Indiana vs. Miami recruiting breakdown: How Hoosiers’ roster without a 5-star compares to Hurricanes

Indiana vs. Miami recruiting breakdown: How Hoosiers’ roster without a 5-star compares to Hurricanes originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

How did No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami build their rosters?

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That’s one of the questions leading up to the College Football Playoff championship game on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has engineered a remarkable two-year turnaround with the Hoosiers, and Miami coach Mario Cristobal has the Hurricanes on the brink of their sixth national championship in program history – and first since 2001.

How did these schools blend that talent into national championship-caliber rosters?

“Ironically, we are playing against a team that is very much a veteran group, right?” Cristobal said on the CFP championship teleconference Monday. “You’re looking at a lot of similarities in the sense of players that have experience — experience is irreplaceable.”

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Both rosters are flush with experienced players and transfer portal additions.

“I think in college football nowadays you’ve gotta win every year — with social media the way it is, the pressure to be successful, you’ve gotta put together a team that’s ready to compete for championships every single year,” Cignetti said on the CFP championship teleconference. “Now, the more success you have, the better you’re going to recruit from the high school ranks. Those guys will develop, and most of them will redshirt, but some of them will play as a freshman.”

Sporting News took a closer look at both teams’ starting lineups to find out, including 12 offensive starters (two running backs), the 11 defensive starters and the kicker and punter.

MORE: Predictions for Indiana-Miami title clash

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Indiana vs. Miami rosters by star ratings, experience, transfers

In the recruiting world, a 5-star or 4-star prospect is considered a ‘blue-chip’ recruit. Miami features 10 blue-chips among its starting lineup (two 5-stars, eight 4-stars) while the Hoosiers have just two blue-chips — 4-star offensive lineman Zen Michalski and 4-star punter Mitch McCarthy.

Indiana’s starters average 2.5 stars according to 247Sports.com‘s rankings and 4.3 years of college football experience. A total of 15 of those players – or 60% – came to Indiana from the transfer portal. Six of those starters followed Cignetti from James Madison. The Hoosiers have two starters from Indiana and four from Texas, Florida and Virginia.

“When I got here we had 10 offensive starters in the transfer portal and we had one returner on defense,” Cignetti said. “We were down to 40 scholarships by Day 3, so we needed to hit the portal hard. And we signed 22 guys that all have been two- or three-year starters with consistent production. I knew we had flipped the roster.”

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Miami’s 25 starters average 3.0 stars according to 247Sports.com‘s rankings. Those players average 3.9 years of college experience. A total of those 14 players – or 56% – came to the Hurricanes through the transfer portal. Miami has 10 starters from Florida, and six of those players were recruited to Miami out of high school.

“For us, I think it’s been a great blend of the portal pickups combined with the players that have been here for three and four years,” Cristobal said. “It comes down to the fact that they’re like-minded individuals, and the young talent we recruited, they are from a DNA standpoint, they are hard-working guys. They are high-achievers.”

MORE: Miami’s CFP run has feel of March Madness

Indiana vs. Miami offense by star ratings, experience, transfers

Indiana’s starting offense – including a second running back – averaged 2.5 stars and 4.4 years of college experience. Seven of those players transferred at least one, and star receiver Elijah Sarratt transferred twice from Saint Francis (Pa.) to James Madison to Indiana. Offensive lineman Zen Michalski and receiver Omar Cooper Jr. are Indiana natives. It is an experienced offense that averages 42.6 points per game.

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“There’s no question about it — a 22 year old is a little wiser, older, bigger, stronger,” Cignetti said. “He’s had four years in the offense, defense or special teams, and he’s a more productive player.”

MORE: Pat Coogan’s full-circle moment at Peach Bowl semifinal

Miami’s starting offense averages 3.3 stars and 4.0 years of college experience. Quarterback Carson Beck and CJ Daniels are sixth-year players. Seven players on the offense transferred at least once, and three of those players, including Daniels, Keelan Marion and James Brockermeyer – are two-time transfers.

Indiana vs. Miami defense by star ratings, experience, transfers

Indiana’s starting defense averaged 1.5 stars and 4.3 years of college experience. Seven players transferred at least once, and All-American linebacker Aiden Fisher and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds and defensive tackle Tyrique Taylor followed Cignetti from James Madison. Mario Landino and Rolijah Hardy were key pieces of the Hoosiers’ 2024 recruiting class.

Miami’s starting defense averages 3.3 stars and 3.9 years of college experience. Sophomore defensive lineman Justin Scott is the only five-star recruit from either defense. Rueben Bain, Ahmad Moten Sr. and Wesley Bissainthe are in-state recruits. Bain and Bissainthe are Miami natives. The defense also has six transfers, including all five players in the secondary.

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“We’re as national as Miami has ever been from a roster standpoint, all positions, but again it doesn’t matter if you’re from one mile away or 1,000 miles away,” Cristobal said. “If you are made of the right stuff, you’ve got the right heart and the right mindset, it works. The team is very evenly made up of all three of those different buckets of talent.”

SN AWARDS: 2025 All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year

Indiana vs. Miami special teams by star ratings, experience, transfers

Indiana’s kicker and punter average 1.5 stars and 3.5 years of college experience. Nico Radicic was a three-start recruit in high school, and Mitch McCarthy – a UCF transfer – is from Australia.

Miami’s special teams had zero stars in recruiting, but they average 3.5 years of experience. Carter Davis is a FAU transfer, and Dylan Joyce also is an Australian punter.