With the College Football Playoffs in full swing, NFL scouts are set to be all over the nation in preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft. The Rose Bowl, featuring Indiana and Alabama, will boast the Heisman winner and the potential No. 1 overall pick, as well as other draftable prospects that scouts are sure to be watching closely.
Here are the Indiana Hoosiers who scouts will be watching:
Aiden Fisher, LB
PFSN Linebacker Impact: 78.6, C+
Aiden Fisher isn’t powerfully built for a linebacker, and thus can be displaced when he crashes down from the second level on run blocks, but he’s a heady coverage defender, a rangy pursuit presence, and a relentless three-down chaser with clear Day 3 appeal.
Amare Ferrell, SAF
PFSN Safety Impact: 87.7, B+
Amare Ferrell is a long-striding cover man with great spatial awareness, size-adjusted fluidity, and closing burst out of plant-and-drives, and he flashes a quick trigger and willing physicality in the run game. With a good CFB Playoff, Day 2 capital is on the table.
Carter Smith, OL (Tackle)
PFSN Offensive Line Impact: 92.8, A-
At around 6’5″, 313 pounds, without high-end length, Carter Smith has a unique profile, but he’s nonetheless one of the best blockers in the nation. He’s quick, balanced, and strong, with fast hands as a pass protector, and his angle IQ and urgency insulate his run game value. If he declares, he has fans as a potential Top 100 pick.
D’Angelo Ponds, CB
PFSN Cornerback Impact: 87.6, B+
D’Angelo Ponds is the 5’9″, 170-pound size outlier who defies expectations with his play and projection. He carries a top-50 grade on my 2026 NFL Draft board in spite of his size, as he has the speed, quicks, fluidity, competitive zeal, and technical proficiency to compensate.
Devan Boykin, DB
PFSN Safety Impact: 82, B-
Devan Boykin is the fourth player you hear about in Indiana’s stacked secondary, but he’s an intriguing player in his own right. He has two picks, five deflections, and three tackles for loss this year, and can play boundary cornerback, nickel, and safety in a pinch.
Elijah Sarratt, WR
PFSN Wide Receiver Impact: 79.8, C+
Elijah Sarratt has totaled over 3,500 yards and 41 touchdowns across a four-year career, and he’s on track to at least tie his career-high in TDs this year.
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At 6’2″, 209 pounds, he’s a pro-ready WR with savvy route-running instincts and indomitable catch-point authority.
Fernando Mendoza, QB
PFSN Quarterback Impact: 93.2, A
The accolades never end for Fernando Mendoza. He’s the second-best QB in PFSN’s College QBi database, he’s the Heisman Trophy winner, a Big Ten Champion, and the likely first overall pick, especially if Oregon’s Dante Moore returns to school.
At around 6’5″, 225 pounds, Mendoza has a prototypical frame and fits the pocket-passing gunslinger mold with his quick leverage identification skills, wicked arm strength and velocity generation, accuracy, and unflappable poise in the pocket. He’s young Carson Palmer reincarnate.
Kahlil Benson, OL (Tackle)
PFSN Offensive Line Impact: 79.6, C+
Kahlil Benson is likely a PFA at best with balance and flexibility limitations at 6’6″, 319 pounds, but he’s worth keeping on the radar as an experienced, versatile blocker. He’s started over 30 career games, playing at both right tackle and guard, and he has the measureables coaches crave.
Louis Moore, SAF
PFSN Safety Impact: 90.1, A-
Louis Moore is the resident ball-hawk of the Indiana defense, with six interceptions on the year. The 5’11”, 200-pound safety combines fluid coverage mobility with instinctive route recognition and spatial reasoning, and he’s also been sound in support this year. He has the mark of a good pro, no questions asked.
Mario Landino, DL (2027)
PFSN Defensive Tackle Impact: 78.8, C+
Mario Landino is a 2027 NFL Draft prospect, as he’s not eligible for this current cycle. But after amassing five sacks and six TFLs this year, the 6’4″, 275-pound multi-alignment rusher demands attention as a rising talent with potential early-round upside.
One of Curt Cignetti’s earliest homegrown recruiting gems at Indiana, Landino’s compact, explosive profile earns the ire of opposing linemen on a weekly basis, and his well-leveraged power drive is enough to plow through poorly prepared pass protectors right off the line.
Mikail Kamara, EDGE
PFSN EDGE Impact: 79.3, C+
Mikail Kamara was one of the players brought over from James Madison by Cignetti, where in two years with the Dukes, he amassed 11.5 sacks and 23 TFLs. His first year at Indiana was extremely productive, but injuries have contributed to a down-swell in 2025.
MORE: Here’s How Curt Cignetti’s Transfer Portal Masterclass Changed Indiana Football Forever
Nevertheless, with Stephen Daley’s injury, the Hoosiers need Kamara to return to form. At 6’1″, 265 pounds, he’s a stubby, sawed-off rusher who lacks the ideal burst, but his motor underpins his game, and he’s built up his rush arsenal and leverage play with experience.
Omar Cooper Jr., WR
PFSN Wide Receiver Impact: 82.9, B-
Omar Cooper Jr. stayed at Indiana even after Cignetti’s arrival, and he’s been rewarded for his patience and work in 2025, having amassed 58 catches for 804 yards and 11 scores to this point. At 6’0″, 201 pounds, he’s a hyper-explosive combined RAC and vertical threat, who flashes incredible catch-point instincts.
Pat Coogan, OL (Center)
PFSN Offensive Line Impact: 84.8, B
Pat Coogan can generate interest as a potential Day 3 gem at the center spot. At 6’5″, 311 pounds, he rises above the ideal center of gravity at times, and he’s not quite an elite athlete, but his strength, ability to play square, and physicality boost up his operational floor.
Roman Hemby, RB
PFSN Running Back Impact: 82.7, B-
In five career seasons, Roman Hemby has eclipsed 3,000 yards and nearly 30 TDs, and he has a chance to break 1,000 yards for the first time in 2025. At 6’0″, 208 pounds, evaluators will like Hemby’s burst, compact contact balance, and two-phase versatility.
Tyrique Tucker, DT
PFSN Defensive Tackle Impact: 81, B-
At 6’0″, 298 pounds, Tyrique Tucker doesn’t strike you as a nose tackle at first glance, but with his natural leverage, quickness off the snap, and rotational torque through contact, he has the play style to win the contact battle and occlude interior gaps, and he can rotate farther out as well.
