Curt Cignetti is confident in the Hoosiers’ goal for the 2026 season to follow up on their historic national championship, but the head coach is not free from concern. Indiana is still dealing with the effects of a 16-game national championship season, and Cignetti confirms the impact is quite high.

“We have a number of guys not starting, 17 total,” said Cignetti during his Thursday presser, referring to IU players sidelined from spring practice.

The group of 17 includes several key starters and essential rotational players, and this high number is primarily due to the physical toll of last season’s 16 games, according to the Hoosiers head coach. Cignetti noted that while some players “showed up needing surgery” following that 2025 season, most of the absences are due to “little things that popped up during spring.”

For Indiana, one of the most significant absences is WR Charlie Becker, who is sidelined for the remainder of spring with a hamstring injury suffered during the team’s fifth practice session. Then OT Carter Smith is out for the entire spring following shoulder surgery.

Meanwhile, OL Bray Lynch is dealing with multiple leg issues, including a post-season “cleanup” surgery. Lynch is the top candidate to move from right guard to center this season with the departure of Pat Coogan to the NFL, and Cignetti believes Lynch is “smart enough” to handle the transition to snapping the football and making line calls once fully healthy.

RB Lee Beebe Jr. is currently unavailable because he continues to rehab from knee surgery sustained last September, and he is expected to be “full go” by fall camp this season. Then QB Grant Wilson has not seen practice reps in recent sessions, and RB Sean Cuono missed multiple practices during the second half of spring.

This extended schedule naturally led to more wear and tear, necessitating a more cautious approach during spring ball to manage player health. Despite the high volume of players out, Cignetti stated there is “nothing serious” that would likely impact their availability for the start of the 2026 season. That’s why the Hoosiers’ head coach used the phrase “We’re going to be in good shape” to express confidence in the team’s leadership and development.

Indiana’s head coach knows the trick to handling pressure

Curt Cignetti knows the challenge isn’t repeating history but rebuilding the championship mindset that made it possible in the first place.

“We’re building a house from the ground up again,” said Cignetti. “We’ve got to have that edge and be humble and hungry.”

The Indiana head coach already owns the blueprint for what championship football looks like inside his program. “You can’t really improve on 16-0 because there were 16 games, and you won every one of them,” added Cignetti. “What you can improve on is your day-to-day consistency and the tools in your toolkit.”

The mission is to prove it wasn’t a one-season miracle. To fulfill that mission, Cignetti built the 2026 roster, a mix of key national championship veterans and a top transfer portal class. The roster is bolstered by key transfers like quarterback Josh Hoover and running back Turbo Richard, who are expected to fill critical offensive roles, while returning veterans like LT Carter Smith anchor the line.