A District Court judge in Colorado issued a preliminary injunction last week, allowing athletes from the 2022 high school class to gain an additional year of collegiate eligibility. Defensive end Stephen Daley took advantage of the ruling, opting to return to Indiana football for the 2026 season, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Tuesday on X.
Daley transferred to Indiana prior to the 2025 season from Kent State University, appearing in 13 games with the Hoosiers before missing the College Football Playoff due to a knee injury sustained during the teams’ post-Big Ten Championship celebration. The edge rusher has now been cleared by Indiana officials to return for his fifth and final collegiate season, per Thamel.
Across 13 games last season, Daley collected 5.5 sacks and led the nation with 19 tackles for loss prior to his season-ending injury.
Head coach Curt Cignetti praised Indiana’s depth along the defensive front during spring ball, and Daley’s return provides a boost to the Hoosiers’ defensive line that is already projected to be one of the most talented units in the nation.
Cignetti brought in three transfers to aid with the presumed loss of Daley and others in the offseason, including edge rushers Tobi Osunsanmi, Chiddi Obiazor and Josh Burnham. Now, Daley and Osunsanmi are expected to start for the Hoosiers along the edge.
Indiana football confirmed Thamel’s report with a video posted to X on Tuesday.
“Hoosier nation, excited to get back to work,” Daley said in the video.
Daley and the Hoosiers are set to begin fall camp on Wednesday, before kicking off the 2026 season against the University of North Texas at noon Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium.
Follow reporters Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football offseason.
