Curt Cignetti achieved an impressive turnaround as head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, guiding them to an undefeated record and a National Championship in just his second season.
The former James Madison University head coach instilled a culture that resonated throughout the program, including among highly talented quarterback Fernando Mendoza and other potential NFL Draft picks. Mendoza’s performance on Monday evening helped the team defeat a tough Miami Hurricanes squad en route to Indiana’s first-ever championship.
Due to that success, many individuals are celebrating Cignetti as the best coach in college football and wondering how his team might perform next season. College football analyst Joel Klatt recently dropped a firm prediction on the Hoosiers, who will see the departure of Mendoza for the NFL Draft.
Read more: Fernando Mendoza Shares Powerful Update 2 Days After Indiana Win
Klatt recently unveiled a way-too-early top 10 teams for college football. While Indiana finished at the top of the rankings after last season’s championship win, it doesn’t quite have them there. However, he still offered a strong prediction for how good they are.
“This is meant to be praise, Indiana is gonna be right back at the top of college football again,” Klatt said, while unveiling them as his No. 3 team.
“I couldn’t put them at number one, largely because they don’t have their own returning starting quarterback,” he said.
“I know they didn’t have a returning starting quarterback at the start of this year and won the national championship, I get it,” Klatt said, adding, “I know that Josh Hoover coming in from the transfer portal is gonna fit Curt Cignetti and this offense perfectly.”
Klatt also mentioned the additions of several other key transfer portal players: former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh, former Wisconsin offensive guard Joe Brunner, former Kansas State edge Tobi Osunsami, and former Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris.
The Fox Sports analyst suggested that what Indiana did well beyond getting transfer portal players was retaining their coaching staff under Cignetti. Other college football teams typically have staff members poached after winning the National Championship. Klatt particularly mentioned that Indiana retained defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan.
“That continuity is the reason I believe they won the National Championship,” he said, before adding, “What’s going to be difficult is for them to replace some of those real core JMU transfer guys that have been there throughout the entirety of this run.”
He specifically mentioned cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, linebacker Aiden Fisher, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, and defensive back Mikail Kamara among the valuable players they’d need to replace on the Hoosiers’ roster.
“They prioritize production over potential. We have to trust what they’ve got going on,” Klatt said of his No. 3 team, adding that Indiana may be a favorite to win the Big Ten at the start of the season.
Klatt didn’t hesitate to place two teams over the Hoosiers, though: Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs at No. 2 and the Oregon Ducks featuring returning quarterback Dantae Mooreat No. 1, who was already a highly-coveted QB in the NFL mock drafts before deciding to return for another run at the National Championship.
Read more: Urban Meyer Warns Curt Cignetti After Indiana Championship Win
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