Indiana
Who has more 5-star recruits? Indiana football or Miami? Take a look
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s roster is on more equal footing with Miami, even though the star rankings have meant little to the final results in this year’s CFP.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) beat Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 despite having no former 5-star players in the starting lineup and just one former top 100 recruit.
The No. 10 Hurricanes (13-2) will have a pair of former 5-star recruits in their starting lineup but are only starting a total of three former top-100 prospects. It’s a sharp drop off in top talent from the likes of Alabama (14), Ohio State (10) and Oregon (eight).
| Category | Indiana | Miami | Oregon | Ohio State | Alabama |
| 5-stars | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 4-stars | 2 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 9 |
| Top 100 recruits | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 2-stars or below | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Indiana’s starting lineup still leads the way in overlooked recruits — it will start nine players that ranked 2-stars or below, including starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza — but Miami almost has more (four) than IU’s past three opponents combined (five).
The Hurricanes also has a more of a transfer laden starting lineup (11) than any of Indiana’s postseason opponents.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the recruiting rankings for this year’s participants in the CFP championship game:
Re-live IU’s 2025 season
Indiana football’s quarterbacks vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Quarterback | Fernando Mendoza (2022) | 2-stars (No. 2,149) | Carson Beck (2020) | 4-stars (No. 254) |
Indiana football’s skill positions vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Wide receiver | Elijah Sarratt (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Malachi Toney (2025) | 4-stars (No. 359) |
| Wide receiver | Omar Cooper Jr. (2022) | 4-stars (No. 299) | Keelan Marion | 2-stars (No. 3,390) |
| Wide receiver | E.J. Williams Jr. (2020) | 4-stars (No. 69) | CJ Daniels (2020) | 3-stars (No. 2,450) |
| Running back | Roman Hemby (2021) | 3-stars (No. 1,767) | Mark Fletcher Jr. (2023) | 4-stars (No. 149) |
| Tight end | Riley Nowakowski (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Alex Bauman (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,770) |
Indiana football’s offensive line vs Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Left tackle | Carter Smith (2022) | 3-stars (No. 730) | Markel Bell (2022) | N/A |
| Left guard | Drew Evans (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Matthew McCoy (2022) | 3-stars (No. 735) |
| Center | Pat Coogan (2021) | 3-stars (No. 613) | James Brockermeyer (2021) | 4-stars (No. 194) |
| Right guard | Bray Lynch (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,033) | Anez Cooper (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,149) |
| Right tackle | Kahlil Benson (2020) | 3-stars (No. 714) | Francis Mauigoa (2023) | 5-stars (No. 9) |
Indiana football’s defensive line vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Defensive tackle | Mario Landino (2024) | 3-stars (No. 2,398) | Ahmad Moten Sr. (2022) | 3-stars (No. 558) |
| Defensive tackle | Tyrique Tucker (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Justin Scott (2024) | 5-stars (No. 10) |
| Defensive end | Mikail Kamara (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Rueben Bain (2023) | 4-stars (No. 62) |
| Defensive end | Stephen Daley (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,987) | Akheem Mesidor (2020) | 3-stars (No. 636) |
Indiana football’s linebackers vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Linebacker | Aiden Fisher (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Wesley Bissainthe (2022) | 4-stars (188) |
| Linebacker | Rolijah Hardy (2023) | 0-stars (N/A) | Mohamed Toure (2019) | 3-stars (No. 1,024) |
Indiana football’s secondary vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Cornerback | D’Angelo Ponds (2023) | 3-stars (No. 1,966) | OJ Frederique Jr. (2024) | 3-stars (No. 784) |
| Cornerback | Jamari Sharpe (2022) | 3-stars (No. 826) | Ethan O’Conner (2023) | 3-stars (No. 673) |
| Safety | Louis Moore (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Zechariah Poyser (2023) | N/A |
| Safety | Amare Ferrell (2022) | 3-stars (No. 578) | Jakobe Thomas (2021) | 3-stars (No. 2,048) |
| Rover | Devan Boykin (2020) | 3-stars (No. 833) | Keionte Scott (2020) | N/A |
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
Indiana
Monday storm blows across northeast Indiana, northwest Ohio
NORTHEAST INDIANA (WANE) – A storm system passed through northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio on Monday evening, leaving a substantial amount of damage in its wake.
Monday night’s storm warranted thunderstorm warnings throughout the viewing area, including Steuben, DeKalb, and Allen counties in Indiana, along with Defiance, Paulding, and Van Wert counties in Ohio.
The storm itself lasted about an hour, but caused chaos by downing unstable trees and signage from strong winds.
Thousands reported power outages across the Fort Wayne area, with a handful of outages in Ohio’s northwest region.
Viewers from across the WANE 15 viewing area shared photos documenting the storm as it blew through, with additional weather phenomena:
Indiana
Physical guard commits to Indiana basketball from transfer portal: Stats, highlights
BLOOMINGTON — Darian DeVries’ backcourt rebuild got a boost Monday, with the news that Georgia Tech guard Jaeden Mustaf intends to transfer to Indiana.
“ALL IN,” Mustaf posted on social media announcing his decision.
Mustaf, a Maryland native who was once a target for Mike Woodson and Indiana’s previous staff, averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game across 29 appearances for Georgia Tech last season. The 6-foot-6 guard is also a career 37.2% 3-point shooter, though not at significant volume.
Importantly, Mustaf is a big-bodied guard who rebounds his position well and draws fouls at an above-average clip. Last season in Atlanta, he had 4.2 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, and 4.4 in ACC play, a top-25 number in the conference. He also finished his sophomore season scoring the ball well — Mustaf averaged 14 points per game in the Yellow Jackets’ last nine, and 16.3 per game in their last six.
His arrival strengthens a guard rotation that will need remade essentially from the ground up this spring. The Hoosiers’ only returners don’t play the position, and DeVries signed just one out-and-out guard, Prince-Alexander Moody, in the 2026 class.
Mustaf’s commitment hands the Hoosiers a strong, capable guard with high-major experience and multiple years of eligibility remaining around which DeVries and his staff can build.
Mustaf was at one time a target for Woodson, coming out of high school. Mustaf played with Overtime Elite before making the move to college.
- Trevor Manhertz, forward, freshman
- Prince-Alexander Moody, guard, freshman
- Jaeden Mustaf, guard, senior
- Vaughn Karvala, forward, freshman
- Trent Sisley, forward, sophomore
Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.
Indiana
New Hope of Indiana launches $4 million campaign to transform campus
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A $4 million transformation is in the works for New Hope of Indiana, the largest nonprofit residential services provider for individuals with disabilities in Marion County.
New Hope says the ‘Imagine More’ capital campaign will fund key improvements to New Hope’s 14-acre campus at 8450 Payne Road. It’ll include a new community and multi-purpose space, expanded and inclusive outdoor areas, a commercial kitchen for life-skills and employment training, and renovations to improve accessibility, safety, and overall experience.
New Hope has already raised $3.35 million toward its gold, including a $1.5 million matching gift from United Way of Central Indiana. During their campaign’s launch Monday, New Hope says they plan to raise the remaining $650,000 to complete the campaign, the largest in its history.
“As we celebrate 48 years of service, this campaign represents an important step forward for New Hope and the people we serve,” Allison Wharry, president and CEO of New Hope of Indiana said in a release.
“Imagine More is rooted in listening to the individuals and families in our community, and creating spaces that support dignity, independence, and a strong sense of belonging. We are grateful for the momentum that has brought us this far and excited to invite the community to help us finish,” Wharry said.
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