BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- As Indiana prepares to watch quarterback Fernando Mendoza possibly become its first No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, the defending national champions could be propelled by their defense in 2026.
Coach Curt Cignetti has overseen "a defense-dominated spring" the past few weeks, as a unit that finished third nationally in points allowed and fourth in yards allowed last season might be even better this fall. Indiana is losing All-Americans at cornerback (D'Angelo Ponds) and linebacker (Aiden Fisher), as well as productive pass rusher Mikail Kamara, but will feature a strong group of returners and transfers, especially at the edge and safety spots.
"The depth and quality of the defense, this, in three years, would be the best spring defense we've had," Cignetti told ESPN. "This defense is much further along than the last two."
Indiana brought back defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, who won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant last year and has been on Cignetti's staffs at IU, James Madison and Elon since 2017. The unit brings back several standouts in the front seven, including tackles Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino, and linebackers Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy.
After losing Kamara, Indiana prioritized edge rushers in the portal and added Tobi Osunsanmi and Chiddi Obiazor from Kansas State, and Joshua Burnham from Notre Dame.
"Haines throws a lot at you," Cignetti said. "And he's ramped it up this spring quite a bit. Tucker and Landino are stout guys. We've got depth at end, we've got depth inside. Hardy's played a lot of football, Isaiah Jones [has] played a lot of football, so they've been impactful."
Cignetti qualified his praise for the defense by noting that Indiana's offense has been shorthanded this spring. Starting linemen Bray Lynch and Carter Smith, an All-America tackle and the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, haven't been practicing, and top returning wide receiver Charlie Becker has been limited by a hamstring injury. Cignetti said IU opened spring practice with seven more healthy defensive linemen, and 49 healthy defenders as opposed to only 32 on offense.
Still, the growth of a defense that, according to Cignetti, was "just trying to put together a roster" together in 2024, is clear to both coaches and players. Hardy said the unit is operating with "a higher standard."
"We're just a very disciplined defense with Coach Haines' playcalling, he's one of the best defensive coordinators out there," Hardy said. "He puts us in positions where we can just go out there and play fast, play physical. He's going to be attacking, not just going to sit back and be conservative."
Losing Ponds is significant, as he took away top opposing receivers and supplied big plays, including a pick-six on the first play of Indiana's CFP semifinal win against Oregon. But Indiana returns corners Jamari Sharpe, who made the championship-clinching interception against Miami, and Ryland Gandy, and added Wisconsin transfer Preston Zachman alongside Amare Ferrell.
"We were pretty solid Year 1, and last year we were obviously we were good," Cignetti said. "We just seem to be farther along right now."
Becker might be limited this spring, but he's gotten to see a lot of the defense and Haines. He agreed with Hardy.
"Our defense is so unbelievable," he said. "Coach Haines, he's the smartest defensive coordinator in college football. Seeing his defenses makes reading other defenses so much easier, because it's so hard to tell what Coach Haines is thinking and what he's going to run."
