Indiana football bolstered its defensive line Thursday, securing a commitment from the University of Tulsa transfer defensive lineman Joe Hjelle, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Hjelle was ranked the 66th-best defensive lineman in the portal at the time of his commitment, per 247Sports, and is the Hoosiers’ fourth defensive line addition through the transfer portal.
Hjelle played in all 12 games for Tulsa in 2024, recording 19 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Hjelle took a step forward in 2025, as he produced 46 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Before playing at Tulsa, Hjelle began his collegiate career at Iowa Western Community College, where he spent two seasons and won two National Junior College Athletic Association National Championships.
The Decorah, Iowa, native was rated as a two-star JUCO prospect in the 2024 class, per 247Sports. Hjelle has one year of eligibility remaining.
Hjelle joins the Hoosiers’ 2026 transfer portal class as the 11th player to commit. Indiana also added former Kansas State University edge rushers Chiddi Obiazor and Tobi Osunsanmi, alongside former University of Notre Dame defensive lineman Joshua Burnham to strengthen its defensive front.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
