At Indiana University, head coach Curt Cignetti is doubling down on his knack for navigating this chaos, much like a master trader who knows exactly when to buy and sell. “We packed the stadium, made a lot of people proud and had a historic season, right,” Cignetti said. After engineering a historic turnaround last season in his first year with a roster fueled by 13 players with him from James Madison, Cignetti is ready to shake things up again—but this time, he’s operating in uncharted waters.

“Last year was such a whirlwind,” Curt Cignetti admitted on the ESPN College GameDay podcast with Rece Davis. Hired in a quick process and tasked with rebuilding the Indiana Hoosiers Football, he leaned heavily on familiarity, bringing reinforcements from James Madison University to Bloomington. It wasn’t a strategy born out of a grand vision but rather a necessity. “It was a close, tight-knit group, and it led to about 13 of them coming. Well, we don’t have that this year, but that’s fine. A lot of good players out there,” he explained.

The difference this offseason is striking. Last year, the CFB’s quote machine had the luxury of coaching many of his incoming players for years at JMU. He knew their strengths, weaknesses, and personalities like the back of his hand. This year? Not so much. “You don’t know quite as much about these guys this year as we did last year,” he admitted.

Still, he remains as confident as he was before their first-ever playoff loss to Notre Dame in over half a century. “We’ve got 17, we expect the 18th to come in today, and we’ve filled the needs that we’ve needed to fill.” After their 11-2 season, Coach Cig is facing some serious heat for his “I think we’ve done good” comments before the playoffs, which many saw as overly confident.

One of those needs was at quarterback, where Indiana hit the jackpot last year with Kurtis Rourke, who transferred from Ohio and became one of the nation’s best QBs despite playing the season on a torn ACL. Now headed to the NFL, Rourke leaves behind big shoes to fill. Enter Fernando Mendoza, a transfer from Cal who has already been dubbed IU’s quarterback of the future. Mendoza might not have Rourke’s pedigree yet, but he brings raw potential and the chance to grow in Cignetti’s system.

On offense, the Hoosiers also added Maryland running back Roman Henry and Appalachian State receiver Makai Jackson, two players who are expected to bring speed and explosiveness. These additions reflect Cignetti’s evolving approach. While last year’s strategy revolved around familiarity, this year’s is all about projection and fit. “A lot of guys fit our program,” he emphasized, underscoring his focus on building a team that not only competes but also thrives in the Big Ten.

Defensively, Indiana managed to retain its core of all-Big Ten players—Mikail Kamara, Aiden Fisher, and D’Angelo Ponds—all of whom followed Cignetti from JMU last year. Their decision to stay speaks volumes about the culture he’s building in Bloomington. Retaining key defensive pieces while adding fresh offensive talent through the portal shows a balanced approach that prioritizes continuity and growth.

Cignetti’s model is attracting attention across college football, with other programs scrambling to replicate his success. But as he explained, it’s not as simple as just loading up on transfers. It requires knowing your roster’s needs inside and out, understanding the personalities of incoming players, and fostering a team culture that unites a group of individuals from vastly different backgrounds. “Set the foundation for, you know, hopefully, what’s to come,” as Cig likes to sum it up.

Cignetti stuns GameDay with Rourke’s ‘mind-bending’ ACL story

Cig was put on the spot when Rece Davis asked about his quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s torn ACL—a revelation that is “mind-bending” for the ESPN analyst and for everyone around him. Davis, never one to shy away from the tough questions, got right to it: “Coach, I have not heard you talk about that, but how does a guy play a playoff game with a torn ACL? What’s the story there?”

Cignetti, in true coach fashion, handled it with a mix of honesty and deflection. “I can’t really speak to all the specifics,” he admitted. “He tweaked his knee a little in July during a change-of-direction drill, but the MRI-ed it and it looked good. He wore a brace in fall camp, and we didn’t think much of it.”

Things got trickier after the Purdue game, though. “He tweaked it again, but nothing major,” Cignetti explained. “Then, after the Notre Dame game, they found some things that weren’t there earlier. It’s wild.”

Despite the setbacks, Rourke had a phenomenal year, and in his last game for IU, he passed for 215 yards with 2 scores, earning his coach’s respect. “The knee was always a concern, but Kurtis battled through it. Credit to him. Now, he’s gotten it fixed and will be good to go for the NFL.” As they like to put it, no pain! No gain!