The Hoosiers are looking to replicate a historic season in 2025. The Indiana before Kurt Cignetti and the Indiana after Curt Cignetti are different breeds altogether. The ‘Google me’ head coach stepped in and made it feel like a new splash of rainbow amidst the deep-soaked rain in Bloomington. A dormant program, which made the worst record in the Football Bowl Subdivision, racking up most losses with 713 under Tom Allen, was perhaps waiting for a diving rod. 11-1 was the revolution they didn’t see coming. Cignetti brought that to existence with his breakout season. The hope starts to skyrocket for the year in line. So, what would be the depth chart assist for Fernando Mendoza, the likely starter after Kurtis Rourke? 

Rourke made a splash through the entire 2024 season, playing with a re-torn ACL. He led the team to the historic playoff and capped it off by coming in ninth in the coveted Heisman contention. However, given he has now made the much-anticipated jump to the draft, it’s on Fernando Mendoza to rise and carry the torch next. But will he get a depth chart as good as Rourke’s? Well, it seems he will get, in fact, some more, but there is a risk juncture that needs to be addressed.

Revealing the baited trap, insider Jacob Goins, during the March 27th episode of Locked On College Football, said, ”I’ll tell you anyway about Fernando Mendoza, and I don’t think he has to be as good as Kurtis Rourke is. Because I think there’s more around him than what Kurtis Rourke had. If you could have Kurtis work on this upcoming team, Indiana would be not only trying to get back to a playoff but making a run in the college football playoff because of an improved offensive line, because of your two returning top receivers, and the question mark I have for Indiana is the running back room.”

IU lost Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton, the two gems of the RB room, in the past year. In 2024, Ellison recorded a seven-straight-game stretch with a rushing touchdown (Weeks 2-6, 8-9), the longest single-season streak at IU since 2013. Losing the stalwarts of the offense would definitely pose a threat, but there is still reason to hope. Cignetti added three new fish from the portal.

Lee Beebe had a productive year at UAB. Red-shirt freshman Khobie Martin’s return shows promise. Sean Cuono, a true freshman from Florida, is also expected to contribute to the spot in the rotation. Roman Hemby, a Redshirt Senior from Maryland, can pick up the pace if needed. Also, Solomon Vanhorse decides to be back for his eighth season with the Hoosiers and seems to finish it like a boss. So, it’s safe to say there is room to breathe, but it needs to have meshed well under Mike Shanahan. The wit and precision in the heavy rotation will decide the game, after all.

Before the new regular season kicks off, Cignetti dished out mixed-bag feelings on his newly built team.

Curt Cignetti clears his expectations for a brand-new IU squad

Spring practice is underway. Curt Cignetti came clean on his realistic expectations for a newbie team. He stated, “I thought today was a very solid day,” and started giving off a more thorough picture. “But look, this is a football team that didn’t finish the season very well. Went up and played in the college football playoff and didn’t play like we wanted to play, have some things to prove.”

You might have dubbed 2024 as Indiana’s breakout season, but the HC wasn’t pleased at all. He looks for more from a superstar team that he puts in a relentless effort to build on. But that still is a foregone dream. Now, all he has is the upcoming year in the head-on view.

But the team is very much unproven on the gridiron. Cignetti sparked doubt, saying, “Here are a whole bunch of new guys, a new team. Every team in America is pretty much that way, probably 90 percent of them. Everyone is 0-0 right now, and they will be heading into game 1 in the fall.” The conference home opener against Illinois will be an early test for the team to prove its potential. Of course, there will be shakes and hiccups on the road.

But the new starter, however, seems to be a solid game-changer in 2025. The two-year Cal standout started in 19 games, throwing for 4,712 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He recorded his best last season—3,004 yards and 16 TDs to just six interceptions. The sky is the limit for Mendoza and the IU offense if the offensive line bodes well.