Curt Cignetti’s coaching tree has never been limited to coordinators and position coaches. He has been very attentive to his staff who work from the shadows. In a rare feat, an Indiana student assistant has etched her name in the NFL. Grace Wellman has achieved a rare NFL milestone while working across multiple organisations.

Grace Wellman has been an Indiana University football defensive student assistant under head coach Curt Cignetti since last season. She has carved out a well-deserved path in this sport. Her hard work did not go unnoticed. She gained hands-on NFL experience by shadowing the Kansas City Chiefs training camp in the summer of 2026.

“In 2026, she also attended Buffalo Bills OTAs as a guest coach and spent time with Steve Spagnuolo,” as per Leah Lowe on X on September 18. “She has interned with the New York Giants’ outside linebackers, participating in defensive and position meetings and helping with practices and drills.”

As mentioned in the X update, during her stints with the New York Giants, Wellman focused heavily on pure on-field instruction. Her particular roles during her time there were as an OTA Position Group Intern and, subsequently, as a Training Camp Intern for the Outside Linebackers position group.

This comes as a significant milestone, as she is the only student to have received NFL opportunities.

She was heavily integrated into the rookie training camp. She directly assisted the coaching staff during intensive one-on-one rookie meetings and installations. On the practice field, she stepped into an active coaching capacity. Wellman helped to set up, manage, and physically run operational defensive drills with the players.

Wellman is now back for a second season with Indiana alongside her stellar resume. As part of the Indiana football staff, she worked as an assistant to defensive coordinator Bryant Haines. She handled linebackers and defensive ends, built playbooks, ran meetings, and even signed plays on game days.

When is Indiana playing their next game?

While the Hoosiers’ staff is shining bright, the squad has also started strong this season. The Indiana Hoosiers are enjoying a dominant 2-0 start to their 2026 campaign. They are ranked No. 4 in the country in the latest AP Poll. Hoosiers are averaging 53.5 points per game and 435 total yards of offense per game.

The defense is completely locked in. They are allowing just 8.0 points per game. The defensive unit has forced an interception, a 19-yard pick-six by linebacker Rolijah Hardy.

They are entering Week 3 as an overwhelming 44.5-point favorite against Western Kentucky. Cignetti’s main focus is keeping the team healthy as key starting cornerbacks Jamari Sharpe and A.J. Harris aim to return from minor injuries right before Big Ten conference play begins.

They have had consecutive home wins against North Texas and Howard. This game marks the conclusion of their non-conference schedule before they transition into Big Ten conference play the following week against Northwestern. 

The Indiana Hoosiers will transition into Big Ten conference play on Friday, September 25. As the defending national and conference champions following their historic 16-0 season, Curt Cignetti’s squad will face a highly anticipated 9-game Big Ten slate. 

The October 17 game against Ohio State at Memorial Stadium is expected to be one of the most-watched games of the college football season. It will be a redemption game for the Buckeyes after losing the championship game last season 13-10.

Under the expanded Big Ten alignment, Indiana will host USC on November 14. They will then make a long-distance road trip to Seattle to play Washington on November 21. The regular season for the Hoosiers will conclude at home in Bloomington with the traditional battle for the Old Oaken Bucket against in-state rival Purdue.