Indiana Football Continues Recruiting Surge with Multiple High-Profile Flips
Fresh off a historic national championship season, the Indiana Hoosiers have demonstrated that their on-field success is translating directly into recruiting victories. Head coach Curt Cignetti and his staff have secured multiple commitment flips from top prospects who previously pledged to other Power Four programs, further solidifying a 2026 recruiting class that ranks among the nation’s best.
**Wide Receiver LaVar Keys Flips from Penn State**
One of the most notable flips came from LaVar Keys, a standout wide receiver from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Keys had been committed to Big Ten rival Penn State, but following a coaching change with the Nittany Lions, he decommitted and pledged to Indiana in November 2025.
When asked about his decision to flip, Keys cited the culture Cignetti has built and the program’s remarkable transformation. “Indiana is the best fit,” Keys told Rivals. “I love the culture, love how they are winning, and Bloomington is a great place. The fans bring so much intensity. Coach Cignetti has turned things around and made them a new Indiana. He is great with energy. Coach Cignetti has brought juice to the program”.
Keys, who ranks as the No. 849 recruit nationally according to 247Sports, was in Bloomington for Indiana’s dominant 56-6 victory over UCLA and witnessed the Hoosiers’ 45-point road win over Maryland, his home-state Terrapins, shortly before making his decision.
**Offensive Lineman Benjamin Novak Flips from Wisconsin**
Indiana also flipped in-state offensive line prospect Benjamin Novak from Wisconsin in November 2025. The Merrillville, Indiana native had been committed to the Badgers since October 2024 before choosing to stay home and play for the Hoosiers.
Novak, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound three-star prospect, explained his reasoning with a focus on coaching stability and development. “How bright the future is, with Coach Cignetti being the type of coach he is and the o-line coach Coach [Bob] Bostad and his development of players and producing offensive linemen it was the best place for me,” Novak said.
He added that offensive line coach Bob Bostad sees him as a versatile piece who can contribute at both guard and tackle positions, leveraging his height and length at tackle while maintaining the strength for interior play.
**Defensive Back D’Montae Tims Flips from Colorado**
Adding to the flip momentum, three-star safety D’Montae Tims from Seffner, Florida, flipped his commitment from Colorado to Indiana. Tims, who had previously been committed to Missouri before pledging to the Buffaloes, visited Bloomington for Indiana’s 31-7 victory over Wisconsin—the Hoosiers’ final home game of the 2025 season—and decided to join the Hoosiers’ 2026 class.
**Edge Rusher Kevontay Hugan Flips from Louisville**
Kevontay Hugan, a four-star edge rusher from Sarasota Booker High School in Florida, flipped his commitment from Louisville to Indiana after taking a visit to Bloomington. Hugan is ranked No. 288 nationally by Rivals industry rankings and adds significant defensive firepower to Cignetti’s class.
**A Class Built on Momentum and Culture**
Indiana’s 2026 recruiting class now features 22 to 24 commitments and ranks in the top 35 nationally, with the Hoosiers securing the fourth-highest-rated recruit in program history in defensive lineman Gabriel Hill. The class includes multiple four-star prospects, including Hill, Ronelle Johnson, Henry Ohlinger, and Kevontay Hugan.
For Cignetti and his staff, the ability to flip committed players from established programs like Penn State, Wisconsin, Louisville, and Colorado signals a seismic shift in Indiana’s recruiting profile. The Hoosiers’ undefeated 16-0 national championship season, capped by a 27-21 victory over Miami, has given Cignetti the credibility to recruit against—and beat—traditional powers for top talent.
As Cignetti noted after the championship, maintaining the standard is about process, not perfection. But for now, the Hoosiers are capitalizing on their historic run by flipping some of the nation’s top prospects to Bloomington.
