How Curt Cignetti made spring portal work for IU: 'I'm not looking for any third-teamers.' – IndyStar

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti set a high bar for his staff in the spring portal window. 
The Hoosiers came out of spring camp with a laundry list of needs mostly on the defensive side of the ball after signing 22 transfers in the winter. 
“I’m looking for the best I can get,” Cignetti said, after IU’s spring game. “I’m not looking for any third-teamers.”
He rightly anticipated a large talent pool would be available. 
According to 247Sports, there were 1,200-plus players who entered the portal from April 16 through April 30 and nearly 25% of them were multi-time transfers. That brought the total on the 2023-24 recruiting cycle up to a record-3,843 total transfers. 
Indiana filled most of their outstanding needs even though they were chasing top talent at premium positions including James Madison corner D’Angelo Ponds and Kent State defensive tackle CJ West. 
Their phones blew up with scholarship offers the minute they hit the portal. 
“The winter window, a lot of those teams were in bowl games, maybe there wasn’t quite as much competition and we had so many holes to fill, but we were able to bring two defensive linemen in, linebacker, corner, a safety and rover, which we needed to do,” Cignetti said, before an NIL-related event at Huber’s Orchard and Winery on May 29. “We feel good about it.”
The other signees in the spring included linebacker Nahji Logan (UMass), defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker (JMU), running back Solomon Vanhorse (JMU), safety DJ Warnell Jr. (Arizona) and cornerback Cedarius Doss (Austin Peay).
Cignetti continues to aim high on the recruiting trail whether it’s pitching high-ranking transfers or top high school recruits like the No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 signing class Julian Lewis, who recently visited IU’s campus.  
“Why shouldn’t we be in that position?” Cignetti said. “We’re a state school, the Big Ten and SEC are calling all the shots in college football. With a proper commitment any team in the Big Ten especially that has a state name can be successful.”
The comments echoed what Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson said at the same event about locking up the No. 2-ranked class of transfers.
Indiana football’s class was highly thought of as well. The Hoosiers signed 31 transfers — tied for the second most in the FBS — and ranked No. 27 in the country, according to 247Sports. One common theme among their incoming transfers was their level of experience. 
“All those guys were two-three starters from winning programs,” Cignetti said. 
It’s got Cignetti eager to see how the fully revamped roster looks when the team gets back on the field together for fall camp. 
“I have a lot of confidence in our football team,” Cignetti said.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek.

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