Countdown to 2026 Indiana Football- 71 Days Ben Novak

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff marches on to day 71 and today is all about freshman offensive lineman Ben Novak. The Crown Point native is a big prospect from Andrean High School and a top-15 player in the state in his recruiting class.

Ben Novak

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 317 pounds

Hometown: Crown Point, Indiana/Andrean

Class/Position: Freshman/Offensive Line

Ben Novak, out of Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana, was one of the bigger recruiting wins for the Hoosiers in the 2026 cycle. IU beat out Wisconsin, Louisville and Kentucky for the big fella.

Novak helped lead the 59ers to a state title his senior year and chose Indiana because of how Curt Cignetti and his staff run the program.

“At Indiana, everything seemed very professional, which was one of the first things my parents and I noticed and appreciated,” Novak said in an interview with 247Sports Allen Trieu. “With the path college football is taking, it should be as professional as possible, which we saw at Indiana. I also loved the strength and conditioning coach and his manner.”

As Jamie Jordan wrote in his spring offensive line preview, “Novak’s HUDL shows decent bend and athleticism to get to the second level and plays through the whistle. That’s essentially what you’re looking for, especially in OT prospects.”

The expectation is for Novak to redshirt in 2026, although the rules are about to change so that players have five years to play five seasons. Either way, he is expected to take the year to develop into someone who can be a future starter on the offensive line as a tackle.

The countdown continues each day on Hoosier Huddle until IU kicks off the 2026 season against the North Texas Mean Green!