Indiana football receives massive portal win with return of offensive lineman Carter Smith

The Indiana football program received a major addition to its roster for next season on Wednesday night as offensive lineman Carter Smith announced his decision to return to Bloomington.

Smith had entered the transfer portal earlier this offseason following the change in staff.

The redshirt sophomore took visits to Virginia Tech, Ole Miss and Florida State over the course of the last few weeks. After all of that, a return to Indiana was the move.

Smith played all 12 games at left tackle for the Hoosiers this season and was the highest-rated lineman for Indiana according to Pro Football Focus. He was also ranked 15th among all 2026 draft eligible offensive tackles in the country.

His return is a massive win for Curt Cignetti and this new Indiana staff. The entire starting offensive line either went into the portal or left to pursue professional opportunities — notably Matthew Bedford and Kahlil Benson, who are both transferring to Colorado. Zach Carpenter is still in the portal while Mike Katic is entering the NFL Draft.

A major reason for the return of Smith was due to retention of offensive line coach Bob Bostad. Bostad was the only member of Tom Allen’s coaching staff that Cignetti kept.

Smith joins defensive back Jordan Grier as the second Indiana football player to return to the program after entering the transfer portal.