National analyst thinks Curt Cignetti will have Indiana football ‘ahead of schedule’ in year one

Ever since Curt Cignetti was hired as the new Indiana football head coach, his confidence has not only given fans hope for a turnaround — he’s also started to make his way around the recruiting circles across the country.

Indiana football brings in the 24th overall recruiting class in 2024 — combining both high school and transfer recruits.

After just three wins in the Big Ten in the last three seasons and a 9-27 record overall in the past three years, there needed to be a shift in the narrative and the talent. Cignetti has done both thus far.

So, to say there is a lot of anticipation for this upcoming season would be an understatement.

247Sports National Analyst Brad Crawford took a swing at some of the most daring predictions before spring practice gets underway — and he went aggressive with Indiana football.

Crawford’s prediction for Indiana? An eight-win season.

“One of this cycle’s best coaching hires, former JMU coach Curt Cignetti will have the Hoosiers ahead of schedule in his first season at Indiana. And he’s not even been mentioned among other Big Ten newcomers in the head-coaching ranks when you consider Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Washington’s Jedd Fisch and Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith being more widely-know,” Crawford wrote. ” … Prior to his success at JMU in recent years, Cignetti had coaching stops at Alabama and NC State, so recruiting within the Power leagues is nothing out of the ordinary for him. His schedule in 2024, by Big Ten schedules, creates a manageable path to not only bowl season, but potentially eight wins. And that’s bold for a team whose win projection, right now, sits at 5.5.”

That’s right … eight wins.

Indiana has reached that total just twice since 1990 and once with the last six head coaches.

Cignetti, however, has hit eight wins in nine of his 13 seasons.

“We got to change the way people think about Indiana,” new Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti said during his National Signing Day press conference. “We’ve been adamant that, look, we’re going to win and we’re going to win this year and we’re going to change the brand and the expectation level and the way people see Indiana football.”

Spring practice for Indiana football begins March 21, with its spring game taking place on April 18.

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