Five new Hoosiers will be playing on Sundays
Indiana football extended its streak of having a player selected in the NFL draft to nine seasons on Saturday when the New York Giants selected Micah McFadden in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. McFadden was the only Hoosier drafted this year, but four of his teammates have since signed free agent contracts with NFL teams.
Here’s a quick recap of where these former Hoosiers will be playing professionally:
- Micah McFadden, LB
Selected 146th overall in the fifth round by the New York Giants
- Ty Fryfogle, WR
Undrafted Free Agent, signed with the Dallas Cowboys
- Caleb Jones, OL
Undrafted Free Agent, signed with Green Bay Packers
- Raheem Layne, DB
Undrafted Free Agent, signed with Los Angeles Chargers
- Peyton Hendershot, TE
Undrafted Free Agent, signed with Dallas Cowboys
Notes
Micah McFadden being the Hoosiers lone draft choice this season is even more remarkable considering he was Indiana’s lowest rated recruit in 2018. His development into a Big Ten powerhouse and NFL draft pick is certainly a feather in the cap for Tom Allen and his defensive coaching.
It’s good to see Ty Fryfogle get a shot despite regressing in nearly all offensive categories since his 2020 campaign, after which he was named Big Ten Receiver of the year. Hopefully he can cash in on his opportunity with the Cowboys to avoid becoming a textbook case of somebody who should have left for the draft earlier.
Indiana lost multiple five-year players this season, including Ty Fryfogle, Peyton Hendershot, and Raheem Layne. McFadden and Jones were each four years players as well, which means Tom Allen will need to replace a lot of experience in addition to their on-field production.
Speaking of production, many of the players who left this season are going out near the top of Indiana record books. Hendershot leaves as the program leader for receptions and receiving yards as a tight end. Fryfogle’s Receiver of the Year honors were Indiana’s first since 2007. McFadden was Indiana’s leader in solo tackles from 2019-2021 and finishes sixth all time in that category.