Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti has juggled preparation for the program’s most significant games in the College Football Playoff and composing a top 10 transfer portal class across the past two weeks.
But Cignetti has also focused on retention, which paid off Monday in the form of junior safety Amare Ferrell re-signing with the Hoosiers for the 2026 season, according to ESPN’s Max Olson’s report.
Ferrell, who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors this season, could’ve opted to enter the NFL draft, but he’s remaining in Bloomington for his final collegiate campaign. Several Hoosiers, such as redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza, redshirt junior left tackle Carter Smith and junior cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, are likely NFL-bound.
Ferrell played in 11 games during his freshman season in 2023 under former head coach Tom Allen. Since remaining a Hoosier when Cignetti was hired in Nov. 2023, Ferrell has started in all 28 games across the last two seasons.
Ferrell has totaled 47 tackles, two tackles for loss and four interceptions this season. The Hoosiers’ group of safeties — Ferrell and sixth-year seniors Louis Moore and Devan Boykin — struggled at the beginning of the season. Cignetti said Sept. 22 he needed the trio to prepare better, be where they should be, communicate quicker and see what’s occurring.
“They are older guys,” Cignetti said. “They’re capable of playing great football, and they have in spurts, but we need more consistency.”
The trio has since executed accordingly. They’ve become a focal point in Indiana’s success under defensive coordinator Bryant Haines.
Now, Ferrell will remain a Hoosier as Boykin and Moore play in their final collegiate game against the No. 10 University of Miami in the CFP National Championship on Jan. 19.
The Hoosiers have landed a pair of transfer safeties — Preston Zachman and Jiquan Sanks — projected to pair with Ferrell on the starting unit next fall.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
