Curt Cignetti built a champion at Indiana with what he knew — good players from his former school

MIAMI (AP) — He had to start somewhere. So, when coach Curt Cignetti started his rebuilding project at Indiana, he turned to what he knew.

Cignetti recruited 13 players from his old school, James Madison, over to his new program with the Hoosiers. They formed the backbone of at what he called “one of the greatest sports stories of all time” — the rise of college football’s losingest program into a national champion.

Former James Madison players Elijah Sarratt, Kaelon Black, Aiden Fisher and Mikail Kamara were among the baker’s dozen — some call them “Cignetti’s Dozen” — who contributed to Indiana’s undefeated season and the national title.

The players came in dribs and drabs, starting shortly after Cignetti accepted the job on Nov. 30, 2023.

“They understood the program, the culture, and they had that championship attitude,” Cignetti said. “They were able to answer questions for the guys to decide to return and the right guys returned. And the new transfers, too, they could answer their questions and lead, and they were good players.”

In a testament to what Cignetti built during his five years at James Madison, it was the Dukes of the Sun Belt Conference who snagged the fifth and final automatic bid to this year’s College Football Playoff under his successor, Bob Chesney.

Chesney recently got hired away by UCLA, and at least seven players from the playoff team have followed him to Westwood.

The Indiana story is a super-charged version of what’s happening across college football these days. The transfer portal has allowed players who don’t get looks from the big programs in high school a chance to start small, get better, then maybe get their chance at the big time.

Regarding Indiana’s lack of four and five-star recruits, Cignetti said, “I’ve never looked at a star in my life.”

Some refer to the smaller programs the unheralded players start with as “feeder schools.” The one at James Madison helped the Hoosiers become champions. In this case, Cignetti had a role in both — finding the players out of high school, then luring them to the Big Ten.

“You take those 13 guys, I don’t think any of them had great offers coming out of high school,” Fisher said. “We had a coach that took a chance on us once, and then the opportunity rose to do it again. For me, it changed my life.”

Here’s a look at ‘Cignetti’s Dozen’

Mikail Kamara: The defensive lineman’s blocked punt resulted in a touchdown that gave Indiana a 17-7 lead in the third quarter against Miami.

Kaelon Black: The running back led the Hoosiers with 81 yards rushing against the Hurricanes. This season, he formed a one-two punch with Roman Hemby. Both finished with 1,000-plus yards.

D’Angelo Ponds: The lockdown cornerback had five tackles in the championship game. Ponds’ pick-6 of Oregon’s Dante Moore helped the Hoosiers get off to a fast start in the Peach Bowl. He was named defensive MVP in the Rose and Peach Bowls.

Tyrique Tucker: The junior defensive lineman has been a strong presence on Indiana’s defensive line. His six sacks ranked third on the roster behind Rolijah Hardy (eight) and Isaiah Jones (seven). Tucker also finished the season with 38 total tackles and two pass deflections.

Aiden Fisher: One of Indiana’s star linebackers, Fisher finished second on the roster with 95 tackles. He also had 4 1/2 sacks for a loss of 25 yards, a pass deflection, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two interceptions, one of which was a pick-6. He had four tackles and a sack against Miami.

Solomon Vanhorse: The senior added depth to the Hoosiers’ running back room and finished the season with nine carries for 48 yards. He had a season-long 12-yard rush in Indiana’s 63-10 win against Illinois.

Elijah Sarratt: The senior receiver led the Hoosiers and FBS with 15 receiving touchdowns and had 830 receiving yards. He had three receptions for 28 yards on Monday night.

James Carpenter: After leaving Indiana, the defensive lineman signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in April 2025. He was recently picked up by the UFL Birmingham Stallions.

Jailin Walker: The linebacker signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in the spring. In January, he was drafted by the new UFL franchise, the Columbus Aviators.

Nick Kidwell: The former Hoosiers offensive lineman is now the offensive line coach at Shepherd University.

Zach Horton: The tight end signed with Detroit Lions in April. He spent the season on the practice squad.

Tyler Stephens: The former offensive lineman is happily engaged and enjoying post-graduate life in Virginia.

Ty Son Lawton: The running back played in 13 games with six starts during his final year of eligibility in 2024. He was a key contributor with 668 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 141 carries.

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