Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

No. 1 Indiana gets encouraging health update ahead of Rose Bowl clash with No. 9 Alabama

By Colby Colwell | Last updated Dec 29, 2025 2:56 PM ET

The top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers received a positive update on Monday regarding the status of leading receiver Omar Cooper Jr. ahead of the Rose Bowl against the ninth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide on New Year's Day (4 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Cooper is back at full speed and is expected to be at full availability for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal after suffering a lower-body injury in the Big Ten title game win over then-No. 1 Ohio State.

A fully healthy Indiana offense is the last thing Alabama wants to see

There is no secret that Indiana (13-0) has been exceptional defensively this season, allowing the third-fewest points per game (11.8 PPG) in the country. Getting its leading receiver back only increases the challenge Alabama (11-3) faces against a team that also scores the fourth-most points per game (39.3 PPG).

The junior wideout has 104 career receptions for 1,665 yards and 20 TDs. He leads Indiana this season with 58 receptions and 804 receiving yards, along with the second-most TDs (11). The most memorable of those TD catches was his miraculous toe-tapping game-winner in the back of the end zone against Penn State on Nov. 8.

Sources: Indiana leading WR Omar Cooper is back to full speed for the Hoosiers. He’s expected to be at full availability for the Rose Bowl against Alabama. He'd been trending this way since a lower-body injury against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. pic.twitter.com/S9pccdOAsW
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 29, 2025

Led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback and two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti — the first to win the award in consecutive seasons — Indiana claimed its first Big Ten championship since 1967 and is ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in program history.

The Hoosiers became the first FBS team to lose 700 games in 2022 and had never won more than nine games in a season before Cignetti's arrival. Now, they head into the Rose Bowl expected to defeat powerhouse Alabama and get one step closer to the program's first national title.

With 29 combined TDs on the ground, consistent QB play and a loaded receiving corps, Indiana has put itself in a position to finish the season undefeated and complete a remarkable turnaround for one of the sport's historically worst programs.

Alabama found itself down 17 in its CFP first-round game against eighth-seeded Oklahoma, taking advantage of sloppy play from the Sooners in a 34-24 comeback victory. It will likely not catch those same breaks from Indiana, a team that appears to be at full strength and showing no signs of slowing down.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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