LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Indiana Hoosiers rolled into the Mandalay Bay conference room with authority and style for their 2025 Big Ten Media Day. Head coach Curt Cignetti was in an all black suit; senior linebacker Aiden Fisher in a crimson one; senior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara in a cream one; and senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt wore gray with diamonds dancing on his watch and shoes with sparkle that lit up the room.
After the best season in school history, an 11-2 record in the 2024 season, the Hoosiers had plenty to ride in on if they chose to. Instead, they took their time in the spotlight like professionals.
Their mindset of being a professional isn’t just in the public eye; it carries over when the Hoosiers are back in Bloomington.
“A lot of it is just kind of like being a pro,” Fisher said. “You know, you want to take care of your body, you want to be the best, you know, be a pro about it. Take care of yourself on the weekends, like all that stuff. So I would just say probably ‘be a pro’ is the No. 1 thing that we say to each other.”
The pro mindset is something the players say to one another because there’s a desire to be better. This Indiana team made it clear they weren’t satisfied with just making the College Football Playoff last season. It’s National Championship or bust.
“We're chasing a national championship,” Fisher said. "That's when we'll be satisfied is when we can put a ring on our hand.”
The Hoosiers are projected to finish as the 23rd-best team in college football on ESPN. They’re also +10000 on MGM and +15000 on ESPN to win the 2026 National Championship.
Statistically, the Hoosiers are a longshot to win in 2026, but they were +100000 to win the National Championship just a season ago.
The phrase “be a pro” can be versatile, such as being a pro, or even becoming a pro, which is a driving factor for these players — the dream of becoming a professional football player in the National Football League.
“I just feel like I'm a hell of a ball player, and I can get it done at all levels,” Kamara said. “Any team that I go to, I can impact very positively.”
Kamara was projected as a late-day two or early-day three draft pick for the 2025 NFL Draft. Kamara learned of those projections and returned to IU for his senior season. The goal for Kamara isn’t to just become a pro, it’s to become an elite prospect for the pros.
“I want people to look at me and be like, ‘he's the best’ … I want them to see it's Mikail and then the other guys,” Kamara said.
While watchlists for the Bronco Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Outland Trophy aren’t out yet to see where Kamara stacks up to fellow defenders, he has made a watchlist already. Kamara made the Lott IMPACT Trophy preseason watch list, which is bestowed upon college football’s best in character and performance. For Kamara, being a pro could help his odds with the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
It isn’t just the Indiana defense with this mindset; senior wideout Elijah Sarratt represents how the Hoosier offense shares it as well.
“We're always talking about if you want to be a pro, act like it,” Sarratt said. “That's putting in the work after a practice, getting your treatment, watching your film, just doing something to do where you want to be a pro.”
Sarratt is another player in NFL Draft talks. After forgoing the 2025 draft, Sarratt has become a top-15 prospect for the wide receiver position with projections of being drafted on day two in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sarratt and the Hoosiers are focused on being better every day for the coming college football season. The senior wideout is starting to become more and more of a leader and role model for younger players.
“At the beginning of the summer, I'm the only one doing ab workouts after the lifts, now I got multiple dudes who come in working with me after the summer workouts now,” Sarratt said.
Younger Hoosiers on the roster are already beginning to learn and understand this new Indiana, as it’s been called. A clear-cut culture has become a driving force in the improvement of this Indiana squad day in and day out.
“It makes me wanna continue to work even harder, because knowing that I got younger guys looking up to me and I wanna be in my shoes, I know I gotta come on my stuff every single day, which is something I pride myself on,” Sarratt said.
The Indiana Hoosiers were all business at the 2025 Big Ten Media Days; they were pros. They’ll take off the suits and suit up in pads starting July 30 for the first practice of fall camp. The Hoosiers' first game is Saturday, Aug. 30, at home against Old Dominion.
