Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indiana loses another player to transfer portal days after CFP win

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Jan 22, 2026 11:30 PM ET

The changes are coming to the Indiana Hoosiers roster next season.

Just days after winning the College Football Playoff national title, Indiana is losing standout defensive lineman Hosea Wheeler to the transfer portal, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. However, Wheeler is still waiting to see if he will have another year of eligibility.

Wheeler spent three seasons at Western Kentucky before he transferred to Indiana last offseason. He had also taken visits to Wisconsin and Texas A&M last time in the portal, so it will be worth watching to see where he ends up this time.

In 2025, Wheeler had 31 total tackles with four tackles for a loss while starting five games for the Hoosiers.

Wheeler, who played at a junior college for one season before heading to WKU, has a hearing set for Feb. 10 that will determine whether he’s going be granted another year of eligibility.

In total, the 6-foot-3, 300-pounder has made 30 career stats and has 139 career tackles.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 22, 2026

Wheeler was relatively unknown coming out of high school, and his only offer was from Western Kentucky, according to 247Sports . But Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti took a chance on Wheeler, and he was a key part of the defensive line rotation for the national champions.

Players in the national title game have a five-day extension from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24 to enter the portal. Indiana has seen a flurry of departures early on, with Wheeler becoming the 14th player to head out of Bloomington.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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