There was an easy confidence in the air inside Mellencamp Pavilion this week, as Curt Cignetti oversaw another spring practice with a QB battle already decided. Fernando Mendoza, the Cal transfer with just enough polish and poise to keep things humming, has been given the keys. But as he ran through drills with Indiana’s top offensive weapons, one name—and one big-time connection—was missing. Gone is Kurtis Rourke, the passer whose chemistry with Indiana’s top pass-catcher lit up box scores last fall. Now the question looms: can Mendoza replicate that same rhythm in a new system, with this old, potential-filled 6’2″ WR and even newer expectations?

That task just got harder. Curt Cignetti revealed Tuesday that a key piece of his receiving corps is now out for the season. “We’ve stayed relatively healthy, with the exception of (wide receiver) Tyler Morris, who had a non-contact knee injury and will require surgery and will miss a season,” Cignetti said. Tyler Morris, a Michigan transfer with solid hands and Big Ten experience, was expected to play a valuable rotational role after a career-best 2024 season (23 catches, 248 yards, 2 TDs). His loss shrinks Indiana Hoosiers’ margin for error—and shrinks the options for Mendoza. Who’ll now lean heavily on a core led by a high-volume, high-impact junior with 2848 YDs in 3 years at IU. One that Greg McElroy ranked as the No. 3 wide receiver in the 2025 draft class. Elijah Sarratt.

Sarratt is a 6’2″ contested-catch savant who quietly racked up 53 receptions, 8 TDs, and 957 yards last season. “A guy that was outrageously productive last year,” McElroy said on his ACF show. “What I love most about Elijah Sarratt last year is his ability to win the contested catch. That to me is always going to be one of the best attributes of evaluating the wide receiver position.” The praise doesn’t stop there.

McElroy dug deeper, comparing him favorably to track stars and deep threats, noting that raw speed is nice—but useless if you can’t secure the football. “I don’t care if you can run a 100-yard dash in 9.5 seconds—it does not matter to me. But if you can catch it regardless of where it’s thrown and your catch radius is outrageously deep and you know how to time it in the air, how to create late separation, that to me is always going to be number one.”

That’s what separates Indiana’s top target from the crowd. Elijah Sarratt is not just a stat-stuffer—he’s a technician. His ability to time routes, create leverage late in plays, and turn 50-50 balls into highlight reels is why scouts have him on their radar. “Very few in college football last year did it better,” McElroy added. But now, the biggest variable is Mendoza. Can he create the same kind of connection that Rourke and his favorite target thrived on? That remains to be seen. Spring reps are one thing; crunch time in Big Ten play is another. It’s no longer just about talent—it’s about telepathy between QB and receiver, and there’s a learning curve there.

The rest of the room has flashes, but there’s work to do. Omar Cooper Jr. and E.J. Williams were running with the ones alongside the WR1 in Tuesday’s practice, while Tennessee transfer Holden Staes was seen in action at tight end. These are the familiar faces, the expected contributors. But depth is now more important than ever, and Cignetti knows it. “I like our top line guys. I like Cooper, Sarratt, E.J., Becker… I like those guys,” he said. Then he turned the spotlight toward some of the younger names that might soon be called into duty. “And I think Lebron Bond and Myles Kendrick, they have a future.” It’s a subtle message—but one that hints at an open competition beyond the top three.

That next-man-up mentality will be tested sooner than Cignetti might’ve hoped. With Morris sidelined, Becker, Bond, and Kendrick will need to show they’re not just warm bodies but real contributors. There’s raw talent in the room, no question. But what Indiana needs now is production. The kind that can survive the grind of a Big Ten schedule and the kind that gives Mendoza the trust he needs to thrive.

Curt Cignetti could go for a desperate WR shopping spree

Don’t be surprised if Curt Cignetti goes full Black Friday mode when the transfer portal window opens on April 16—Indiana’s wide receiver room is looking mighty thin these days. Losing Morris, one of the most experienced pass-catchers on the roster, stung.

He was expected to play a solid role this spring, especially in an offense that loves to rotate wideouts. Outside of the starting trio of Sarratt, Cooper, and Williams, the Hoosiers don’t have much in the way of proven production.

Makai Jackson brought 73 catches with him from Appalachian State but has been dealing with a nagging hamstring. Charlie Becker? Just one career catch. And beyond that? Crickets. No one else has recorded an FBS reception. That’s got Cignetti sweating a little. “We’re thin number-wise, that’s for sure. We’re bringing a number of walk-ons in the summer and in the fall camps,” he admitted. Things are so stretched that tight end Sam West is now flexing into the slot. That’s where we are.

“Will we go shopping for another capable guy? In case, you know, we have an injury? Perhaps,” Cignetti added. Translation: expect a WR portal spree right after the spring game on April 17.