Indiana football landed its second No. 1 overall pick in program history when Fernando Mendoza had his name called by the Oakland Raiders Thursday night. Omar Cooper Jr. was also a first round selection, going No. 30 to the New York Jets.
By Saturday night, a total of eight Hoosiers had been selected breaking the program record for number of players drafted in a single draft. Though it won’t come as a surprise to anyone who watched Indiana’s historic 16-0 run, it’s yet another reminder of how special last year’s team was.
D’Angelo Ponds, who many thought could have been a first-rounder, instead will join his Indiana teammate Omar Cooper in New York. The Jets became the first team in NFL history last year to finish the season without an interception, so it makes sense for them to draft the guy who intercepted five passes over the course of his two years in Bloomington. As we saw last year though, he is capable of forcing turnovers in other ways as well, blocking punts and forcing fumbles with big hits that seem impossible for somebody of his stature.
One of two Indiana running backs last season to break the 1000 yard mark, Kaelon Black really solidified his status as an NFL prospect down the stretch against some of the best competition the Hoosiers saw all year. Black scored three touchdowns in the College Football Playoff, including two against Oregon, which showed off his power in the red zone. He also averaged over six yards per carry on plenty of action against Alabama, and led Indiana with 79 rushing yards against Miami in the National Championship game. He’s a guy who can go in and immediately alleviate Christian McCaffrey’s load in the backfield.
Elijah Sarratt was one of Indiana’s most valuable wide receivers in each of the last two seasons, becoming a go-to guy for Mendoza and leading the Championship team with 15 receiving touchdowns. While he wasn’t as explosive as Cooper Jr., Sarratt was elite at making contested catches and getting open even without truly getting separation. Despite sharing targets with Cooper Jr., Sarratt still had two games with over 12o receiving yards, demonstrating an ability to punish teams that didn’t pay him enough attention in coverage.
Riley Nowakowski, a former walk-on at Wisconsin, was another player whose stock drastically improved during his time in Bloomington. Prior to last season, he had caught 18 total passes over two seasons at tight end in Madison, never for more than 8.1 yards per catch on a season. Then he emerged as one of many receiving threats for Mendoza in Bloomington, catching 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.1 yards per reception. He also had two carries for two touchdowns last year, showcasing his potential as a fullback, given his strong blocking abilities and comfort in the backfield.
Everyone’s fun Pat Coogan fact – which is undeniably cool – is that he was the first offensive lineman to win Rose Bowl MVP since 1944. Perhaps more impressive though is the fact that Coogan is credited with 0 snaps in 452 snaps of pass protection last year, per PFF. He was also penalized just twice in over 1,000 snaps as the Hoosiers’ starting center and leader of the offensive line. Coogan also played in consecutive National Championship games, part of the Notre Dame squad that fell to Ohio State the year before Indiana’s Championship run.
Aiden Fisher, like D’Angelo Ponds, Elijah Sarratt, and Kaelon Black, followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison and ended it in the NFL, with Fisher becoming the eighth player from his Draft class to hear his name called in Pittsburgh, breaking the program record. Fisher was a key part of both Indiana’s College Football playoff experiences, finishing first and second, respectively on the team in total tackles. Last year, he showed development as a pass rusher, tallying 4.5 sacks, including two in the College Football Playoffs, to go along with his good instincts and ability in pass coverage. He also had interceptions in back-to-back games last year, returning one for a touchdown against UCLA.