Once the losingest program in college football’s history, Indiana’s 2025 national title win has now got people looking for factors behind its success. One such element is, of course, the 13 players (of which 7 remain) that Curt Cignetti brought to Indiana from JMU. Many of them became All-Big 10 and carried the Hoosiers for two years. But not many put the spotlight on the talent that Cignetti retained from previous HC Tom Allen’s 2023 roster.

We’re talking about players like Omar Cooper Jr., Isaiah Jones, Carter Smith, Bray Lynch, Louis Moore, and Jamari Sharpe, who sealed the game-winning interception against Miami. Omar Cooper Jr., for instance, was retained from IU’s 2023 roster when he received 267 yards. The 6-foot, 201-lb junior quickly repaid his faith and produced 1,531 yards in two seasons with Cignetti.

In 2025, Cooper Jr. became instrumental in several games, especially the one against Penn State. With 36 seconds left on the clock and Indiana trailing, the WR caught a 7-yard touchdown reception (the most beautiful toe-tap of the season) from Fernando Mendoza, sealing the clutch win.  Combined with Elijah Sarrett, Cooper Jr. became one of CFB’s best receiving tandems, fueling IU’s unprecedented success. Similar was the case with other IU players whom Cignetti retained from Tom Allen’s 2023 roster.

Isaih Jones, coming back from IU’s 2022 roster, became a fulcrum of the team’s D-line. He notched 42 tackles as a linebacker in 2024 and followed it up with a 78-tackle performance in the 2025 season. Never mind the 7 sacks he notched alone in the 2025 season. Likewise, Carter Smith anchored the O-line and protected Fernando Mendoza for good. The same can be said for Bray Lynch, who started at right guard. Former IU head coach Tom Allen might have played a foundational role in IU’s natty win.

The head coach joined Indiana as its head coach from the 2017 season and stayed till the 2023 season. In his time, recruiting was a big plus, even if it didn’t translate on the field. In the 2022 cycle, Indiana landed a 29th-ranked class under him. The same class that gave Indiana Omar Cooper and, later, Cincinnati its QB1, Brendan Sorsby.

Despite some elite recruiting, Allen, on a $6 million contract, was fired for his 33-49 overall record, making way for Curt Cignetti. Now, he is at Clemson as the team’s DC since the 2025 season, preparing for a resurgence after a woeful 2025 season. As for Curt Cignetti’s success, the JMU boys helped, but the effort was collective.

How did Curt Cignetti build his Indiana roster?

In truth, Indiana’s success didn’t happen due to a particular set of players. It was fueled with collective cohesion, players functioning at their peak, and avoiding little mistakes as Curt Cignetti demanded perfection. “They’re not trying to out-scheme guys,” a Big 10 assistant said. “They’re trying to play unbelievably, fundamentally well, and harder and tougher than their opponents.

“And their scheme allows them to do that because it’s not a bunch of Star Wars out there,” the assistant added. Undoubtedly, without those JMU players, the culture probably won’t be built. Curt Cignetti notched an 11-win season in 2023 with JMU and established a winning culture. Bringing in 13 players from the proven bunch helped, including All-Big Ten performers like Sarratt and Aiden Fisher. It was also accompanied by Cignetti bringing coaches who already knew his schemes.

Top Stories

Bills Officially Cut Ties With 4 Players as Josh Allen Remain Without HC After Philip Rivers Quits

Paddy Pimblett Set to Lose Half His UFC 324 Paycheck Amid Hospital Visit and Suspension

Elena Rybakina Ends Iga Swiatek’s Australian Open Quest in Melbourne Nightmare

Travis Kelce Makes Major Career Decision as Chiefs TE Contemplates Retirement

Dana White Shares Update On Hospitalized Paddy Pimblett After UFC 324

Strahan Family in Mourning as Michael Strahan’s Cancer-Free Daughter Grieves Close Friend’s Loss After Cancer Battle

“You’re rebuilding the house, so to speak, and you start with the foundation and build it up,” Cignetti said. “It’s more process-oriented. Its standards, expectations, consistency, performance, and accountability.” Former IU coach Gerry DiNardo went up a notch and praised Cignetti for “bringing the culture with him” from JMU. Something that coaches take years to build.

In total, the IU head coach brought five assistants from JMU. The names also included DC Bryant Haines and Offensive coordinator/WR coach Mike Shanahan. But that didn’t mean Cignetti failed to identify talent already there at IU. In consequence, Cignetti retained IU’s O-line coach Bob Bostad, who helped create one of the most capable O-lines in the country. Upon looking back, IU’s win was the result of elite talent identification from Cignetti, and no particular set of players can be removed from IU’s 2025 heroism story.