CFB Insider breaks down how Curt Cignetti is walking down Coach Prime's path in Indiana

Curt Cignetti was hired as the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers before the start of the 2024 season. He was tasked with turning around a program that only had two winning seasons since 2007, and one of those seasons was in the shortened 2020 year. He was able to immediately turn the team around, finishing with an 11-2 record and qualifying for the college football playoff.

Although the Hoosiers did not advance past the first round, they were competitive in arguably the most competitive conference in college football this season, the Big Ten. On Monday, Greg McElroy was on an episode of 'Always College Football.' On the episode, he gave grades to first-year head coaches, including Curt Cignetti.

He gave Cignetti an A+ for his efforts this past season. he gave him credit for following a similar path to Coach Prime in Colorado (starts at 15:05).

"He didn't lose a lot of guys in the portal," said McElroy. "That was something that I think might've been planned by the staff. Hey it's fine we can lose those guys because guess what? Kind of what Deion said the year before, I'm bringing my own luggage and it's Louis. Well that's exactly what Curt Cignetti did with this roster. He brought a lot of guys with him from James Madison."

"He brought in 30 guys in the transfer portal, several of which have several years of college experience. Highly productive players. Now, maybe they don't always fit the mould of a Power Five or NFL start, but he's got a lot of guys that produce at a high level."

Which players did Curt Cignetti bring from James Madison to Indiana with him?

Part of the reason that Greg McElroy thinks he had so much success in his first year at Indiana was he brought many of his best players from James Madison with him. Cignetti coached James Madison from 2019 to 2023, reaching the conference championship game every year.

He brought several players with him. The offensive players were as follows:

• Running back Solomon Vanhorse
• Wide receiver Elijah Sarratt
• Offensive lineman Nick Kidwell
• Tight end Zach Horton
• Running back Kaelon Black
• Offensive lineman Tyler Stephens
• Running back Ty Son Lawton

He also brought six defensive players.

• Cornerback D'Angelo Ponds
• Defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker
• Linebacker Aiden Fisher
• Linebacker Jailin Walker
• Defensive lineman James Carpenter
• Defensive lineman Mikail Kamara

Many of these players had an immediate impact in Indiana and allowed Cignetti to have a smooth coaching transition.