Just days into spring practice, the Indiana Hoosiers’ defensive line room is already one man shorter after Curt Cignetti added six freshmen to the roster. A four-star signee out of Sarasota, Florida, won’t see the field with the Hoosiers in 2026.

Kevontay Hugan isn’t currently listed on Indiana’s roster, and his bio has been removed from IU’s official website. Hugan originally gave a verbal commitment to Louisville last March. But his official visit to Bloomington immediately changed his recruitment trajectory. After that, the 4-star edge rusher officially decommitted from Louisville and announced his commitment to Indiana just hours later in June 2025.

Then, last December, during the early signing period, he officially signed with the Hoosiers and arrived on campus in Bloomington as a midyear enrollee this January. Now, the reason behind cutting this longtime Indiana commit from the roster hasn’t been revealed yet. Even if he had remained on the roster, Hugan would have faced a tough battle for playing time as a freshman due to the Hoosiers’ established depth at the defensive line position.

At the start of spring camp, Curt Cignetti expressed satisfaction with the team‘s D-line depth, with a combined 18 players listed at DT and DE. That unit includes returning veterans like Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino, as well as transfer additions like Joshua Burnham, Chiddi Obiazor, and Tobi Osunsanmi.

Hugan was a key figure in leading Booker High School football to back-to-back State Final Four appearances in 2024 and 2025. Last season, as a senior, he recorded 67 tackles and 39.0 TFLs, and before that, in 2024, he racked up 118 tackles and 36.0 TFLs as a junior.

Now, whether losing this 4-star freshman will truly sting Curt Cignetti’s Indiana is an entirely different question, but his flip from Louisville to the Hoosiers was because the bond between Indiana’s players and coaches felt like a “big family” to him. He also built a strong relationship with DEs coach Buddha Williams.

But now, what would be Hugan’s next step? That’s something interesting to follow. Meanwhile, Indiana suffers a tough blow. 

Indiana lost a 4-star target to Notre Dame

Indiana had been pushing hard for months to land explosive 4-star RB Isaiah Rogers. Rogers picked up his Indiana offer last July 16 and had emerged as one of the staff’s most important 2027 targets, especially after the recent receiver reshuffle in the class. But the recruiting battle ultimately slipped away at the finish line.

The 4-star RB announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Monday. He chose the Irish over PSU, Georgia, and Indiana. The decision followed growing momentum toward South Bend, including a late prediction from Steve Wiltfong that pointed toward Marcus Freeman’s program. With Rogers now South Bend–bound, his planned Bloomington visit is off the table.

For Cignetti’s staff, the loss stings because the 2027 RB talent fit perfectly with the Hoosiers’ vision. After a junior season with nearly 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit TDs, he brings elite burst and versatility to Notre Dame’s 2027 class.

With Rogers off the board, Indiana’s recruiting staff must now pivot and identify new targets in a competitive 2027 running back class to avoid falling behind its rivals.