"Miami: They have five 5-star recruits and another 32 with 4-stars, led by starting QB Carson Beck, starting RB Mark Fletcher and All-American edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. Their roster which, it should be noted, would itself look like an underdog against the sport's biggest Blue Bloods is rounded out by 34 3-star recruits.
Indiana: What if I told you the No. 1 seed has zero 5-star recruits and just six 4-star recruits? Instead, this squad comprises mostly 3-stars,with none more important than Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza. Here's where I remind you that they are 15-0 with the nation's second-highest scoring offense (42.6) and second-lowest scoring defense (11.1).
Consider this: Indiana's lack of top-end recruits is virtually unprecedented. The last 20 national champions had at least two top-10 recruiting classes in the four years leading up to their title, per On3.
Indiana's last four recruiting classes? No. 53 (2025), No. 60 (2024), No. 59 (2023) and No. 29 (2022). Miami's, by comparison, were ranked 14th, 5th, 8th and 13th.
So, how have the Hoosiers done this? Having a Heisman winner at QB certainly helps, but you can't discount the importance of continuity and experience, which Indiana has in spades.
Their starters average a whopping 4.4 years of college experience.And, because just eight of them are first-year transfers, that means two-thirds have played together in Bloomington for at least the last two years. Plus, six of those starters followed head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison, so the ties run even deeper.
Miami's starting lineup has roughly the same number of homegrown players as Indiana (9 vs. 8), but they've relied more heavily on the portal this season, with 12 first-year transfers. The end result: A squad that hasn't had as much time to jell."
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Indiana: What if I told you the No. 1 seed has zero 5-star recruits and just six 4-star recruits? Instead, this squad comprises mostly 3-stars,with none more important than Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza. Here's where I remind you that they are 15-0 with the nation's second-highest scoring offense (42.6) and second-lowest scoring defense (11.1).
Consider this: Indiana's lack of top-end recruits is virtually unprecedented. The last 20 national champions had at least two top-10 recruiting classes in the four years leading up to their title, per On3.
Indiana's last four recruiting classes? No. 53 (2025), No. 60 (2024), No. 59 (2023) and No. 29 (2022). Miami's, by comparison, were ranked 14th, 5th, 8th and 13th.
So, how have the Hoosiers done this? Having a Heisman winner at QB certainly helps, but you can't discount the importance of continuity and experience, which Indiana has in spades.
Their starters average a whopping 4.4 years of college experience.And, because just eight of them are first-year transfers, that means two-thirds have played together in Bloomington for at least the last two years. Plus, six of those starters followed head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison, so the ties run even deeper.
Miami's starting lineup has roughly the same number of homegrown players as Indiana (9 vs. 8), but they've relied more heavily on the portal this season, with 12 first-year transfers. The end result: A squad that hasn't had as much time to jell."
YahooSportsAM
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