Indiana University Defensive Tackle C.J. West Selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the Fourth Round of the NFL Draft Indiana defensive lineman CJ West is off the board. The interior defensive lineman became IU’s first NFL Draft pick since 2022, taken at No. 113 overall in the 4th round by the San Francisco 49ers. West played one season with the Hoosiers after transferring from Kent State, and he was a key part in their historic 2024 run. He finished fourth on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss, and his two sacks tied him for fourth on the team as well. Pro Football Focus graded West highly, with the 14th-best overall grade among interior defenders in the country. West wasn’t awarded any official QB hurries, but his size and ability in the middle of the defensive line helped create opportunities for teammates to be disruptive. That said, run defense is definitely West’s strength. PFF graded him as the 10th-best interior defender against the run in the nation, but his pass-rush grade was much lower. The Chicago native is Indiana’s first defensive lineman to get selected in the NFL Draft in over a decade. The last time a Hoosiers defensive lineman was taken was 2010, when the Denver Broncos picked defensive end Jammie Kirlew in the seventh round. The last IU defensive tackle to be picked was Nathan Davis, in the 1997 second round by the Atlanta Falcons.
Indiana University Quarterback Kurtis Rourke Selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the Seventh Round of the NFL Draft Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke is NFL-bound. The Ohio transfer was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday at No. 227 overall by the San Francisco 49ers. He is the second IU player picked in this year’s draft, joining CJ West, who was also taken by the 49ers. Rourke, 24, led the Hoosiers to a remarkable 2024 season. They finished with the 34th-best passing offense and the second-best scoring offense in the country and made a surprising run to the College Football Playoff. The Oakville, Canada native finished 22nd in the country in passing yards per game, and he tied for 10th in the nation with 29 passing touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. He accomplished all that while battling through a torn ACL, which wasn’t revealed until after the season ended. He also suffered a thumb injury that forced him to miss a game and a half. Rourke is the first Indiana quarterback taken in the NFL Draft since Nate Sudfeld in 2016. This is now the first time since 2018 that IU has had two players selected.
Indiana University Rowing wins it’s Eight Straight Dale England Cup Winning all three scoring races, No. 17-ranked Indiana rowing captured its eighth consecutive Dale England Cup title Saturday at the Dale England Rowing Center on Lake Lemon. Indiana scored the maximum 54 points at its home facility to defeat Michigan State and Notre Dame – both earning 27 points – in the team race. It is IU’s ninth Dale England Cup championship in 16 years of the event. Following a strong performance the previous weekend at the Big Ten Invitational, Indiana’s Varsity Eight won its race in a time of 7:26.7, outpacing MSU by 4.6 seconds and the Fighting Irish by 15 seconds. The top Hoosier boat improved its head-to-head record to 16-5. Indiana honored 12 seniors following the trophy presentation: Abbey Armstrong, Delaney Bailey, Maggie Cheever, Lilly Gintert, Jania Hackett, Lily Haupt, Clare Hunsberger, Phoebe Inall, Yael Kiser, Mikayla Messinger, Annabel Oertel and Grace Sappington. Indiana will race for the third consecutive weekend as it travels to Seattle for the prestigious Windermere Cup, hosted by Big Ten newcomer Washington on Saturday.
Indianapolis Colts add Five Players on the Third and Final Day of the NFL Draft Offense took center stage for the Indianapolis Colts on Day 1 of the NFL Draft, while the team addressed the defense on Day 2. What did Day 3 bring? The Colts’ positions of need included linebacker and offensive line (especially right guard). The team could have used another running back and general manager Chris Ballard seldom hesitates to add a defensive lineman or defensive back. While Indy addressed some of those needs, they added depth on the offensive line at tackle instead of the interior. Their linebacker option ended up being a converted safety from Wisconsin.
In Round 4, the Colts moved down from the 117th overall spot after working a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. They moved back ten spots to 127th overall. The Colts also picked up a sixth-round selection (190th overall) in the deal. The Rams used the pick on Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter. Draft day trades are nothing new to Ballard–he’s worked more than 20 of them as Colts general manager. With the 127th overall pick, the Colts selected Iowa State tackle Jalen Travis. Travis is a very large man–6’8″ and 339 pounds–giving him tremendous length that is both a positive and a negative for his position. He was a three-year starter at tackle. Ballard has always believed in having strong offensive and defensive lines and frequently drafts for depth in those positions. The team needs additional talent on the offensive line after center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries left for Minnesota in free agency. The best fit for Travis may be as a swing tackle for the Colts, a position the team often seeks in the draft. Travis’ collegiate career started at Princeton. He transferred to Iowa State for his final season, where he was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection. Travis allowed one sack and 12 total pressures in 475 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He graduated from Princeton with a degree in anthropology, with a concentration in law, politics and economics. He received a certificate in African American studies from Princeton and a graduate certificate in social justice from Iowa State.
With the 151st overall pick in the Fifth Round, the Colts took DJ Giddens, a running back from Kansas State. Colts player Kenny Moore II and former Colts player Bjoern Werner made the announcement from Berlin, Germany, where the Colts will play a regular-season game in 2025. Giddens ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. A productive player at KSU, he was a Second-Team All-Big 12 Selection. He led the Wildcats with 1,343 rushing yards (205 carries) and was tied for the team lead with 7 rushing TDs. He caught 21 passes for 258 yards (12.3 yards/catch) and a touchdown. The 6’0″, 212-pound prospect ranked eighth in the FBS with a school-record 6.55 yards per carry. He’s considered a workhorse with some breakaway speed who can contribute in the passing game. He needs some work in pass protection, according to the scouting report. During a post-draft interview, Giddens said he suffered a wrist injury that required offseason surgery. He believes that affected his pass protection and is confident the procedure will allow him to clean up that aspect of his game. Giddens joins a running back room that includes Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson and Khalil Herbert, a key offseason free agent acquisition.
The Colts had two chances to add some depth in the sixth round, thanks to a trade they pulled off in the fourth round. The result: Indy received back-to-back picks (189th and 190th overall) in the draft’s penultimate round. They used their first pick of the sixth round to select Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, who led the Fighting Irish to the national championship game. Leonard’s college career started at Duke. He transferred to Notre Dame for his final season. Leonard is a dual-threat quarterback with exceptional running skills. He still needs development as a pro-level passer. Still, his experience and grit are rare traits that could prove useful for the Colts. During his single season in South Bend, Riley threw for 2,861 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He ran 184 times for 906 yards and finished with an eye-popping 17 rushing touchdowns. The Colts attended his Pro Day and Leonard was a Senior Bowl participant. With the very next pick, the Colts took Alabama defensive tackle Tim Smith. At 6’4″ and 302 pounds, Smith was a three-year starter at Alabama whose strength is in stopping the run. He could be a key rotational piece for the defense, but he has some limitations as a pass rusher. Smith joins an interior defensive line group that includes DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Adetomiwa Adebawore and veteran Neville Gallimore, one of Indy’s free agent acquisitions.
With their final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft 232nd overall in the Seventh Round the Colts took Hunter Wohler, a safety from Wisconsin. At 6’2″ and 213 pounds, he led the team in tackles with 71 and was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection. He started 11 games for the Badgers. While officially listed as a safety in his draft profile, the Colts selected him as a linebacker, indicating their plans to shift him closer to the line of scrimmage. That’s a comfortable position for Wohler, who excelled in run support at Wisconsin. He also played special teams for the Badgers, filling another need for the team. Linebacker had been a position of focus for Indianapolis, with the free agency departure of starter EJ Speed. The team is banking on Wohler making the same transition made by Jaylon Carlies last season. Carlies, who played safety at Missouri, also shifted to linebacker. He’s expected to play a significant role on the defense for the Colts in his second year with the team. Wohler’s selection gives Indy a tough, versatile player at the linebacker position who could also feature on special teams.
Indiana Fever announce 2025 Training Camp Roster The Indiana Fever have announced their 2025 training camp roster, with the team starting practice yesterday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Fever, who begin the 2025 WNBA season on Saturday, May 17, at home against the Chicago Sky, enter training camp with 15 players.
2025 Indiana Fever Training Camp Roster: Head Coach: Stephanie White First Last # Pos. Ht. Hometown College/Team Jillian Alleyne 14 F 6-3 Fontana, Calif. Oregon DeWanna Bonner 25 G/F 6-4 Fairfield, Ala. Auburn Aliyah Boston 7 C/F 6-5 St. Thomas, USVI South Carolina Jaelyn Brown 18 G/F 6-1 Murrieta, Calif. California Caitlin Clark 22 G 6-0 West Des Moines, Iowa Iowa Sydney Colson 51 G 5-8 Houston, Texas Texas A&M Sophie Cunningham 8 G 6-1 Columbia, Mo. Missouri Damiris Dantas 12 C/F 6-4 São Paulo, Brazil Real Celta Vigo Yvonne Ejim 15 F 6-0 Alberta, Canada Gonzaga Bree Hall 23 G 6-1 Dayton, Ohio South Carolina Natasha Howard 6 F 6-3 Toledo, Ohio Florida State Lexie Hull 10 G 6-1 Spokane, Wash. Stanford Kelsey Mitchell 0 G 5-8 Cincinnati, Ohio Ohio State Makayla Timpson 21 F/C 6-2 Edison, Ga. Florida State Brianna Turner 11 F/C 6-3 Pearland, Texas Notre Dame
One Time Indiana Hoosier Kobee Minor is Mr. Irrelevant with the Final Pick in the NFL Draft With the 257th and final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected cornerback Kobee Minor from the University of Memphis. As the last player selected in the draft, Minor joins one of the most unique fraternities in sports and becomes the newest man to earn the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant.” “I love it. I’ve never been a highly recruited guy. I’ve never been one of the top guys so really this isn’t anything new to me,” Minor said on a video call shortly after being drafted by the Patriots. “I am just going to go out here and do what I got to do, put my head down and grind like I always been.” A fifth-year senior, Minor finished his collegiate career with the Memphis Tigers after initially playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Indiana Hoosiers. Last season, Minor has 38 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and six pass deflections for the Tigers.
While the final pick in the draft doesn’t always enjoy great success on the field, there are plenty of other perks that come with the dubious honor. In 1976, the late Paul Salata, who himself had been a 10th round draft pick in 1951, decided that he wanted to give the last draft pick something to smile about. He invited the 487th pick Kelvin Kirk to Newport Beach in California and the concept of “Mr. Irrelevant” was born. It’s since become one of the most endearing concepts in sports. The event known as “Irrelevant Week” is now run by Salata’s daughter, Melanie Salata-Fitch, who was in Green Bay to announce Minor’s selection on Saturday. Salata-Finch Said that planning for the week begins from backstage as soon as the draft is over. Irrelevant Week takes place in Newport Beach, featuring a parade in honor of the draftee, a “roast and toast” dinner and a golf tournament. The festivities are tailored to each athlete, and they are encouraged to submit a wish list. There are VIP trips to Disneyland and the Playboy Mansion, players have met celebrities like Will Farrell and Jimmy Kimmel and driven the cars of their dreams. At the end of the week, the players leave Newport Beach with more than just fond memories. Stuffed into their luggage is the Lowsman Trophy, a tongue in cheek reference to the Heisman Trophy given to the best NCAA player every season. The player on the trophy is depicted fumbling the ball.
But occasionally Mr. Irrelevant has found success on the football field. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, Mr. Irrelevant in 2022, had an immediate impact for the 49ers. In his rookie season, he was pressed into the starting role due to injuries and engineered a five-game winning streak that was instrumental in the team’s run the NFC Championship game that year. The next season, Purdy earned the starting quarterback role and led the team to a Super Bowl appearance, where the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime. Another notable Mr. Irrelevant was kicker Ryan Succop, the final pick in the 2009 draft by the Chiefs. Succop went on the enjoy a 14-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Following his selection, Minor posted on his Instagram story, “Mr. Irrelevant. I’ll take it.” Time will tell what waits for Minor in his NFL career, but it’s sure to be an exciting ride for the Dallas, Texas, native.