The Curt Cignetti charm rarely misses its mark on potential recruits. Every prospect is keeping Indiana in check, particularly because of how big a name it has become in the college football landscape. So, when it comes to Indianapolis native and five-star sensation Monshun Sales, one would expect IU to hit a home run. Unfortunately, they landed short.

Sales, the No. 1 prospect in Indiana, was set to make a trip to Bloomington last week. It would have given Indiana an edge in its pursuit of the star WR, but Sales was reportedly a no-show.

“He actually ended up not being able to make that visit,” Allen Trieu said on the Rivals’ Wiltfong Whiparound podcast. “He’s trying to reschedule that.”

Monshun Sales had paid several visits to the Indiana campus in the past making it seem like the Hoosiers had this one in the bag. When the Cignetti and the National Championship-winning team celebrated their victory in Memorial Stadium, Sales was also present to share that joy. But according to On3, a team down south is also gaining on the elite wideout. 

Kalen DeBoer and Alabama have crossed state lines to target the top prospect, and are currently in the lead to land him with an 81.4% chance to do so. A big reason why the Tide is a favorite for him because he is actually native to the state, having grown up in Ensley. He’s said that he grew up a Bama fan, and that the idea of visiting this home team as a top player was “everything [he’d] dreamed of.”

And, he is also impressed with the wide receiver side of things here. WR coach Derrick Nix will very much want to have someone with his production on the roster. So far, Sales has 71 receptions for 1,362 yards with 16 touchdowns, while averaging 19 yards per catch. He’s even put himself on the NFL radar, having been among the lucky high-school invitees at the NFL Combine held in Indianapolis. Sales also ran the 40-yard dash, but his time was not revealed. And yet, Indiana is yet to make a solid impression on Sales.

Indiana has made it to the WR’s top 4, but the Hoosiers haven’t quite been in the mix for other elite talents. In the previous two seasons, Cignetti relied on transfer portal talent a lot. Despite being National Champions, IU’s 2027 class is ranked 29th-best in the country by On3. They also lost the commitment of 4-star WR Ja’Hyde Brown, who chose to stay in his home state and flipped to Louisville. Indiana has only one blue-chip commit in cornerback Monsana Torbert, and one local prospect in offensive tackle Jeremiah Jones. In such a situation, can Indiana beat out the Bama charm.

Indiana still in the mix for Monshun Sales

Being part of the star WR’s top 4 alone is a huge win for Indiana. And despite Alabama’s lead, the Indiana Hoosiers have a crucial advantage that can easily make Sales’ commitment decision favor them.

“But don’t count out Indiana,” Trieu continued. “If I’m Alabama, that’s the school I’m most worried about. The big reason for that in talking to sources close to him: relationships.

“It’s not just with one coach. He’s got it with head coach Curt Cignetti, offensive coordinator/receivers’ coach Mike Shanahan. And the assistant receivers’ coach, Eddie Burk, has done a really great job too.”

Sales told On3 that he “loves” the two coaches and that they will be the ones responsible for his development. Indiana’s success with wide receivers could also reach a player of Sales’ caliber, should he pick the Hoosiers. He also had a great conversation with Omar Cooper Jr., who is expected to be picked in the 2nd round in the 2026 draft.

“I talked to Omar and he was telling me he seen it from the bottom and now he’s a National Champion,” the WR said. “He feels I can be great and feels like I can be better than him. He was saying imagine what they can do with a player like me.”

Just like how Indiana surged in the 2025 season, the program can never be counted out until the end, even when it comes to the recruiting front. Curt Cignetti always has some trick up his sleeve that brings home the win, even in the most impossible of situations. Thankfully, when it comes to Monshun Sales, he only has to make sure that he doesn’t lose this special connection.