Curt Cignetti’s first year with IU Football ‘feels like a bit of a question mark’ but one thing is for sure, ‘it’s going to be entertaining’

There is a new aura surrounding the IU Football program. The Hoosiers have not played a single game under Curt Cignetti, yet there has been a massive energy shift since he was announced as the head coach.

While there are major question marks surrounding the team heading into the 2024 season, one thing is for certain, Indiana is going to be exciting to watch.

“It is a different type of bravado that Curt Cignetti brings to things at Indiana University,” former Iowa football player and Big Ten Network broadcaster Anthony Herron said during a preview of IU Football. “It’s because they’re accustomed to seeing their head coach be someone who’s more mild-mannered in tone and that’s certainly not Curt Cignetti.”

From the first time he took the podium as head coach, Cignetti has instilled a newfound belief in IU Football and his ability to rebuild the program.

While nothing is for certain, and there are major question marks surrounding the program, the indications surrounding the program are largely positive.

“It feels like a bit of a question mark because of a new roster and a new coaching staff at a very high level of competition, but it’s going to be entertaining, there’s no doubt about that,” Herron said.

IU Football has not played a snap of football under Cignetti, but what he has been able to do during the offseason has only raised the belief he has ingrained in the program.

Indiana added 31 players in the transfer portal, the most in the Big Ten. Most of the additions came from James Madison and other Group of Five schools which has led to speculation over their ability to adjust to playing at the Power Four level.

“Because of the turnover in the roster and the way that the roster has now added talent from the FCS level, so you have players who are accustomed to how Curt Cignetti operates,” Herron said.

“It’s not a bunch of talent that’s competed at the power four level before they got here. So there’s a lot of unknown from the outside, but internally he’s got his way that he’s had success with before and the combination of some of the pre-existing talent.”

Key additions like Kurtis Rourke, Elijah Sarratt, D’Angelo Ponds, and many others had plenty of success at their group of five schools before joining IU Football. The questions that come surround their ability to adjust to the Big Ten.

Curt Cignetti’s completely rebuilt the Indiana roster but Donaven McCulley’s return might be the biggest addition of the offseason

© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Indiana lost most of its offensive production from the 2023 season, but Cignetti and his staff made sure to lockdown one key piece, Donaven McCulley.

McCulley led IU Football in receptions (48), receiving yards (644), and touchdowns with six. His return was one of the biggest moves Cignetti made in the transfer portal.

At 6-foot-5, the former quarterback turned receiver has the speed to take the top off of a defense combined with the size and athleticism to be a dangerous threat in the red zone. McCulley is a freak in every sense of the word. It’s why he held offers from Michigan, Penn State, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and others when he entered the transfer portal.

Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan will look to get the most out of McCulley as he becomes a more consistent part of the offense.

“If we’re going to see the best version of Donaven McCulley, then it’s going to be a guy who’s not just an occasional highlight waiting to happen. But perhaps a volume target within this offense that consistently puts the football in the end zone,” Herron said. “Rourke to McCulley could potentially be one of the more productive QB-receiver combinations in the Big Ten.”

McCulley is expected to become more of a focal point in the offense as we saw down the stretch last season. In the first seven games of 2023, McCulley eclipsed 60 receiving yards just once. During the final five games, he failed to reach that number just once. Over that stretch, he caught 28 passes for 420 yards and added five touchdown receptions.

With a true pocket passer in Kurtis Rourke under center, there is a lot of excitement for what Cignetti and Shanahan can do with McCulley.

After five seasons with Ohio, where was named 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year and led the program to a 16-6 record over his final two seasons, Rourke will finish his college career playing under Cignetti with IU Football.

After having a mobile quarterback at James Madison in Jordan McCloud, Cignetti will have to adjust his offensive schemes to fit Rourke’s mold of a pocket passer.

“He’s been able to have systems that suit his talent at his previous spots. Kurtis Rourke is the anticipated starter at QB. He’s going to be more of a pocket quarterback. He is a very accurate passer, he’s got a pretty big arm, he’s got a family lineage that has played the position at a high level before,” Herron said.

“But Curt Cignetti has also had multi-dimensional talents, dual-threat types of quarterbacks before, but he’ll be able to have an offensive system with Mike Shanahan that suits the skillset of Kurtis Rourke and what he’ll be able to do as a signal caller. … He’s gonna be more geared toward precision than pure on physicality.”

Cignetti and Shanahan had a different quarterback in each of their two FBS seasons, and their strong passing attack never skipped a beat. IU Football is expected to be more aggressive with the football than in years past.

“We can tell from his demeanor, Curt Cignetti is an attack mentality sort of guy. So that’ll be the DNA on each side of the football, Herron said. “They’re going to attack.”

The schemes we see from Indiana on both sides of the football are going to be a portrayal of Cignetti’s personality. On offense, they are going to look to push the ball down the field and attack opposing defenses.

On defense, three words have consistently been used to describe how they want to play all offseason.

“We’re gonna be fast, we’re gonna be physical, and we’re gonna be relentless,” defensive coordinator Bryant Haines said during the beginning of the offseason.

The many questions surrounding IU Football can’t be answered until the team takes the field later this month. One thing is for sure, Indiana will be one of the most entertaining teams in college football under Cignetti.

SEE ALSO: In a year that will ‘define the Woodson era’ at Indiana basketball, it’s also a potential stepping stone for the program

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.