By: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)
The 2025 College Football Playoff National Champion Indiana Hoosiers (never gets old typing that) were a historic team in numerous fashions, but one that stands out is how special the team was on defense. Led by guys like Aiden Fisher, D’Angelo Ponds, and Mikail Kamara, the Hoosiers finished the year in the top five nationally in scoring defense, rushing defense, and total defense.
The calendar is beginning to turn to the 2026 season, however. In fact, just recently I saw the victory flag was lowered from Memorial Stadium – a sign that the page has turned, and Curt Cignetti and his staff have long begun to focus in on year 3. With numerous star players on Bryant Haines’ defense having exhausted eligibility, who will fill in to restock the cupboard? Let’s take a look at some impact transfers the Hoosiers landed in the portal this offseason.
Tobi Osunsanmi, DL, Kansas State
With guys like Kellen Wyatt, Mikail Kamara, Stephen Daley, and others moving on, Indiana needed to fill holes along their defensive line. They may have found a gem in Kansas State transfer Tobi Osunsanmi, a four-star transfer prospect ranked the 37th best player overall and the 5th best edge by 247Sports.
Osunsanmi was ranked behind only Nick Marsh in the Hoosiers’ overall portal haul and the 6’3 250 pound athlete has flashed a ton of productivity in his career. While an injury cut his season short last year, he finished the season with 4 sacks in 5.5 games. He also gives the coaching staff flexibility in his ability to drop into coverage; he started his career with the Wildcats as a linebacker before moving along the defensive line, so he is a candidate to slot into the stud position and show his versatility both as a pass rusher and in coverage.
AJ Harris, CB, Penn State
The cornerback position has massive shoes to fill as the Hoosiers lose D’Angelo Ponds to the NFL Draft. Hoping to step into that role and have a season like he did two years ago is Georgia and Penn State transfer AJ Harris. The former high school five-star prospect Harris had a phenomenal 2024 season, earning 3rd Team All-Big Ten honors by both the coaches and media. He totaled 48 tackles (28 solo), four tackles for loss, an interception, and five PBU’s that year.
The production dropped off last season, however, and Cignetti and his staff took a rare “potential over recent production” stance with Harris. He was still a highly coveted transfer, as the Hoosiers had to beat out Oregon and Missouri to land his services, but he did see a major dip in production last year allowing 23 receptions on 25 targets for 286 yards and two touchdowns. If the staff can return him to his previous production level, however, Harris is an elite athlete with great size for the position.
Joshua Burnham, DL, Notre Dame
It worked with Pat Coogan, why not dip our toes back in the Notre Dame transfer pool? Burnham is one of my favorite under-the-radar transfer portal additions we landed this offseason. The former top-100 high school prospect flashed extreme production last season in a relatively small role, so I think he has the potential to blossom into a really good piece. Though he played in all 12 games, Burnham registered just 235 snaps. However, he generated pressure on 8% of those snaps, similar production as to Stephen Daley and Mikail Kamara this past year.
He finished the year third on the team in tackles for loss (six), added three sacks, one PBU, and two QB hurries. I really think he has the potential to be a guy we’re surprised we weren’t talking about more this offseason.
Preston Zachman, S, Wisconsin
The haters will be absolutely sick to the stomach when they hear Indiana has another extremely experienced player in Preston Zachman joining their roster. Zachman will be entering his 7th and final year of college football this year after spending the first six years of his career with the Badgers. With losing Louis Moore and Devan Boykin, Amare Ferrell will be happy to have Zachman along his side in the defensive secondary.
Zachman has almost 1500 snaps of experience under his belt. He’ll be coming back from an injury he experienced in the Badgers third game of the season against Alabama that sidelined him for the remainder of the year, but the two seasons prior he played in all 25 games, making 17 starts. In 2024 he logged two interceptions, 58 tackles, three TFLs, and four PBUs. Having his experience and knack for the ball should help dampen the blow of losing Moore and Boykin.
Chiddi Obiazor, DL, Kansas State
Joining the earlier discussed Tobi in the Kansas State to Indiana pipeline, Chiddi Obiazor is an elite level athlete that historically Indiana has struggled to land as a part of their team. At 6’6 and 275 pounds with elite movement, Obiazor is one of those players that will flash as the type of athlete only elite programs have. But better yet, he has the production to back up the appearance. In 2025, he finished the year with 28 tackles (4.5 for loss), two sacks, and seven QB hurries. He totaled 30 pressures, 12 more than the next-closest Wildcat defender, on a 6% pressure rate.
I have to imagine with the way Bryant Haines’ defense loves to draw up creative pressures, they are licking their chops to have a guy like Obiazor as a part of their system. He is an outside-first rusher, but also has the ability to bump inside if needed. He continues to get better each year and is just 21 years old (turns 22 right before the season starts) with two years of eligibility remaining.