Curt Cignetti landed his highest-rated recruit of the 2026 class in Gabriel Hill, a composite four-star and top-300 prospect, per 247 Sports. Hill chose Indiana over Illinois, Iowa, Rutgers, and LSU, among others.
Hill is the fourth defensive line commitment for Cignetti in the class, a position that was key to his success in year one at the helm. Last season’s elite run defense was anchored by C.J. West, a future NFL Draft pick, and Mikail Kamara, an All-American.
At 6’2” 275 lbs., Hill spends most of his time on the interior of his high school’s defensive line, but he appears to have the burst and athleticism to come off the edge in college. As a rising senior, he is a top ten recruit in the state of Illinois.
With 9 commitments, Cignetti currently has the 31st ranked recruiting class in the country for the class of 2026. Indiana hasn’t had a top 30 class nationally since Tom Allen’s 2022 haul, which included Dasan McCullough.