Indiana football broke its NFL first round drought of multiple decades when quarterback Fernando Mendoza was picked first overall on Sunday night. The program added a second when wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. was selected 30th overall by the New York Jets.

Cooper Jr. spent three seasons in Bloomington, remaining with the program during the coaching transition from Tom Allen to Curt Cignetti, and played at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis before that. He finished the 2025 season as the Hoosiers’ leading receiver with 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s the first Hoosier wide receiver selected in the NFL Draft since Cody Latimer in 2014 and the first selected in the first round since Thomas Lewis in 1994.

The Jets moved up to select Cooper Jr., trading the first pick of the second round, or 33rd overall, and a fifth round pick to the San Francisco 49ers.