Curt Cignetti's Indiana offers scholarship to four-star running back to the Class of 2026

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has boosted his position by agreeing to a contract extension through Nov. 30, 2032. The announcement on Saturday comes as no surprise, with Cignetti leading his program to a 10-0 start this season. Besides regular season success, Cignetti and his staff are also targeting top recruits like four-star running back Henry Ohlinger.

Indiana defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Bryant Haines extended an offer to Ohlinger on Saturday. The class of 2026 recruit shared the news on X, tagging the Hoosiers offensive coordinator/ wide receiver coach Mike Shanahan, director of player personnel Mike Ferrara and linebacker analyst Warren Messer:

"After a great talk with @Coach_BHaines I am proud to have received an offer from @IndianaFootball. @CoachShanahan_ @CoachMesser_ @MikeFerraraIU @JaredLuginbill @SWiltfong_ @GHAthleticDept."

Ohlinger attends Grandview Heights High School in Ohio and has led the Bobcats to an undefeated season this year, at 12-0. During the school's 41-6 win over Elgin on Nov. 1, Ohlinger tallied 72 rushing yards on 11 carries, 120 all-purpose yards, and three touchdowns. He is leading his school with an average of 134.3 rushing yards per game and 27 total touchdowns.

Jared Luginbill of Prep Redzone Ohio had heavy praise for Ohlinger, saying:

"Henry is a strong one cut runner who excels between the tackles. His vision and ability to use blocks to bounce plays to the outside when he gets to the second level. He runs with good pad level that makes him a smaller target despite his height and protects the ball."

Henry Ohlinger has been rated as a four-star prospect by On3, while other recruiting channels have yet to rank him. He is the nation's No. 209 overall prospect, the No. 22 running back in the 2026 class and the No. 12 recruit in Ohio.

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Can Indiana secure the commitment of Henry Ohlinger?

Henry Ohlinger is still early in his recruitment journey, but the offer from Indiana is a big one for him. Following the Hoosiers, he also received a scholarship from Iowa on Saturday.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Miami (Ohio) is the leader in Ohlinger's recruitment with a 28.3% chance of securing his commitment, while Indiana has a 21.2% chance. Other schools in contention are Toledo (24.8%) and Iowa (17.7%).

The Hoosiers haven't secured any commitment in their 2026 class. Besides Henry Ohlinger, the school has sent offers to multiple linebackers in this cycle, including Derrek Cooper, Jonaz Walton, Jaylen McGill, Javian Mallory, Kory Amachree, Jayzon Thompson, Jayreon Campbell and Ke'Rynn Smith, among others.