Numerous Hoosiers garner All-Big Ten, postseason honors

Ahead of Indiana football’s Big Ten Championship clash with No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday night, a number of Hoosiers earned all-conference recognition in addition to head coach Curt Cignetti being named the conference’s Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season.

The Big Ten announced its All-Big Ten offensive, defensive and special teams honorees, as well as a handful of postseason awards, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, and the Hoosiers are heavily represented.

Below is a list of Hoosiers that earned postseason recognition.

Curt Cignetti – Big Ten Coach of the Year

For a second consecutive year, Cignetti won the conference’s coach of the year honor. Cignetti was named Hayes-Schembechler Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Hoosiers to a historic 12-0 record.

The second-year head coach won six different national awards a season ago, and is expected to be in contention for many of them again this December.

Fernadno Mendoza – Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year + Big Ten Quarterback of the Year

The current betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy, Mendoza has completed 72% of his passes for 2,758 yards and 32 touchdowns through the air — which ranks first in the entire country.

Earlier this season, Mendoza broke the Hoosiers’ single-season passing touchdown record. He’s also the first quarterback since 1996 with three games of four or more passing touchdowns while completing at least 90% of his passes in the same game in a single season.

Mendoza is the first ever Hoosier to claim the conference’s Quarterback of the Year award and the program’s first Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year since Antwaan Randle El in 2001.

Carter Smith – Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year

At left tackle, Smith has been a regular starter for the Hoosiers over the course of the last three years. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has yet to give up a sack this season.

Smith, who has given up just five pressures this season, is the first Hoosier ever to win the conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year award.

First Team

• Quarterback Fernando Mendoza

• Offensive Lineman Carter Smith

• Defensive Lineman Tyrique Tucker

• Linebacker Aiden Fisher

• Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds

• Safety Louis Moore (Coaches only)

• Kicker Nicolas Radicic

• Long Snapper Mark Langston

A mainstay on the interior of Indiana’s defensive line, Tucker has totaled 10.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks on the year.

The heart and soul of the Hoosiers, Fisher has collected 72 total tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks to go along with his pair of interceptions — including one pick six — and one fumble recovery.

One of the top cornerbacks in the country, Ponds tallied one interception and seven pass breakups as defenses rarely tested the 2024 All-American.

Moore is tied for the Big Ten lead in interceptions with five on the season. He ranks third on the team with 68 total tackles and has 2.0 tackles for loss as well.

A sure-thing for the Hoosiers this season, Radicic was also named the Big Ten Kicker of the Year on Wednesday. He is the only kicker in the country not to miss a kick this season. The redshirt sophomore has gone 13-for-13 on field goals — with a long of 46 — while drilling all 70 of his extra points — the most in the conference.

Second Team

• Center Pat Coogan

• Wide Receiver Elijah Sarratt

• Wide Receiver Omar Cooper

• Tight End Riley Nowakowski

• Linebacker Rolijah Hardy

• Safety Amare Ferrell

One of the defacto captains for the Hoosiers, Coogan has been a stalwart at center this season. He’s one of the vocal leaders for Indiana.

One of the top receivers in the country, Sarratt has caught 48 passes for 650 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. The 11 receiving touchdowns are tied for the most in the Big Ten this year.

The other half of the Hoosiers’ potent one-two punch at receiver, Cooper leads the team in both receptions (58) and receiving yards (804), while tallying 11 touchdowns receptions as well.

Along with being one of the top run-blockers in the Big Ten, Nowakowski has tallied 23 receptions for 296 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns this year. He’s also added a score on the ground.

Hardy leads the Hoosiers in both total tackles (77) and sacks (7.0) on the season. Hardy has also added 11.5 tackles for loss, which ranks third on the team. The sophomore ranks top eight in the Big Ten in both tackles for loss (8th) and sacks (5th).

The other half of Indiana’s dynamic duo at safety, Ferrell has intercepted four passes and added six pass breakups this season.

Third Team

• Running Back Roman Hemby

• Linebacker Isaiah Jones

A Maryland transfer, Hemby has tallied 866 yards on the ground and six rushing scores this season. He’s averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Hemby has added 13 receptions for 153 yards in the passing game.

In a breakout campaign for the cream and crimson, Jones is second on the team and sixth in the Big Ten with 12.0 tackles for loss to go along with 5.0 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.

Honorable Mention

• Defensive Lineman Stephen Daley

• Defensive Lineman Mikail Kamara

Daley has had a monster season for the Hoosiers. He’s tied for first in the country and leads the Big Ten with 18.0 tackles for loss. Daley has also added 4.5 sacks this season.

After an All-American caliber campaign a year ago, Kamara has tallied 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack this season while leading the Big Ten in quarterback pressures.

The league is slated to announce all-conference teams on the offensive side of the ball on Thursday.

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