Progrums

Late-Round Legends: How Four Hoosiers Stole the NFL Show

Indiana capped its historic season with a program-record eight draft picks, four of whom came on Day Three. Wideout Elijah Sarratt went to Baltimore in Round 4 after two All-Big Ten campaigns and nearly 1,800 yards at IU. Riley Nowatkowski, a Wisconsin transfer, landed with Pittsburgh in Round 5 following 32 catches and two rushing scores in his sole Hoosier season. Center Pat Coogan—Notre Dame’s ex-rose bowl MVP—slipped to Round 6 before Tennessee snapped him up, bringing four years of Ironman starts. Finally, linebacker Aiden Fisher drew Houston’s interest in Round 7 after piling up 97 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and a pick-six in his senior year.

Congrats, Indiana—proof that even a “dormant” Big Ten program can crank out more NFL bodies than a late-night infomercial. Watching these four slip into Rounds 4–7 feels like scoring full-price concert tickets in the nosebleeds: thrilling, slightly confusing, and bound to leave Steelers, Ravens, Titans and Texans fans wondering if they just adopted distant cousins. Who knew starting at JMU or ND could be the secret handshake to Bloomington? Now these late bloomers will face off against guys once hyped to go Top 10—because after all, nothing says “underdog” like single digits at the line of scrimmage. Here’s hoping they remember where they came from when they’re too busy celebrating sack dances and TD throws to notice their draft slot. Go Hoosiers, go stunning the scouting combine one pick at a time!