Where Indiana football stands in transfer portal rankings as winter window closes

The winter transfer window of the college football offseason is nearing its end, wrapping up later this week — on Dec. 28. The next time it’ll re-open is in April following the end of Spring camp. Indiana football, which has been quite active already this offseason, is among the top classes in the nation.

As it stands on Friday, Indiana’s transfer class is ranked No. 21 in the 247Sports Portal Rankings.

But, its class totals just 10 incoming players. That is the fifth-least in the top 25. Texas Tech, ranked 1st, has 17 incoming players.

Indiana’s class is highlighted by quarterback Fernando Mendoza. IU beat out Georgia for the Cal transfer, in addition to Miami and others. With multiple years of eligibility remaining, Mendoza is ranked 12th in the rankings and the No. 3 quarterback.

Mendoza threw for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions this season. Among Power Four starting quarterbacks, Mendoza was top-10 in yards per game (273.1) and completion percentage (69%) despite being sacked 41 times — the most among FBS quarterbacks, per ESPN.

In addition to Mendoza, Maryland running back Roman Hemby is another significant addition, ranked No. 113 overall. He has combined for 2,347 yards across four years with 22 touchdowns and a 4.9 yard per carry average.

He had 134 carries for 607 yards and six touchdowns in 2024. He also caught 40 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown.

The other Hoosier ranked inside the top-150 is Northern Illinois defensive back transfer Amariyun Knighten.

In total, there are seven Big Ten teams in the rankings.

Players can announce their plans to transfer at any time, but they won’t ‘officially’ appear in the portal until the transfer window re-opens. They also don’t have to commit or sign with a new school before the window closes. 

SEE ALSO: Indiana football changed the narrative around the program and ‘laid the foundation’ this year. But, 2025 provides even greater challenges because ‘now the standards are up’

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