Does Indiana football have top 30 class going into early signing day?
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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football is swimming in deeper waters on the recruiting trail in the wake of its unprecedented success.
The No. 2 Hoosiers (12-0, 9-0) have the fourth most victories in the FBS since coach Curt Cignetti took over in 2024 and just clinched the program’s first appearance in the Big Ten Title game.
“We’ve had a lot of doors open up the high school route, for sure,” Cignetti said in October.
Where does Indiana football’s 2026 signing class rank nationally?
Indiana football currently has 22 verbal commitments for a 2026 signing class that ranks 29th in the country, according to 247 Sports composite rankings. This would be the first time the program finished with a top 30 class since 2022.
That class was former IU coach Tom Allen’s highest-rated class while he was at the helm and featured players that made notable contributions for Cignetti, including left tackle Carter Smith, right guard Bray Lynch, linebacker Isaiah Jones and safety Louis Moore.
The class also featured the highest-rated signee in program history, linebacker Dasan McCullough, who just wrapped up his senior season at Nebraska.
Who are Indiana football’s highest ranked 2026 verbal commitments?
Indiana football has seven commitments from top 500 ranked players in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The highest member of the class is Gabriel Hill, a defensive lineman out of Naperville North High School in Illinois.
Hill, who is ranked No. 219 nationally, committed back in May with an impressive list of scholarship offers, including ones from Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Texas A&M. He had 52 tackles with 20 tackles for a loss and five sacks, according to the Naperville Sun.
For his career, he has 64 tackles for loss and 21 sacks, a number that ranks 20th all-time in the state.
“He is a fierce competitor,” Naperville North coach Sean Drendel told the paper. “He has a tremendous love for Naperville North, and this year he was a tremendous leader. He was probably our hardest worker. So you wrap all those things up with the type of talent he has, you end up with probably one of the best that’s ever played at Naperville North.”
Henry Ohlinger, a four-star two-way standout at running back and linebacker for Grandview High School in Columbus, Ohio, is next on the list. He’s currently ranked No. 296 nationally and has been committed to the team since back in April.
The player rounding out the list is Kasmir Hicks, IU’s highest-ranked in-state signee. He’s one of six in-state verbal commitments and No. 4 ranked player in the state (No. 458 overall).
The cornerback was recently named the Marion County Defensive Player of the Year as a two-way standout at Decatur Central. He had 31 tackles and three interceptions on defense and put up 1,160 total yards on offense (697 rushing) with 14 touchdowns this fall.
He helped the team wins its first state championship as a junior.
“They were different from every other school,” Hicks told the IndyStar. “I definitely like coach Cig (Curt Cignetti) and what he has going. I went there and it felt different from everywhere else.
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.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football 2026 recruiting rankings ahead of early signing day
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