Indiana star defensive lineman Stephen Daley will return to the Hoosiers for a fifth season, according to multiple reports.
Sources: Indiana star defensive lineman Stephen Daley will return to the Hoosiers for his fifth year. He led Indiana in TFLs last year with 19.0 and also added 5.5 sacks, and his addition looms as a significant boost to a talented and deep Indiana defensive front group. pic.twitter.com/m4GURH0gVi
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 4, 2026
The 6-foot-1, 273-pound tackle received a fifth year of eligibility after a Colorado judge issued a court order Friday requiring the NCAA to grant an additional season to Division I athletes who were part of the 2022 recruiting class.
Daley led Indiana with 19 tackles for loss during the Hoosiers' national championship season in 2025 but missed the entire College Football Playoff after suffering a knee injury during the postgame celebration following Indiana's 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Daley began his college career at Kent State. In three seasons with the Golden Flashes, he recorded 103 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and one interception before transferring to Indiana.
If the Colorado ruling survives further legal challenges — the NCAA announced shortly after the initial order that it will appeal the decision — Daley would return to a defensive front loaded with talent, as the Hoosiers added three edge rushers through the transfer portal: Chiddi Obiazor, Tobi Osunsanmi and Josh Burnham.
