The Indiana Hoosiers are National Champions. How weird that statement still sounds, since Indiana’s entire history before that is filled with mediocrity. How quickly things can change. Despite a rough history, however, Indiana still boasted some absolute stars, several amazing players, and quite a few underrated studs as well. Today, we’ll look at those underrated players who made their mark but might be underappreciated or overlooked by fans as a whole. Let’s get into it.
10. Sean Wracher, Long Snapper, 2019 – 2023
Yes, we have a long snapper on the list. And honestly, I’d include Wracher every single time. He came into Bloomington as a 5-star long snapper recruit and the #1 long snapper in the country in his class. His accolades speak for themselves: 5-time Phil Steele All-Big Ten long snapper, a semi-finalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award (awarded to the best long snapper in the country), and a 5-year starter. He embodied every bit of what it means to be a Hoosier and deserves recognition.
9. Kris Dielman, Guard, 1999 – 2002
Kris Dielman began his IU career as a tight end and earned All-Big Ten honors his junior year. He was an immense contributor to Antwaan Randle El’s success at quarterback due to his strong blocking skills. Those skills eventually translated to an NFL role where, even though he went undrafted, he saw incredible success at the next level. He was brought in to San Diego to reunite with former Indiana head coach Cam Cameron and ended his NFL career as one of the best Chargers of all time. He was a two-time all-pro, four-time pro bowler, and part of the Chargers’ 50th anniversary team. The Indiana native made his mark both in Bloomington as an elite blocker aiding one of IU’s most storied quarterbacks and at the next level, making Hoosier Nation proud to watch one of their own on Sundays.
8. Ben Chappell, Quarterback, 2006 – 2010
Chappell ended his Indiana career top three in program history in nearly every Hoosier quarterback statistical category. His teams only had a winning record once (2007, when he only played in three games), but Chappell continued to power through adversity. His crown jewel season in 2010 was truly something to marvel. He finished with nearly 3,300 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just 9 interceptions. He added three rushing touchdowns and finished with a quarterback rating of 132.5.
7. Marcus Thigpen, Running Back, 2004 – 2008
Thigpen was a dynamic playmaker through and through. He ended his Hoosier career as one of the best returners in program (and Big Ten) history. He finished his career 2nd in IU history in career kick return yards with 2,009 and also finished 3rd all-time in career all-purpose yards with 4,658. Thigpen became the first player in IU history to exceed 1,000 career rushing yards, receiving yards, and kick return yards. He was truly Indiana’s first “gadget” player before that term even existed. He could do anything on the field, make anyone miss, and was one of Indiana’s best “jump out of your seat” type of player.
6. Terry Jones Jr., Defensive Back, 2024
Terry Jones Jr. played for the Hoosiers for just one year after transferring in from Old Dominion, but his one season left an incredible impact. The Hoosiers fell short of their National Championship aspirations this season, but Jones is one of the major catalysts for how the Hoosiers got in that position to challenge for a championship in the first place. He revolutionized Bryant Haines’ rover position after switching into that role mid-season. Since the switch, it felt like the entire defense was unlocked. Jones was seemingly everywhere around the ball and was one of the Hoosiers’ most unsung heroes of their amazing 2024 season. Also, his play opened the door for another amazing rover the next year, who just so happened to make our list later on.
5. Jaylin Williams, Defensive Back, 2018 – 2022
Jaylin Williams played in nearly every game he could since he arrived in Bloomington. Largely playing opposite superstar cornerback Tiawan Mullen, Williams’ stellar play was often overlooked. However, he blossomed into one of Indiana’s best cornerbacks of the 21st century. He earned All-Big Ten honors twice in his career and was part of one of the best defenses in Indiana history with Williams and Mullen locking down opposing wide receivers. His efforts led to the amazing 2019 and 2020 seasons which featured some of the highest rankings in program history.
4. Nate Sudfeld, Quarterback, 2012 – 2015
Look, everybody knows and loves Nate Sudfeld. We know this. Some would argue he doesn’t belong on an “underrated” list, but I’m going to argue that he does. We know he was amazing but, in my opinion, his true greatness is often overlooked. Prior to Mendoza and arguably Rourke, Sudfeld was the best quarterback in Indiana’s program history. Often he’s seen as “good”, but he is the program leader in almost every statistical category for quarterbacks. This doesn’t even account for his record breaking 2015 season where he threw for 3,600 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions. He also added in 5 rushing touchdowns and had a passer rating of 151.0. Sudfeld’s accolades are too large to count and there are several national awards he was in the running for as well. Prior to Cignetti, Sudfeld was hands down the greatest quarterback in IU history and deserves to be recognized as such.
3. Devine Redding, Running Back, 2014 – 2016
Devine Redding’s teams had studs like Nate Sudfeld, fellow running back Jordan Howard, future NFL wide receivers Simmie Cobbs and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and a whole host of iconic defensive players. As such, Redding’s contributions are often overlooked. However, many forget he put together back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and tallied nearly 2,500 yards from scrimmage in his Hoosier career. He won All-Big Ten honors and was on the Doak Walker Award Watch List during his junior season. Redding was an integral contributor for the Hoosiers and deserves to be mentioned alongside Indiana’s other great running backs.
2. Devan Boykin, Defensive Back, 2025
Now bringing our first National Champion into the mix, Devan Boykin was an instrumental player on Indiana’s top-ranked defense during their 2025/2026 run to win it all. Playing at the all-important rover position, Boykin did a bit of everything. He covered receivers, blitzed the quarterback, filled gaps, and marked running backs. It is one of the most complicated positions to play in Bryant Haines’ defense and Boykin fulfilled every responsibility with ease. He ended up grading out as one of the best defenders in the country per Pro Football Focus and deserves immense recognition for his contributions to the Hoosiers’ National Championship.
1. Rashard Fant, Defensive Back, 2013 – 2017
Rashard Fant is one of my favorite Hoosiers of all time, so this is a bit of a personal pick, but I really do believe he is incredibly underrated as well. Fant strictly played for Indiana teams that had a losing record, so that may account for the reason he is often overlooked, but he was truly one of the best cornerbacks in the entire Big Ten during his time in Bloomington. He earned several All-Big Ten honors and is Indiana’s all-time leader in passes defended (58) and pass breakups (53). He earned national award watch list shouts, was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, and played in 49 games over his four seasons at IU. Fant is one of the best to ever do it in Bloomington and is, in my opinion, the most underrated player for the football program since 2000.