The 2025 season has been a defining one for Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers. The program’s impressive run, highlighted by a Big Ten title, a perfect 15-0 record, and a place in the CFP national championship game, has been impossible to ignore. That success extends to the transfer portal. Indiana’s latest recruiting win comes at the expense of Jon Sumrall, who missed out on a priority wide receiver target.

It is never easy for a program to hold on to its top target when that player draws interest from the most dominant team of the season, and that is exactly what happened in Jon Sumrall’s case. Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Shazz Preston was viewed as a key addition for Sumrall at his new home in Gainesville. Having worked together over the past two seasons, Sumrall appeared to have the upper hand in landing Preston. That advantage disappeared after Curt Cignetti entered the picture.

Shazz Preston has officially committed to the Indiana Hoosiers, dealing a significant blow to Jon Sumrall’s roster-building plans. During the 2025 season, Preston recorded 43 receptions for 723 yards and four touchdowns, leading Tulane Green Wave in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Preston was a consensus four-star recruit out of St. James High School in Louisiana in the 2022 signing class. He was ranked as the No. 56 overall player in the country by the 247Sports Composite. He received more than 20 scholarship offers, including those from the USC Trojans, Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers, and Georgia Bulldogs.

Not only that, but he also delivered a standout performance in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, hauling in five receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown against Ole Miss. That outing came against former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who originally recruited Preston to Alabama.

Preston’s arrival comes at a critical time for Indiana. The Hoosiers are set to lose key contributors Elijah Sarratt and E.J. Williams Jr. to exhausted eligibility, while Omar Cooper Jr. could also depart early for the NFL. On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power also offered a detailed evaluation of Preston’s qualities.

“One of the best receivers in high-point situations in the 2022 cycle,” Power wrote. “Has tremendous feel, timing, and body control when the ball is in the air. Competes in traffic, plucks the ball with extended arms, and uses his 9.5-inch hands effectively. Shows strong foot quickness, burst off the line, and start-stop ability after the catch. Quicker than fast, but plays faster than he will time.”

Before emerging at Tulane, Preston spent two seasons at Alabama, where his role was limited. He appeared in ten games overall, primarily on special teams. In 2022, he played in five games, including the bowl game, allowing him to preserve a redshirt. He joins a program that is on the verge of doing something historic: winning the natty with an undefeated record.

Curt Cignetti could make history with Indiana

When Curt Cignetti was hired by the Indiana Hoosiers in 2024, few expected such a dramatic turnaround. Indiana had just finished last in the conference with a 3-9 record, only to surge to an 11-2 campaign the following season and finish second in the conference behind Oregon. Even then, some dismissed the rise as a fluke. Cignetti has since erased any such doubt.

The Hoosiers followed that breakthrough with a perfect 15-0 season, a Big Ten title, and a spot in the CFP national championship game. Indiana now has a chance to be crowned national champions against Miami, led by quarterback Carson Beck, at Hard Rock Stadium. With Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza continuing to deliver elite performances, the Hoosiers look every bit like the most complete team in college football.

As expected, Indiana enters the championship game as a 7.5-point favorite, even with the contest being played on Miami’s home turf. The line reflects just how dominant the Hoosiers have been throughout the season. Their last loss came in December 2024, a 27-17 playoff defeat to Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a result that now feels like a distant memory.

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