Acclimation To Assimilation: Indiana’s JMU Transfers Feel Hoosiers Are Close In Curt Cignetti’s First Season

With any team that has a new coach, the hope is that the team has a smooth transition to the new way of doing things. James Madison transfers Mikail Kamara and Elijah Sarratt feel that’s close to being reality for the Hoosiers.

Indiana's Elijah Sarratt (13) runs for a touchdown during the Indiana versus Western Illinois football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Anyone who gets a different boss in their job knows that there’s an adjustment period.

Sometimes, that boss might come from a different department in the same company. Sometimes a boss might bring some of their people with them to help their new staff have an example of what’s expected.

In college athletics, the transfer portal ensures constant movement. Coaches are able to take advantage of the portal to bring their own people with much more immediate impact than they could in the pas when they had to sit out a year. This dynamic is part of the new operating procedure of .

It’s something that first-year Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took advantage of after he took over the Hoosiers program in November 2023.

Cignetti is a big believer in internal culture and accountability. What better way to foster that dynamic than bringing in players who are familiar with the philosophy?

So Cignetti infused the Indiana roster with 13 players from his 2023 James Madison team.

Not all joined at the same time. Not all join under the same circumstances or with the same expectation of playing time, but each of those players knows how Cignetti operates. In turn, they are able to provide training to their new teammates on how Cignetti wants things done.

This was important as the acclimation process took root during the offseason. The JMU transfers could impart what was expected from what level of commitment was expected off the field, what the expectation was in the weight room, how things were done during spring ball and more.

The acclimation process continued into August and fall camp and then for the week of game preparation before Indiana’s games against Florida International and Western Illinois.

As time goes on, the hope is that everyone gets on the same page. That the 13 transfers who had institutional knowledge of how Cignetti wants things done fade into an entire roster of Hoosiers who are all on the same page.

How close is Indiana to achieving that? As the Hoosiers prepare for their third game of the season – their Big Ten opener at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at UCLA – JMU transfers Mikail Kamara and Elijah Sarratt think the process is moving along well. They spoke to that during Indiana’s football player availability on Tuesday evening.

Indiana's Mikail Kamara (6) celebrates a sack during the Indiana versus Western Illinois football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

“At this point, it feels like one team for sure. I think everyone's bought into it. All the guys that are playing, they've all bought into it,” said Kamara, a starting defensive end for the Hoosiers, a role he starred in at JMU.

Sarratt agreed.

“We’re real close, I feel like we're definitely we're almost there. These guys keep on building on that every single day in the weight room and meetings,” Sarratt said.

Kamara and Sarratt are two of the JMU transfers whose ability to cement the culture is backed up by their production on the field.

Sarratt had a breakout year in 2023 with 82 catches for 1,191 yards and 8 touchdown catches. After a slow start in Indiana’s opener, Sarratt demonstrated his ability with a 6-catch, 137-yard performance in Indiana’s 77-3 victory over Western Illinois Friday.

Kamara, who had 7 sacks for JMU in 2023, has already amassed 3 sacks and a forced fumble for the Hoosiers. Kamara thinks the acclimation process has been smooth from the beginning.

“I know a lot of the guys that didn't want to be a part of this change, all transferred or did whatever they needed to do, and all the guys that stayed were kind of committed to changing this program,” Kamara said.

“So I think by now we have this team set. I know there's going be a lot of bumps in the road, just like any team any season, but eventually, like it's going to be completely one team, but right now, I feel we're all together,” Kamara added.

Indiana is running out of new things to experience. This weekend will be the first road game and first Big Ten contest. There are only a handful of things left to experience that the Hoosiers haven’t been through together already.

Acclimation is turning into assimilation – which is the ultimate goal of any team.

“We’ve got to have that culture that we’re going to do everything to our best ability. We’re definitely getting there,” Sarratt said.

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