OT: Indiana roster

kupuna133

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I wonder if anyone will come looking at his staff. They're kind of under the radar despite the success, CIgnetti gets the headlines but I don't hear much about their coordinators.

UCLA hired Tino Sunseri their qb coach from last year to bring the IU offense over but it didn't work. Foster and Sunseri were let go. In comes Jerry N and the offense improves a lot.

Would Haines or Shanahan get any looks this offseason or will Sunseri's flop kind of hamper that.
I don’t think the Sunseri flop will hinder anyone from coming after Cignetti’s staff. The issue at UCLA was greater than OC. And Tino was a fall guy.
 
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Schiano is probably at his ceiling…it does not appear he has it in him to be the transformative coach we need him to be. In his defense, in this convoluted era, it’s way beyond recruiting and buying talent. UCLA clearly proves, coaching matters
 

kupuna133

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Schiano is probably at his ceiling…it does not appear he has it in him to be the transformative coach we need him to be. In his defense, in this convoluted era, it’s way beyond recruiting and buying talent. UCLA clearly proves, coaching matters
If it was solely based on buying talent Texas A&M and FSU would be playing for the national championships on a regular basis.
 
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LETSGORU91

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That's great, but their bread and butter is from the transfer portal. Lot easier to evaluate talent when you seen it play for a year or two and have the money to outspend others. So, the tweet is misleading, he's a really good coach but this guy is making him out to be God like.
By the letter of the law, God created everything out of nothing which is exactly what Cignetti has done, no matter what he did and/or how he did it. That is pretty much God like. If we had a coach that did that here, there would have been a gilded, gold, fountain statue at the front of the stadium by the end of yesterday if we beat #3 Oregon.
 

ScarletKid2008

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By the letter of the law, God created everything out of nothing which is exactly what Cignetti has done, no matter what he did and/or how he did it. That is pretty much God like. If we had a coach that did that here, there would have been a gilded, gold, fountain statue at the front of the stadium by the end of yesterday if we beat #3 Oregon.
I pray to a God that we see anything like what Indiana has the last two years before I leave this earth
 

rutgersguy2

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If it was solely based on buying talent Texas A&M and FSU would be playing for the national championships on a regular basis.
A&M has been throwing money away for decades haha but now A&M looks like the have a good coach and a bargain by their standards at 7M lol. Actually same as the avg of GS’ after the extension.

Elko is the kind of guy who might get them where they want. Like Cignetti and DeBoer, he came from the lower levels along side Clawson. I’ve thought he was good since his time at DC at WF. I want to root for him but he’s at A&M, same for DeBoer at Alabama lol.

Elko has got them poised for a playoff appearance. Defense on 3rd downs has been spectacular the last few games.

FSU and PSU are a little bit opposite sides of the same coin.

FSU doubled down with increased resources for new staff and new players (again) after their debacle last year and have flopped since the Alabama win.

PSU doubled down on resources after their near miss at the title game with the highest paid assistant in CFB and money to bring the band back together after last years run and they’ve flopped since the Oregon loss.

Both spent money on new staff…one spent a ton for new faces, one spent money on old faces but both are flailing.
 
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koleszar

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Last year the JMIU kids followed him and there were no highly paid transfers . The boosters were not paying and they still went to the college playoff.
You could give Schiano Bezzos and Musk as boosters and he still would not beat Oregon .
I have no idea where you guys come up with this stuff. For the hundredth time, Cignetti only agreed to go there if the boosters agreed to a significant NIL war chest. They did and he accepted the job. No NIL, no Cignetti. If Schiano had a heart attack two years ago and we offered him the job he would have declined because of our lack of NIL. So again NO, we couldn't have had Cignetti. Last part not at you.
 

jsol_05

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not a soul in fact, no p5 was calling
worse yet, we gave him a contract extension!!!!
Yep, couldn't find another HC job anywhere, so we rescue him. SMH
Strike 1: Hiring
Strike 2: Extension
Strike 3: Will be not making a change
 
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LotusAggressor_rivals

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The coaching at Indiana IS a big part of their climb...so was the influx of cash...My gut tells me that not all cash gets reported as NIL at most schools still anyway. There are still bag men everywhere. I compare it to bookies and legal gambling...Everyone now thinks the numbers they see reported are the true numbers, but online gambling has not put many bookies out of business. It has actually increased illegal gambling as there are now 10x the number of degenerate gamblers.

And to do a comparison of HS ratings at schools, we get it but with the portal- it changes everything. There is a much better chance that picking up a 2-3 star that has had 3 years to develop at a lower division is so much less of a gamble than a kid straight out of HS.

The trick is- coaching to your team strengths. I also think GS 2.0 really needs to evaluate his entire staff. And it is no longer $$$ holding back getting good coaches. And enough of retreads. Even with KC - he may have out offense putting up numbers like we haven't seen since 2008 but even with a QB on pace for 3500 yds, 2 1000 yd WR and another on pace for 700, a 1000 yd RB that may score 18-20 TD's - if play call has been very suspect.
Defense- this year is a fireable year. I can blame it on Smith but we also know who really coaches the D...and this is 2 straight years of this. We are also seeing players regress instead of get better. And ST's - this fair catch **** is just stupid in all ways. We also can't tackle on ST's and forget about kicking.

So yeah- maybe we can spend money like Indiana and bring in a bunch of players but man, I do not know if our current staff would be able to do what Indiana has done with them.
This, as Frank Zappa once said, is the crux of the biscuit. There are 3 levels to building a winning roster; evaluation, acquisition, and development. Some are focusing on acquisition with Indiana and ignoring the other two factors. Cignetti brought a lot of his players and coaches with him from JMU the first year. They knew his system and he knew what they were capable of. This season, he's been able to identify, acquire, and develop talent to play in his system. He's also a coaching lifer who's been around winning at a high level and has won a lot as a head coach.
 
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rutgersguy2

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Cignetti might be a great coach but a blind man can see NIL has played a large role in there success
I've posted that here and that's only after Cignetti won a lot did Cuban donate. It was at the end of the season. It's not that they had tons of money before Cignetti got there. And it's not the IU didn't have any NIL or it didn't help...it's that I think there's a gross overestimation of how much they had or any typical school had prior to revenue sharing.

I took a quick look and an article I found said they had maybe 2-3M for NIL in 2023. Which is good money but not the mid high teen double digit figures people throw around....someone here said 20M...no way do I believe that. Reports are OSU was paying that much for their championship roster. Do you think IU had as much NIL as OSU last year?

Could IU have mid high teen figures this year? Potentially yes, but that's because of revenue sharing.

There's a demarcation line which people aren't getting or are confused about. There's the pre revenue sharing world where most schools probably didn't have oodles of NIL money and a post revenue sharing world where all schools have a lot more NIL money because of revenue sharing. Being in a conference like the B10 or SEC facilitates finding that NIL money in the AD budget because you're getting 10s of millions of dollars more than everyone else.

In 2024 we had the 6th highest football operating budget in the B10, 12th highest in the country. Now some of that AD budget can be used on NIL....how much are we or any school using? Who knows.
 

rutgersguy2

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I have no idea where you guys come up with this stuff. For the hundredth time, Cignetti only agreed to go there if the boosters agreed to a significant NIL war chest. They did and he accepted the job. No NIL, no Cignetti. If Schiano had a heart attack two years ago and we offered him the job he would have declined because of our lack of NIL. So again NO, we couldn't have had Cignetti. Last part not at you.
I think anyone could have had Cignetti if they gave him a shot.

He was making 600K at JMU and hadn't been a HC at the P4 ever. He's an ambitious guy and would be getting multiples (4M) of his JMU salary and he was 63 with not a ton of coaching life left to make the big money and fulfill an ambition of coaching at higher level and seeing what he could do.

So I don't think he would have declined any offer anywhere in the P4. He went to the losingest program in FBS history at IU. Similar to what I'd say about Leipold at Kansas. He was older and not much time left and no big pay day yet and he walked into one of the most horrible situations you could find in the P5. They take these situations because they don't have the options and they're also older and not a ton of time left.
 
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kupuna133

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I think anyone could have had Cignetti if they gave him a shot.

He was making 600K at JMU and hadn't been a HC at the P4 ever. He's an ambitious guy and would be getting multiples (4M) of his JMU salary and he was 63 with not a ton of coaching life left to make the big money and fulfill an ambition of coaching at higher level and seeing what he could do.

So I don't think he would have declined any offer anywhere in the P4. He went to the losingest program in FBS history at IU. Similar to what I'd say about Leipold at Kansas. He was older and not much time left and no big pay day yet and he walked into one of the most horrible situations you could find in the P5. They take these situations because they don't have the options and they're also older and not a ton of time left.
Yea I don’t think the average person realizes that coaches at lower levels would do anything to run their own higher level program. Sure many receive a bump up in salary but I think most programs could get away with paying much less. **** we’ve seen the reverse happen within our own program recently. 2 of our assistants took pay cuts or minimal increase to run their own programs at lower levels. These guys want to run their own opportunities.
 

Shelby65

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Who do you think Rutgers should pursue as the next head coach? I understand all of the schianos criticism, I just don't know who people think the next head coach should be?
It’s not my job to know, and I don’t. It’s the AD’s job to hire a promising candidate.

Just like with any hire, athletics, corporate, government, whatever, some work out and some don’t. That’s fine.

If the next coach proves to be worse than even he is, Shelby won’t regret the firing of Grifter Greg because at least there was new hope. Now there is none. We already know we’ll have 5 more years of losing. That’s why Shelby hates the coach.

Once it’s recognized the hire is failing, it’s time cut your losses and try again. That’s where we are. His conference winning percentage is 27% and sure to be below that after 6 more games. It’s astonishing he’s still here, thanks to the puppy dog prior AD who gave out raises and extensions like cheap Halloween candy.
 
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RUGuitarMan1

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From watching the Oregon/IU game, I was struck by how well IU matched up with Oregon up front at DL and OL. Oregon’s lines are widely considered to be among the best nationally. Not sure if it was $$$, player evaluation or player development but IU has the players. Any way you analyze it, IU’s rise is remarkable.
 

biazza38

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Misleading? Trust news? You lost me there.
How so?
The whole point is to show that recruiting rankings don’t matter. Except Indiana builds their team through the portal with NIL money. Indiana’s high school recruiting ranking is completely irrelevant because it’s not where they focus their recruiting efforts.
 

kupuna133

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How so?
The whole point is to show that recruiting rankings don’t matter. Except Indiana builds their team through the portal with NIL money. Indiana’s high school recruiting ranking is completely irrelevant because it’s not where they focus their recruiting efforts.
That wasn’t the point. It was more about the influence good coaching has on winning.

The ranking is a composite ranking of the roster. Meaning it’s both high school and portal ranking. Made that clarification earlier to spanky. Some guys were ranked higher in high school and transferred 4 star vs 3 star. And some ranking increased in portal from 3-4 etc….Whichever was higher is what is posted. So not sure what you mean high school rankings irrelevant.

And as ruguy2 has posted NIL numbers across the board are blown out of proportion. Doubt Indiana paid anywhere near reported last year. And if they did and Cignetti failed last year. He would have had a much harder time attracting talent in the portal no matter how much he was paying.
 
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From watching the Oregon/IU game, I was struck by how well IU matched up with Oregon up front at DL and OL. Oregon’s lines are widely considered to be among the best nationally. Not sure if it was $$$, player evaluation or player development but IU has the players. Any way you analyze it, IU’s rise is remarkable.
I'm pretty sure it was all three. Cignetti has a plan and knows what kind of guys fit his schemes and targets them (and lands them).

Our plan/scheme for the lines is stock up on as many guys that sign on signing day, because half of them will be out with injuries before you know it.

We're perpetually in Survival Mode, not Thrive Mode.
 

Knight Shift

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From watching the Oregon/IU game, I was struck by how well IU matched up with Oregon up front at DL and OL. Oregon’s lines are widely considered to be among the best nationally. Not sure if it was $$$, player evaluation or player development but IU has the players. Any way you analyze it, IU’s rise is remarkable.
DE Mikail Kamara was at JMU and followed Cignetti to Indiana.
NT Tyrique Tucker- same as Kamara
DT Hosea Wheeler- transfer in from Western Kentucky
EDGE/STUD/HYBRID- Kellan Wyatt-transfer from Maryland- another good one poached from Maryland-was top 25 player in HS in Maryland.

3/4 of the defensive line were not P4/P5 players before coming to Indiana under Cignetti.
 

biazza38

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That wasn’t the point. It was more about the influence good coaching has on winning.

The ranking is a composite ranking of the roster. Meaning it’s both high school and portal ranking. Made that clarification earlier to spanky. Some guys were ranked higher in high school and transferred 4 star vs 3 star. And some ranking increased in portal from 3-4 etc….Whichever was higher is what is posted. So not sure what you mean high school rankings irrelevant.

And as ruguy2 has posted NIL numbers across the board are blown out of proportion. Doubt Indiana paid anywhere near reported last year. And if they did and Cignetti failed last year. He would have had a much harder time attracting talent in the portal no matter how much he was paying.
If you think Indiana has the 72nd most talented roster, I have a bridge to Alaska to sell you. That composite ranking is wildly flawed. Go look what they were able to bring in through the portal
 

kupuna133

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If you think Indiana has the 72nd most talented roster, I have a bridge to Alaska to sell you. That composite ranking is wildly flawed. Go look what they were able to bring in through the portal
Did you even look at the composite posted? It includes what they brought in via portal. I think Cignetti is doing more with less. If you think Indiana has better roster than Oregon I got a bridge to sell you. Indianas roster ranking is closer to 72 than it is 1.
 
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NotInRHouse

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They had 21 transfers in this year. They got the JMU kids last year not this year. That's a fifth of the roster. Players want to play for him and get paid from him and the Indiana boosters are willing to provide.

SHHHH this will make people very upset

We have multiple posters here insisting that in fact they pay less in NIL than us and they went to IU only for the coach LOL
 

biazza38

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Did you even look at the composite posted? It includes what they brought in. I think Inglett is doing more with less. If you think Indiana has better roster than Oregon I got a bridge to sell you. Indianas roster ranking is closer to 72 than it is 1.
I did and it has us at 53. 19 spots ahead of Indiana. Even before the season that’s hilarious. Again, that composite is completely flawed. And I didn’t say Indiana has a better roster than Oregon, but for whatever reason you seem to think because a recruiting service says Indiana has the 72nd talented roster, it must be true.

Indiana has the luxury of bringing in O linemen from OSU and ND, a Heisman trophy contending QB, and one of the best rb’s in the B1G last year. So I don’t know what the rest of the roster is composed of, but whatever 247 is pushing is pretty flawed
 
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NotInRHouse

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And yet they spent $13 million in NIL to build that roster, so obviously those HS rankings meant jack shít.

They will tell you the NIL numbers are fake.

Any of the rankings show IU top 10 in NIL don't matter, and we should believe ours are comparable.
 

kupuna133

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I did and it has us at 53. 19 spots ahead of Indiana. Even before the season that’s hilarious. Again, that composite is completely flawed. And I didn’t say Indiana has a better roster than Oregon, but for whatever reason you seem to think because a recruiting service says Indiana has the 72nd talented roster, it must be true.
What? I didn’t say to take any of this as scripture. I was posting this to compare player and roster perceived rankings. We probably agree more than disagree. Player rankings are flawed. But you can’t debate Cignetti is not doing more with less. And Nil and rankings played less a part especially in this game.
 

NotInRHouse

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I have no idea where you guys come up with this stuff. For the hundredth time, Cignetti only agreed to go there if the boosters agreed to a significant NIL war chest. They did and he accepted the job. No NIL, no Cignetti. If Schiano had a heart attack two years ago and we offered him the job he would have declined because of our lack of NIL. So again NO, we couldn't have had Cignetti. Last part not at you.

Facts don't have any place in this discussion

Let's get back to saying how RU is going to fire GS this year and make a big hire and no NIL or money is needed to do so!
 
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NotInRHouse

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And when Aaron Breitman is asking questions about Schiano and coaching. . . . and many replies to his post agree-mostly fair takes:









Indiana is top 10 nationally in NIL.

NW isn't very good, but Vandy has definitely been upping their NIL game.

The idea that RU's obstacle to success is GS and not financials is really going to burn people. Thankfully Zinn seems way too smart to look at things that way.
 
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biazza38

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What? I didn’t say to take any of this as scripture. I was posting this to compare player and roster perceived rankings. We probably agree more than disagree. Player rankings are flawed. But you can’t debate Cignetti is not doing more with less. And Nil and rankings played less a part especially in this game.
He’s a great coach but it’s hard to say he’s doing more with less when he’s able to go into the portal, grab who he wants, and not lose guys he doesn’t want to lose.
And how did NIL play less a role in yesterday’s game? Without the NIL war chest, Indiana doesn’t get Cignetti and is still floundering like us. NIL elevated them to the level competing with Oregon and OSU. It’s not the deciding factor. But you need it to compete
 

rutgersguy2

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Also as far as poaching players after seeing them do well etc…I wouldn’t assume that means anything. This guy was good here so duh of course he’ll be good when I take him, not necessarily.

Mendoza was a good solid (CC has taken him up a notch) qb at Cal but I don’t know if he got as much play there as Jayden Ott did. There were memes and songs about Ott on social media before he got hurt. I think he seemed like the bigger star and playmaker. He also left Cal and is languishing at OU who has a non existent run game so far this year.

So just because you’re the star or doing well in one spot doesn’t mean you’ll do well in the next. Not so different from coaching hires in that respect. I wouldn’t take it as some easy slam dunk no brainer thing to just pluck players because they’ve done well at one school.
 

kupuna133

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He’s a great coach but it’s hard to say he’s doing more with less when he’s able to go into the portal, grab who he wants, and not lose guys he doesn’t want to lose.
And how did NIL not play a role in yesterday’s game? Without the NIL war chest, Indiana doesn’t get Cignetti and is still floundering like us. NIL elevated them to the level competing with Oregon and OSU. It’s not the deciding factor. But you need it to compete
Because oregons NIL is reportedly 2.5-3x more than Indianas reported NIL. And Indiana is not able to go into the portal and grab whoever they want and keep whoever they want. Their pockets are not that deep.
Yep it’s a combination of player recognition, roster design, NIL and most importantly coaching.
 

biazza38

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Indiana is top 10 nationally in NIL.

NW isn't very good, but Vandy has definitely been upping their NIL game.

The idea that RU's obstacle to success is GS and not financials is really going to burn people. Thankfully Zinn seems way too smart to look at things that way.
Agree!!! Those tweets are moronic. We’re having a bad season, but we outperformed expectations the last two seasons. Back to back 7 win seasons isn’t bad. Yes, we should have won 8 last year, but it’s hard to deny that the program has been elevated when the expectations are 8+ wins after where we have been.
 
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FSU has lost more conference games in last 2 years than Bobby Bowden in close to 15.

FSU finished in the top 5 or better for 15 consecutive years… I don’t think even Alabama or Ohio State has done that… that is one remarkably impressive record