Last June, the recruitment of four star edge rusher Kevontay Hugan, turned heads. He had been a verbal commit to Louisville since March but a single visit to Bloomington from June 6-8 changed his mind completely. Hours after the trip he flipped the script and backed off his pledge to Cardinals and chose the Indiana Hoosiers instead. But now, as the Hoosiers take the field for spring practice in April, he won’t be part of it…

Despite all the fanfare of his arrival on campus in Bloomington as a midyear enrollee this January his name has vanished from the official roster. His bio has also been removed from the university website and it is now confirmed that he will not take the field for Indiana this season. So what changed in just a matter of months?

The official reason has not been revealed but given that Hugan was entering what has become one of the most crowded rooms in the country as a freshman, it doesn’t seem far-fetched. And if you read between the lines, head coach Curt Cignetti has dropped more than a few hints.

At the start of spring camp, Curt Cignetti expressed satisfaction with the team‘s D-line depth, with a combined 18 players listed at DT and DE. That unit includes returning veterans like Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino, as well as transfer additions like Joshua Burnham, Chiddi Obiazor, and Tobi Osunsanmi.

Hugan was a key figure in leading Booker High School football to back-to-back State Final Four appearances in 2024 and 2025. Last season, as a senior, he recorded 67 tackles and 39.0 TFLs, and before that, in 2024, he racked up 118 tackles and 36.0 TFLs as a junior.

Now, whether losing this 4-star freshman will truly sting Curt Cignetti’s Indiana is an entirely different question, but his flip from Louisville to the Hoosiers was because the bond between Indiana’s players and coaches felt like a “big family” to him. He also built a strong relationship with DEs coach Buddha Williams.

But now, what would be Hugan’s next step? That’s something interesting to follow. Meanwhile, Indiana suffers a tough blow. 

Indiana lost a 4-star target to Notre Dame

Indiana had been pushing hard for months to land explosive 4-star RB Isaiah Rogers. Rogers picked up his Indiana offer last July 16 and had emerged as one of the staff’s most important 2027 targets, especially after the recent receiver reshuffle in the class. But the recruiting battle ultimately slipped away at the finish line.

The 4-star RB announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Monday. He chose the Irish over PSU, Georgia, and Indiana. The decision followed growing momentum toward South Bend, including a late prediction from Steve Wiltfong that pointed toward Marcus Freeman’s program. With Rogers now South Bend–bound, his planned Bloomington visit is off the table.

For Cignetti’s staff, the loss stings because the 2027 RB talent fit perfectly with the Hoosiers’ vision. After a junior season with nearly 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit TDs, he brings elite burst and versatility to Notre Dame’s 2027 class.

With Rogers off the board, Indiana’s recruiting staff must now pivot and identify new targets in a competitive 2027 running back class to avoid falling behind its rivals.