IU Adds To Portal Class: Mitch McCarthy, UCF Punter, Commits to Hoosiers

Written by: TJ Inman

The Indiana Hoosiers kicked off the portal season with the commitment of running back Lee Beebe from UAB and they continued it with a different kind of kicking as former UCF punter Mitch McCarthy joined the IU program as the second commit in the portal class. McCarthy has one year of eligibility remaining after punting for three seasons for the Knights. Originally from Australia, McCarthy trained at ProKick Australia in 2021 after injuries derailed his Australian Rules Football career. He averaged 41.3 yards per punt in 2023 and 44.13 on 40 punts in 2024. 17 of his 40 punts landed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line (42.5%) and five punts went more than 50 yards. 

With James Evans leaving after this season, the Hoosiers needed to address the position and they have done so with the addition of McCarthy. The physically-imposing punter (6’5” and 230 pounds) figures to handle the punting duties in 2025 for IU as the immediate starter. Curt Cignetti and his staff are continuing to host visitors as the Hoosiers build the roster for 2025 and prepare for the first round playoff clash with Notre Dame.