Cignetti: 'Gotta Be Light on your Feet' When Constructing a Roster

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti recently sat down for a podcast with Adam Breneman on his podcast Next Up with Adam Breneman. Breneman and Coach Cignetti discussed many topics including how one constructs a roster during the Portal and NIL Era of college football.

“You gotta be light on your feet flexible and adjust, improvise, and thrive or you're not going to survive.” Cignetti said.

The Indiana roster was influx when Cignetti arrived as 10 offensive starters and many others on defense were in the transfer portal. In all IU had 39 outgoing transfers according to 247Sports. Cignetti and his staff have rebuilt the roster with 29 incoming transfers and a high school recruiting class that has 17 members. It is a whole new team.

“I think you always want to sign 15 to 20 high school kids always. And then you're always going to be in the portal to fill immediate needs.” Cignetti explained.

The Hoosiers 2025 high school recruiting class has eight members already is ranked 34th nationally by 247Sports.

The sport has dramatically changed over the last couple of years and is going to be changing even quicker soon.

“Football (has) really changed. Back in the old days guys would get four to six year contracts and by year three would want to be here.” Cignetti explained. “You got to win every year now. I mean, you know, with the internet and social media I mean, you got to win every year podcast you know, every year to me is like four years and you know, I'm saying and then the more you when all sudden the wins aren't pretty enough. But that's just the nature of the business.”

Cignetti has not put any limitations on what he and his staff can do in Bloomington and he is in a win now mindset because that is what college football has become.