Countdown to 2026 Indiana Football: 3 Days – Kortez Rupert

We slowly inch closer to Indiana kicking off against North Texas in the Hoosiers’ season opener on September 5th. As we run our countdown each day at Hoosier Huddle, we now line up at day 3, where we highlight Kortez Rupert.

Height: 5’11″

Weight: 169 lbs

Hometown: East Saint Louis, Illinois

High School: East Saint Louis

Year: 1st

Position: Wide Receiver

Kortez Rupert arrives in Bloomington as a true freshman wide receiver, bringing immense talent to an already talented wide receiver room. He was rated as a 3-star recruit out of high school and was ranked as the 1,176th best player in his class (both per 247 Sports Composite Rankings). Despite this ranking, it seems like top schools saw through this and projected Rupert much higher than recruiting sites had him.

He likely fell a bit in rankings due to his size, but that didn’t stop him from picking up offers from Boston College, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Purdue, Oregon State, and a whole host of strong Group of Five programs. What Rupert lacks in size he more than makes up for in speed, twitchiness, hands, and route running. His ceiling is a truly uncoverable slot weapon who can turn, burn, and make people miss. Check out his Hudl video here for some of his highlights.

The First-Team All-State performer will likely spend his first season in Bloomington learning the playbook and absorbing knowledge from his incredible teammates and coaches. This Indiana wide receiver room is arguably the best in the country at the moment, so it will be difficult to break into the lineup; however, Rupert should still get snap opportunities in blowout games.

As Rupert learns from the best in the business (both on the field and among the coaching staff) in 2026, he should be ready to make the most of his opportunity in 2027 as he projects to jump up the depth chart. He will certainly be one to watch moving forward for the Hoosiers as his ceiling is incredibly high.

Thanks to iuhoosiers.com for the biographical and accolade information used in this article.

Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle as we continue to march on with the Countdown to Kickoff for Indiana Football each day!