On Top of Preparing For The CFB Semifinals, The Indiana Hoosiers Are Having The Best Transfer Portal in College Football
What a week for the Indiana Hoosiers. They win their first Rose Bowl by beating Alabama 38-3, and a few days later, in the midst of preparing for the CFB Semifinal, the Hoosiers are also having the best start to transfer portal season in the country. Apparently steamrolling the Alabama Crimson Tide in the college football playoffs is good for recruiting. Who would have guessed?
I should say, according to 247, the Hoosiers technically have the 3rd ranked transfer class (so far).
But considering Penn State and Oklahoma State both fired their head coaches and are being forced to replace half their team (Penn State = 33 outgoing transfers, Oklahoma State = 66 outgoing transfers), I'm giving Indiana the nod when it comes to who's having the best overall transfer portal. Not that Indiana isn't a senior laden team with plenty of key players to replace in their own right. But as a Hoosiers fan, it's hard to not be excited about the proven players who've decided they want to be a part of the best story in college football.
Starting with one of the most sought after QB's in the portal – TCU's Josh Hoover.
I'd be lying if I said I was thrilled about the increasing number of interceptions year over year. His sophomore year was more impressive than his junior year. And based on my minimal research, he might also be a furry.
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But that furry can make some damn impressive throws. He's an NFL talent. Josh Hoover is almost certainly the #1 furry prospect in the history of football. So that's pretty cool. Regardless, it's hard to not trust Curt Cignetti knows what he's doing at the quarterback position. In 2024, he took Kurtis Rourke straight out of the MAC and made the college football playoffs. It's safe to say Fernando Mendoza exceeded expectations this season. So as it stands, here is your Indiana Hoosiers QB1 for 2027.
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For Josh Hoover to throw the ball to, Indiana grabbed a top receiver transfer in Nick Marsh out of Michigan State
An elite receiver who was unfortunately subjected to spending his first two seasons in a hopeless situation. If he wasn't already out the door, surely Michigan State's firing of head coach Jonathan Smith was the final push he needed. Elijah Sarratt is out of eligibility. Omar Cooper Jr. could declare for the NFL. But even with both of them gone, the combination of Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker at WR should be one of the best duos in all of college football.
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To help replace Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black in the backfield, Indiana signed a running back from Boston College who's name literally translates to Super Penis.
For someone who watched Indiana football for the first time this year, Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black would be pretty damn difficult to tell apart. They split carries close to equally. They have similar running styles. They're roughly the same size. They do a lot of the same things. As a fan, it's made almost no difference to me who Indiana has lined up in the backfield. And when I watch Turbo Dick run the football, it looks incredibly familiar. He seems to fit the same mold of running back that Indiana has had so much success with recently.
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On the other side of the ball, 4-star transfer edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi out of Kansas State, who recorded 4 sacks in only 6 games this season, will be joining what might be the most disruptive defensive front in college football.
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Along with 3-year Notre Dame starting edge, Josh Burnham. Who was apparently sick and tired of playing for the second best team in the state of Indiana.
Add on yet another Kansas State edge rusher in Chiddi Obiazor, who has two years of eligibility remaining.
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A couple of safeties in Wisconsin's Preston Zachman (who will be in his 6th year of college football).
Along with Cincinnati's Jaquan Sanks (2 years of eligibility remaining).
And that's not a bad haul of transfers for a team who's mastered the portal as well as anyone.
Another surreal week for Indiana Hoosiers football. It's a little crazy that arguably the most important week of their recruiting season is the same week they're preparing for the most important game of their lives.
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But I suppose that's what you get when you rely on the transfer portal to build your team. That's the college football world we live in nowadays. As an Indiana fan, I'm not complaining.