The Curt Cignetti-coached Indiana Hoosiers are the 2025 college football national championship winners. The Hoosiers achieved the feat by beating the Miami Hurricanes 27-21 on Monday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
It’s Indiana’s first-ever national championship, and their fans are hoping that it’ll mark the first of many for Cignetti’s special group. However, Desmond Howard is painting a harsh reality of Curt Cignetti’s future in Indiana.
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“Now the hard work starts for Cignetti, because he was the hunter, now they’re about to be hunted,” the CFB insider said on First Take.
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It’s important to note that no team has retained the national championship since Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs did in 2021 and 2022. There’s now a target on the back of every returning Hoosiers player for the 2025 season.
The Hoosiers went unbeaten this season on their way to winning the biggest honor in collegiate football. It’s hard to imagine Cignetti recording back-to-back nattys with the status quo remaining.
Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers set to lose Mendoza brothers
Two players that Curt Cignetti’s team can prepare without are starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza and priority backup Alberto Mendoza. Both players saw action in the just-concluded national championship-winning season.
Fernando Mendoza is the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and the consensus favorite to get picked No. 1 in the 2026 NFL draft. Mendoza is fresh off one of the most dominant seasons ever for a Hoosiers quarterback, and he’s about to get his reward.
Alberto Mendoza is Fernando’s younger brother and was the Hoosiers’ priority backup. Alberto entered the transfer portal shortly after winning the 2025 national championship and he’s now on his way to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
According to CBS Sports, Georgia Tech is a solid destination for the one-time national champion. The Yellow Jackets need a replacement for the graduating Haynes King. Plus, previous priority backup Aaron Philo has taken his talents to Florida.
Other members of the 2025 Indiana championship-winning team might have played their last game with the Hoosiers. Some players are entering the transfer portal and are scrambling to find a new team.
Curt Cignetti has his work cut out for him in his quest to turn the Hoosiers into the next great college football dynasty. He’ll need to recruit the cream of the crop and continue his excellent player development.
Edited by Nick Igbokwe