finally, under Cignetti, the Hoosiers made their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. However, they could not make it to the national championship run. As Indiana hit the accelerator, they had to pull the handbrakes. That’s because of their growing injury concern. At the same time, Cignetti is not yet satisfied when it comes to his coaching roster. 

The WR room crisis in Curt Cignetti’s squad

Out of all of this, Cignetti needs to prove someone wrong. And that’s none other than the most critical man in college football, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum. When he was asked whether the Hoosiers would make it to the playoffs, Finebaum confidently replied, “No way that I would put Indiana in over Alabama.” Yes, they did prove him wrong. But the best answer would have been a Natty. As Cignetti molds his squad with a winner’s mindset, he might have to pause a little. On April 1, the Indiana HC faced the media, where he opened up about a major concern that is plaguing the Hoosiers’ squad.  

“We’re thin number-wise that’s for sure right now.” Well, Indiana lost their 16th player in February this year as their cornerback Jamier Johnson entered the portal. However, Cignetti operates with a ‘glass half full’ mindset. “I think the freshman in time will be okay [Myles] Kendrick and [Bryson] Bonds are with us right now and I like the guys that are out there.”

But here comes the news that might leave Hoosiers fans to worry a little. Already, Cignetti and Co. are in a tight spot. They lost one of their most promising new weapons in 2025, wide receiver Tyler Morris, to a season-ending non-contact knee injury. With Morris set to miss the entire 2025 season, Makai Jackson, who transferred from Appalachian State, was expected to fill the spot. Here, too, the universe chose to play foul. 

“Makai Jackson has sort of been limited to a hamstring a little bit the last two practices. We’re thin,” Curt Cignetti said. That’s how it’s a drought in the Hoosiers’ WR room. The unexpected injury updates forced Indiana HC to put Sam West, a tight end, at slot receiver to help run practice. On that note, the HC has kept the door open for adding someone to the transfer portal this spring.

During the press conference, he said, “I like our top-line guys. I like [Omar] Cooper, [Elijah] Sarratt, EJ [Williams], and [Charlie] Becker. I like those guys and I think [LeBron] Bond and [Myles] Kendrick have a future.” Cignetti is ready to take precautionary measures. “So, will we go shopping for another capable guy in case we have an injury? Perhaps.” Now, just as his players’ roster, his coaches’ roster is also giving Curt Cignetti sleepless nights. 

Cignetti’s honest take on Chandler Whitmer’s learning curve

Before stepping into the 2025 season, Cignetti thought of revamping his coaching roster a bit. So, last December, he announced the addition of Chandler Whitmer as the program’s quarterback coach and co-offensive coordinator. Cignetti had to look for a quick replacement as Tino Sunseri left the Hoosiers to become UCLA’s offensive coordinator. And who better than Whitmer? After all, his coaching resume includes work with some of the top names in quarterbacking. He helped Justin Fields (Ohio State) and Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) grow into NFL Draft picks. But it looks like Whitmer is yet to win Curt Cignetti’s trust. 

During the same press conference, the HC shared, “We’re trying to get coach Whitmer up to speed with our offense a little bit because it’s a new offense to him, and he hadn’t been in college football in a while. And college football and pro football are really a lot different.”

Whitmer spent two seasons in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Chargers (2021-23) as an offensive quality control assistant. Then he hopped onto the Atlanta Falcons’ wagon in 2024, serving as the pass game specialist. So his college football experience is zero, and that’s going to affect Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza. 

Curt Cignetti indeed appreciates how working with the best of the best added to Chandler Whitmer’s rich reserve of experience. However, the hands-on experience in the college football landscape is something that the coaches can’t do without. In that case, Cignetti did not shy away from lending his helping hand. “He’s been around a lot of good people but he really hasn’t been responsible for coaching a position. So I’m coaching Chandler a lot right now.”

If Cignetti’s plan falls into place, “Google me, I win” could soon be followed by “Google me, I’m a national champion.”