The transfer portal is open. Breaking down Indiana football’s needs

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coaches will have to go portal shopping while prepping for the Peach Bowl.

The No. 1 Hoosiers (14-0) will likely add 15-20 transfers to the roster as they look to reload for 2026. The staff has long prioritized development, but they will need to add experience to a roster losing more than 25 seniors, a number that doesn’t include key players potentially leaving early for the NFL.

Indiana has already been linked to some prominent names, like former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover and MSU receiver Nick Marsh.

Here’s a look at the positions IU might prioritize in the coming days:

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at quarterback

Key departures: Grant Wilson
Biggest question: How does the Fernando Mendoza question resolve? He’s an almost surefire first-round pick if he declares. Indiana is recruiting in the portal (Josh Hoover) like Mendoza will go.
How many quarterbacks should IU target? At least one, with just Alberto Mendoza and Jacob Bell back. Given IU doesn’t look likely right now to sign a quarterback in 2026, even if the Hoosiers land a big name in the portal, they might also pursue another depth option like they did with Wilson, from Old Dominion, last year. Don’t expect Alberto Mendoza to just cede the starting job next fall.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at running back

Key departures: Roman Hemby, Kaelon Black
Biggest question: How much faith is there in what’s already in the program? Khobie Martin remains young but flashed real potential this fall. Lee Beebe Jr. will be returning from a major knee injury. Indiana needs more depth here, but how much?
How many running backs should IU target? Certainly at least one. If there’s confidence in Beebe’s recovery, maybe that’s it. If not, or if the staff feels Martin might benefit from another year of development, a second significant addition at running back might be necessary. More than most positions, this depends a lot on what the staff thinks of what it already has.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at wide receiver

Key departures: Elijah Sarratt, E.J. Williams, Jonathan Brady
Biggest question: What are Omar Cooper’s intentions? His combination of size and explosiveness make him a dangerous downfield threat, and he can play both inside and outside. If Cooper opts for the NFL, there’s more work to do. One other wrinkle is the possibility of Michigan transfer receiver Tyler Morris applying for another year of eligibility. Morris suffered an injury back in the spring, but was participating in a limited basis in practices leading up to the Rose Bowl.
How many wide receivers should IU target? Certainly at least one, but probably two. The quantity of names linked in the portal window thus far suggests two major additions are likely. That might be in response to Cooper’s intentions, or in spite of them. Two makes sense if Cooper returns, giving IU the same four-from-three dynamic that developed this year. If he declares, that number probably rises to three.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at tight end

Key departures: James Bomba, Riley Nowakowski, Holden Staes
Biggest question: Can Indiana start developing long-term ideas here? This will mark the third-straight portal window the top end of the depth chart needs remade, this time even more so with Bomba officially gone. All the Hoosiers’ other tight ends, however promising, remain young.
How many tight ends should IU target? Two, minimum. Three seems like a stretch, especially if you do want to start creating a pathway for those young tight ends to start developing into more meaningful contributors. But every snap taken in anger by a tight end this fall will be out the door when the season ends. Not one of the three players mentioned above has eligibility left. Indiana will need to add multiple veterans.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs on the offensive line

Key departures: OT Kahlil Benson, C Pat Coogan, OL Zen Michalski
Biggest question: Does Carter Smith declare for the draft? The dynamic resembles that of Cooper’s impact on the wide receiver room. Smith is probably on the bubble in terms of a stay vs. go decision, at least based on available NFL feedback. His return or departure dictates a lot of the need here.
How many offensive linemen should IU target? Two, minimum. Indiana will need a new center, presuming that player isn’t hidden on the roster right now. The Hoosiers seem to like some of their young linemen, but it might still be a year too early for most. Especially if someone like Bray Lynch is repurposed, Indiana could use interior depth as well. But this all starts with Smith. If he stays, IU returns three starters with a fourth (Adedamola Ajani) clearly rising into that kind of role. If Smith goes, the line will need meaningful surgery.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at defensive end

Key departures: Mikail Kamara, Stephen Daley, Kellan Wyatt
Biggest question: How much of a jump can Daniel Ndukwe make? He will be the lone returner with any real experience at the position. Yes, Mario Landino is more than capable of bouncing back outside, but the coaching staff is excited about his future at defensive tackle and want that to be his primary position.
How many defensive ends should IU target? Three, and that’s a tough ask since this is a premium position, unless the one of the three freshmen who redshirted is ready for an immediate role. Maybe in that scenario IU settles for two veterans? But that would leave them short on depth right out of the gate.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at defensive tackle

Key departures: Hosea Wheeler, Dominique Ratcliff
Biggest question: Does Tyrique Tucker run it back? He hasn’t been on a ton of draft boards, but he could at least weigh his NFL options after earning All-American honors this season.
How many defensive tackles should IU target? Assuming Tucker comes back, one. Indiana loaded up in the 2026 class on defensive tackles, but the physical demands of the position make it hard to count on those freshmen right at the start of their careers. The Hoosiers will be on the lookout for guys similar to the ones they are losing in Wheeler and Ratcliff to provide them some depth.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at linebacker

Key departures: Aiden Fisher
Biggest question: Does defensive coordinator Bryant Haines still want to prominently feature those 4-3 looks? Kaiden Turner had the potential to be a veteran contributor in those situations next year, but it’s not entirely clear if he will be back as a player who participated in Senior Day.
How many linebackers should IU target? One veteran linebacker. Indiana signed three recruits at the position in the 2026 class and could opt to build depth with that group to better address needs elsewhere on the roster, but they could use an experienced option on the bench.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at cornerback

Biggest question: All eyes will be on D’Angelo Ponds. Ponds, like Fernando Mendoza, has little left to prove in college. He’s earned All-American honors every year he’s played and the questions about his NFL future (his size) won’t change by getting more reps.
How many corners should IU target? One, as long as IU doesn’t have a ton of additional attrition at the position beyond Amariyun Knighten. Knighten, who was a former starter at Northern Illinois, jumped into the portal on Friday. As long as Jamari Sharpe and Ryland Gandy remain in Bloomington, the Hoosiers should only need to add one corner.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at safety

Key departures: Louis Moore, Devan Boykin
Biggest question: Is Byron Baldwin Jr. ready for the spotlight? An injury derailed IU’s plans to get him more seasoning this season, but the coaching staff still opted to burn his redshirt. It’s a sign they feel strongly about him potentially becoming an impact player in short order for the program.
How many safeties should IU target? With IU starting three safeties, it will need to add one veteran to the mix assuming Amare Ferrell doesn’t leave early for the NFL. The Hoosiers had success building the safety room around Ferrell each of the last two seasons and 2026 shouldn’t be any different.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at kicker

Key departures: Brendan Franke
Biggest question: Does Indiana want another kickoff specialist? It seems likely, especially given Quinn Warren’s long-term future seems to be at punter.
How many kickers should IU target? One. The Oregon win proved the value of a kickoff specialist who can also handle long field goal duties, something we’ve not seen Indiana try with Warren (who is, in fairness, listed as a kicker). It seems likely Indiana would want a player in Franke’s mold next season. Of perhaps equal interest: It’s time to start planning for life after Nico Radicic. Do we see anything resembling that in the offseason, or will that be a portal addition when the time comes?

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at kicker returner

Key departures: Hemby, Solomon Vanhorse
Biggest question: Does this player get recruited as a specialist? IU brought Vanhorse from James Madison specifically for kickoff duty two years ago but repurposed Hemby in the role in 2025. Which approach is preferred in 2026?
How many kick returners should IU target? Best guess: none, and this job just goes to a player already contributing elsewhere. But the Vanhorse move two years ago suggests Curt Cignetti isn’t above targeting someone specifically for this role.

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What are Indiana football’s transfer portal needs at long snapper

Key departures: Mark Langston
Biggest question: Is Sam Lindsey ready to step in as long snapper? The Georgia State transfer has two years of eligibility left and plenty of experience at the Sun Belt level.
How many long snappers should IU target? One. Maybe that’s competition with Lindsey. Maybe it’s just a younger player meant to serve as insurance in case of injury. But Indiana ran with two long snappers this year, and it stands to reason the Hoosiers will do the same next year.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times and Zach Osterman covers the Hoosiers for the IndyStar. You can follow them on X @michaelniziolek and @zachosterman.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football transfer portal needs breakdown for 2026

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