For Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, who will play for a national championship against Miami on Monday night, the path to Bloomington wasn’t nearly as smooth as it looks now. When Curt Cignetti left James Madison for Indiana in December 2023, Sarratt didn’t immediately jump at the chance to follow his coach. In fact, he was so conflicted about the whole situation that he nearly ended up in South Carolina. 

“Leaving from when I hit the portal from JMU at first, I was like, man, I don’t even know if I want to go to Indiana,” Sarratt admitted on the Homegrown podcast. “I was still a little salty, you know. I’m young. I was kind of in my feelings that they had left. “I was kind of in my feelings that they had left because I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to transfer at the time, because I was already a two-time transfer. So they had—they eventually passed the rule to where I was able to transfer. So I was like, Man, I’m trying to go down south somewhere.”

South Carolina nearly landed him. The Gamecocks had extended an offer, and Sarratt was seriously considering a visit to Columbia. But Curt Cignetti wasn’t about to let that happen. “I told [Curt Cignetti] I was supposed to visit South Carolina. And he was like, “Nah, I don’t want you to do that.” So shook his hand there. It turned out to be good. Coach Steph, he was a receiver coach at South Carolina. A really good receiver coach. We still talk to this day. He ended up going to Illinois, like, two days after I committed. So, I just saw the Lord right there, like saying, “You’re where you’re supposed to be.” So, it all turned out good.”

To say it turned out good might be the understatement of the century. Sarratt finished the 2025 regular season with 55 receptions for 727 yards and 13 touchdowns, becoming one of Fernando Mendoza’s most reliable targets in Indiana’s historic undefeated run. His 17-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter of the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State gave the Hoosiers the lead in their stunning 13-10 upset over the top-ranked Buckeyes. That moment alone justified every bit of hesitation Sarratt felt two years ago. He went from being “salty” about following his coach to catching the game-winning touchdown in the biggest game in program history.​

Now, he’s preparing for the biggest game of his life because he trusted the coach who recruited him from FCS St. Francis to JMU, then convinced him to follow one more time to Indiana.

The real reason why Sarratt joined Indiana

While Cignetti’s handshake sealed the deal, Sarratt admits there was another crucial factor that tipped the scales toward Indiana. “The big thing that I don’t talk about enough is Derek Owings, our strength coach,” Sarratt revealed. “Like one of the best in the game. I’ll probably say he’s the main reason why I kind of wanted to follow Coach Cig and everybody.” 

“Just the way he goes through his process of everything. I mean, strength coach, you’re with him, probably the most out of anybody throughout college,” Sarratt explained. “I’ve had two meniscus surgeries, and he and I talk a lot about just my body and how I want to do things and how he wants to do things for me. So that was a big reason.” 

Owings’ approach is personalized and scientific. He uses technology like Perch to track workouts, NordBord to test hamstring strength and prevent injuries, and lasers to measure speed development. At James Madison under Owings, players routinely hit their personal speed records in October and November. Cignetti himself calls Owings “the best strength and conditioning coach in America,” and Indiana backed that up by making him one of the five highest-paid strength and conditioning coaches in the nation. For Sarratt, who spends more time with his strength coach than anyone else on staff, that investment mattered.​

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