‘The sky’s the limit’ for Indiana’s ‘underrated’ safety Amare Ferrell

For two seasons, Amare Ferrell has played the role of Indiana’s unsung star, the kind of player whose impact is obvious to coaches and teammates but rarely makes headlines.

The 6-foot-2, 202-pound junior safety from Lake City, Florida, has been there for the Hoosiers every step of the way — even when others weren’t.

Ferrell has been flying under the radar since the moment he arrived in Bloomington in 2023. A true freshman, he appeared in all 12 games, one of just seven first-years to see the field that season. When Tom Allen was fired and Curt Cignetti arrived to lead the program, the transfer portal beckoned for many Hoosiers.

Ferrell didn’t blink.

“It just wasn’t my time to leave … I always knew I was going to stay,” Ferrell said in September of 2024. “Everything happens for a reason. With Coach Cignetti coming in, I knew he had a winning program, and I knew he was a great coach. So, I just wanted to play under Coach Cignetti.”

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That decision set the stage for what came next. A year later, Ferrell was a fixture in the lineup, starting all 12 games in 2024 and finishing with a team-high four interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the top 10 safeties in the Big Ten.

But despite his production, he went largely unnoticed by the wider college football world. No All-Big Ten honors. No preseason watch lists in 2025. Just quiet consistency.

“He’s a very underrated player in our defense,” D’Angelo Ponds said Tuesday. “You don’t hear too much about him.”

That silence may not last much longer. On Saturday, Ferrell wasted no time announcing himself in the 2025 season opener against Old Dominion. He picked off his first pass of the year, broke up two others and chipped in two tackles.

According to PFF, his defensive grade of 82.5 was the highest of any Indiana player, while his 83.6 coverage grade ranked among the top 50 nationally for defenders who played at least 10 snaps.

“Ferrell is a really good player,” Cignetti said after the win. “I think the sky’s the limit for him. He’s matured a lot over the years.”

That growth hasn’t just been on the stat sheet. Now an upperclassman, Ferrell has evolved into a leader, both vocally and by example.

“I’ve definitely tried to take a leadership role, knowing I’ve played in this system before,” Ferrell said after Saturday’s win. “I’ve played a lot of football. I know how to talk to the team.”

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Ponds sees that evolution firsthand.

“He’s a big part of our defense … he’s a ballhawk,” Ponds said. “He has matured, and he’s stepping into that leader role.”

Part of that leadership is tied to Ferrell’s positional shift. Last year, he often manned Indiana’s rover spot, a hybrid role that blended safety and linebacker responsibilities. This fall, he’s taking on the full-time safety role, which allows him to see the field — and the game — more clearly.

“He can control the defense more,” Ponds said. “He can see a lot more, and he can make a lot more plays. I feel like that’s a good position for him.”

For a player who has long slipped under the radar, Ferrell is now one of the players the center of Indiana’s defensive identity. His range in the secondary, coupled with his knack for creating turnovers, has already established him as one of the Hoosiers’ most indispensable players. Perhaps more importantly, his voice is beginning to carry weight in a locker room attempting to navigate its way back to the College Football Playoff.

Ferrell has been patient, waiting for recognition while never chasing it. But after his performance to open the 2025 season, Indiana’s quiet cornerstone may finally be making too much noise to ignore.

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