Indiana Hoosiers football kicks off the 2026 season on Sept. 5 when it welcomes North Texas to Bloomington for a Fox Big Noon Kickoff matchup.Oh wait, let me add something to that real fast...Reigning national champion Indiana football...you get the gist.Indiana football enters 2026 without the ability to sneak up on anybody, unlike perhaps literally any other year in its history.Even last season, fresh off an 11-2 campaign and College Football Playoff appearance, few were buying into Indiana being able to take that next step.Now the question turns into, what can Indiana and Curt Cignetti do for an encore following what was a magical 2025 season? Can it again avoid potential trap games and get to December unbeaten?Instead of asking those around Bloomington, the folks at Athlon Sports have their annual preview magazine out and went around asking anonymous opposing coaches what to make of the Hoosiers in 2026.Below is what they had to say...Wide Receiver Concerns for Indiana in 2026“The biggest glaring thing is the production they lost in the receiver room. They’ve got some young guys coming in, and they paid a s— ton for (Michigan State transfer receiver) Nick Marsh, so we’ll see how he does. They’re just gonna be very young there.” I couldn't disagree more with this thought. Yes, Omar Cooper is off to the New York Jets and Fernando Mendoza isn't there to put back shoulder throws on the money seemingly every time, but the wide receiver talent remains incredibly strong.Nick Marsh's talent speaks for itself but for the opposing coach to overlook Charlie Becker feels like a mistake.Add in transfer Tyler Morris and I have more than a little confidence in Indiana to do big things with their receivers again.Indiana Quarterback Setback in 2026“Defensively, they still return most of their production. But to me, it’s hard to replicate what (Fernando) Mendoza did. (TCU transfer quarterback) Josh Hoover is a good player. I think he’s got some turnover issues. But other than that, they reloaded.”As Curt Cignetti said earlier this off-season, at Indiana, Hoover should be blessed with a great defense and very strong run game. The run game helps take some of the defensive pressure off Hoover theoretically, which in turn should cut down turnovers. That said, thinking there won't be a noticeable difference between Hoover and Mendoza would be an error for Indiana fans.Indiana Won't Fly Under Any Radars in 2026“They’re gonna lose that rush of James Madison guys that they had the last two years, so they could definitely struggle in some areas of continuity where maybe the talent does have to take over, but I’m definitely not gonna underestimate Indiana again.”Sure, the majority of the James Madison guys are gone but one very key one remains - defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker.The sign of a great program (beyond winning a national championship) is being able to establish the program part and get buy-in while developing talent on an annual basis.Indiana's Tyrique Tucker (95) lifts the trophy on the podium after the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesIndiana's run to the national championship last season made it that much easier for Curt Cignetti and his staff to sell the Hoosiers as a football power.Now, will that show itself in a possibly more talented team overall showcasing that buy-in early on?If so, another run deep into January will likely be in the works for Indiana.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow