Indiana defensive end Stephen Daley will likely miss the remainder of the 2025 season and the College Football Playoffs due to injury, IU coach Curt Cignetti said Wednsday afternoon. Daley appeared to suffer the injury during IU’s postgame celebration after a 13-10 victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
“I can confirm that he did sustain an injury,” Cignetti said. “Serious injury that will probably make him not available for the remainder of the season.”
In a video posted to X, Daley appeared to suffer the injury while jumping to high-five fans in the stands and landing awkwardly on his right leg. Daley was later seen sitting on a cart and taken to Indiana’s locker room with what appeared to be an air cast on his right leg.
“This postgame was a little different than most,” Cignetti said. “So I didn’t get into the coaches room probably until 45 minutes after the game, and that was the first I had heard about (Daley’s injury) and then we were walking to my press conference.
“Sunday was still sort of waiting a little bit on images to come back, that sort of thing. So when I had my press conference (on Sunday), there was a little more information that still had to come in. I was still processing the whole thing because it was sort of unbelievable when I heard about it, and I think that is why I said we had nobody hurt in the game, during the game.”
Daley tallied 38 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. The 6-foot-1, 260-pounder led the Big Ten and ranked second nationally in tackles for loss, and he was tied for third among all Hoosiers in sacks.
A transfer from Kent State, Daley emerged this season as a second-team All-American selection by CBS Sports and On3. He was also named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the coaches and media.