Curt Cignetti has been very vocal since taking over the head coaching job at Indiana. Whether it’s viral quotes such as “Purdue sucks, but so does Michigan and Ohio State” or “I win. Google me,” the former James Madison coach has injected life into a program that’s suffered throughout its history.
This offseason, the Hoosiers have actively recruited Julian Lewis, a four-star quarterback and a top-10 quarterback in the class of 2025. Although he is currently committed to USC, Lewis has visited Indiana, Colorado, and Auburn over the past few months.
These visits have created speculation that Lewis will transfer to one of these three schools. 247Sports recruiting analyst Tom Loy predicts that the 4-star will transfer to Bloomington, which would be an incredible get for the Hoosiers.
“I’ve said it for months, and I’ll say it again: I do not expect him sticking with his pledge with the Trojans,” Loy said. “The teams to watch {are} Indiana, Colorado, and to a lesser extent Auburn…I would give the edge to Indiana. I think that staff is doing a phenomenal job.”
"I do NOT expect him sticking with his pledge to the Trojans... Right now I give the edge to Indiana over Colorado and the field." 🗣️@TomLoy247 with the latest intel on 4⭐️ USC QB commit Julian "JuJu" Lewis 👀 pic.twitter.com/x5TPQZ063b
— 247Sports (@247Sports) August 12, 2024
The big question remains — why Indiana? Lewis has known new Indiana quarterback coach Tino Sunseri since he was eight years old.
Sunseri also has a strong resume in quarterback development, working with former Alabama quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones. He also coached James Madison’s Jordan McCloud, who won Sun Belt Player of the Year last season.
Cignetti is off to a good start at Indiana, landing the 28th-best transfer portal class, according to 247Sports.com. However, if he can land a big name like Lewis, it would drastically help this Hoosier football program from a recruiting standpoint.
