Indiana’s locker room features veterans who continue to hold starting roles at their respective positions. Hiring experienced players remains one of the key principles of head coach Curt Cignetti’s recruiting chops.

The 2026 Draft still has three months to go, but the paperwork regarding the underclassmen declarations is done and dusted. But for players from Miami and Indiana, the official deadline is stretched to January 23, 2026.

Since the roster is filled with seasoned linemen and the roster age is approximately 22.5 to 23 years old, expect a chunk of them to declare for the pro league in the coming week.

How Many and Which Indiana Hoosiers Players Have Officially Declared for the 2026 NFL Draft?

So far, there have been zero official NFL declarations from the Indiana locker room. However, many players will exhaust their eligibility by the end of Monday night and become draft-eligible by default.

• WR Elijah Sarratt
• DE Mikail Kamara
• TE Riley Nowakowski
• RB Kaelon Black
• RB Roman Hemby
• OL Pat Coogan
• OL Kahlil Benson
• DE Stephen Daley
• DE Kellan Wyatt
• DT Hosea Wheeler
• DT Dominique Ratcliff
• LB Aiden Fisher
• Safety Louis Moore
• Safety Devan Boykin

Besides them, a couple of underclassmen haven’t exhausted their eligibility yet but are expected to declare for the draft. The Mock drafts have projected them as a top pick after their talented display in the 2025 season. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, the Hoosiers have 16 prospects in the 2026 Draft Class.

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The most promising of them is QB Fernando Mendoza, along with D’Angelo Ponds, OT Cater Smith, and DT Tyrique Tucker, and others.

Who could be Indiana’s top NFL Draft prospects in 2026?

Fernando Mendoza hasn’t declared yet, but he is already projected as the top prospect in the 2026 Draft. EssentiallySports’ Tony Pauline has projected the primary signal caller as the first pick. Mock drafts project him to the Las Vegas Raiders.

“He’s not a quarterback that will carry the team on his shoulders as Cam Ward did one year ago,” he writes after the Peach Bowl win. “Rather, he’s a signal caller who stays away from mistakes and continues to improve. As a result, he’ll be the first pick of the draft in April.”

Behind Mendoza, OL Pat Coogan, DB D’Angelo Ponds, WR Elijah Sarratt, and Aiden Fisher are a couple of faces projected as Indiana’s top prospects. So far, Sarratt has recorded 802 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading the WR room.

“The senior is a big-bodied, game-controlling wideout with reliable hands and outstanding football intellect,” Pauline writes of Sarratt. “He’s not a deep threat, but he projects as a terrific possession wideout who will be selected somewhere in the third round.”

Tonight’s national championship game will possibly improve their draft stock, taking them higher in the mock drafts.

When is the deadline for Indiana Players to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft?

For most college players, the deadline passed on January 14, after they concluded their 2025 season. Since Indiana and Miami had the national championship game scheduled ahead, they will receive an additional four days after putting their season to a close on Monday.

The deadline for them closes on January 23, 2026.

Since 1994, the Hoosiers haven’t had more than three players picked in the same draft. In the last three decades, they also haven’t had a first-round pick. But that streak may finally come to an end this April. The latest outgoing class is stacked with elite talent. One that may bring Hoosiers their first natty win tonight.

According to ESPN, 63 underclassmen have already declared for the draft. Of which, 21 student-athletes had completed their degrees, and the rest had received special eligibility, including medical redshirts and eligibility waivers due to the pandemic.

By Jan 23, expect a chunk of the Hoosiers in that list as well.