Several Indiana players ranked as top NFL prospects ahead of 2025 season

After taking the college football world by storm in 2024, Indiana enters the 2025 season with new expectations.

Last year the Hoosiers shocked the college football world with their 11-2 season, but this year there will be no surprise as everyone is now familiar with Curt Cignetti and Indiana.  

One major difference between the 2024 and 2025 seasons for Indiana is the preseason recognition from national media.

ESPN NFL Draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid ranked the top five draft-eligible players at each position ahead of the 2025 season and several Indiana players found their way on the list. 

Fernando Mendoza

Fernando Mendoza was the only Indiana player to appear on both Miller and Reid’s list. 

He was ranked as the third-best quarterback by Miller and fifth-best by Reid. 

After two years at Cal, Mendoza entered the portal ranked as the No. 20 overall player in the On3 Industry rankings and the No. 4 quarterback.

In 2024 Mendoza passed for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions while leading Cal to a 6-5 record in 11 games. 

The former Cal quarterback projects to be one of the top impact transfers in college football in 2025. 

Mendoza was one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the country a season ago despite poor play from his offensive line. 

He has shown he can create when plays breakdown as Mendoza ranked ninth in the FBS last season on throws outside of the pocket with a 91.1 QBR.

His accuracy paired with his mobility makes him a dynamic threat at the quarterback position for Indiana and someone NFL scouts will be watching in 2025. 

Elijah Sarratt

While Elijah Sarratt was not ranked inside the top five at wide receiver by either analyst, Miller listed him as a ‘Player outside of the top five to watch’. 

Sarratt is coming off a big year in which he caught 53 passes for 987 yards and eight touchdowns.  

Miller believes Sarratt has “big breakout potential” in 2025 and compares him to a star receiver in the NFL.

“[Sarratt] fits the mold of Texans star receiver Nico Collins, with excellent body positioning and tough hands in traffic,” Miller said.

There will be challenges as Sarratt works to build chemistry with Mendoza who will be his third quarterback in as many years. 

On the other hand, Mendoza is the most talented quarterback Sarratt has played with at the college level, and the expectation is that the pair will form one of the most dynamic QB-WR combinations in 2025. 

Pat Coogan

Center Pat Coogan is the third Indiana offensive player mentioned as he was ranked as the fifth-best center by Miller. 

The Notre Dame transfer played a big role in 2024 as he started under center during their run to their National Championship game.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound center was ranked as the No. 39 overall transfer in the On3 Industry rankings and the No. 4 interior offensive lineman. 

The Indiana offensive line saw a major improvement in 2024, but still struggled against some of the best defensive lines in the Big Ten. 

Coogan was brought in to help improve that unit even more and will play a critical role as Indiana looks to make another run to the College Football Playoff. 

D’Angelo Ponds

D’Angelo Ponds was the only Indiana player mentioned on the defensive side of the football.

He was ranked as the fifth-best cornerback by Miller. 

Ponds is coming off a massive sophomore season where he established himself as one of the best lockdown corners in the country. 

In 13 games he made 55 total tackles, with nine pass breakups and three interceptions including one he returned for a touchdown. 

Ponds was named a second-team All-American by The Athletic, CBS Sports, ESPN, Football Writers Association of America, Phil Steele, and USA Today for his 2024 performance.

He was consistently matched up against opponents’ number-one receivers, often shutting them down. 

The biggest question mark surrounding Ponds is his lack of size at 5-foot-9. 

It was not an issue last season despite being matched up with several bigger receivers. 

Ponds held Denzel Boston (6-4) and Jeremiah Smith (6-3), two of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten, to quiet games in their matchups last season. 

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