Amare Ferrell
Amare Ferrell started every game and picked off four passes on one of the best defenses in the country. He forwent the draft to keep it that way -- the continuity piece that keeps Indiana's secondary elite.
Amare Ferrell started every game and picked off four passes on one of the best defenses in the country. He forwent the draft to keep it that way — the continuity piece that keeps Indiana's secondary elite.
Ferrell was a steadying ball-producer on Indiana's top-ranked defense in 2025: every-game starter, 47 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention and, now, an Athlon 2026 preseason All-America nod. At 6-2, 200 with eight career interceptions, he's a long coverage safety who takes the ball away. He forwent the draft to return. The forward stakes are continuity: elite defenses are hard to keep together, and Ferrell coming back is exactly the kind of veteran retention that keeps Indiana's secondary among the nation's best. He's the dependable, ball-hawking presence on the back end that lets the rest of a great defense play fast.
How he plays
Ferrell is a long, ball-producing coverage safety. The interceptions are the through-line — four in 2025, eight for his career — the production of a player with the range to patrol the deep middle and the instincts to read the quarterback and break on throws. At 6-2, 200 he has the length to contest at the catch point and the experience (an every-game starter) to communicate and align a secondary. He's not primarily a downhill box thumper; his value is in coverage, takeaways, and steadiness on the back end. On a defense that ranked among the country's best, he's the reliable last line that keeps it that way.
The story
Ferrell was a steadying ball-producer on Indiana's top-ranked defense in 2025: every-game starter, 47 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention and, now, an Athlon 2026 preseason All-America nod. At 6-2, 200 with eight career interceptions, he's a long coverage safety who takes the ball away. He forwent the draft to return. The forward stakes are continuity: elite defenses are hard to keep together, and Ferrell coming back is exactly the kind of veteran retention that keeps Indiana's secondary among the nation's best. He's the dependable, ball-hawking presence on the back end that lets the rest of a great defense play fast.
Career Arc
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Big Ten
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Tom Allen → Curt Cignetti. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Curt Cignetti
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 3 · RecognizedR09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
All-Conference HM / 2nd team. Conference recognition has started.
Recognition
Production
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Big Ten
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 15 · 2025
W 13–10
at Ohio State
5 TOT · 3 SOLO
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 on the road.
How he plays
Play style
Ferrell is a long, ball-producing coverage safety. The interceptions are the through-line -- four in 2025, eight for his career -- the production of a player with the range to patrol the deep middle and the instincts to read the quarterback and break on throws. At 6-2, 200 he has the length to contest at the catch point and the experience (an every-game starter) to communicate and align a secondary. He's not primarily a downhill box thumper; his value is in coverage, takeaways, and steadiness on the back end. On a defense that ranked among the country's best, he's the reliable last line that keeps it that way.
Our classifier reads him the same way: hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
2026 Outlook
Indiana
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Indiana
Returning around him
- 8 Indiana players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +1 net (17 in / 16 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Indiana · Last season: 16-0 (AP #1) · Talent rank #72 · 2026 recruiting class #29
Perception vs tape
Ferrell was a steadying ball-producer on Indiana's top-ranked defense in 2025: every-game starter, 47 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention and, now, an Athlon 2026 preseason All-America nod. At 6-2, 200 with eight career interceptions, he's a long coverage safety who takes the ball away.
Read the story →DNA match
Player DNA
Rover
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jaise Oliver’s 2023 season.
Matches Jaise on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Mychal Yharbrough's junior season at Miami (OH) (2025).
Matches Mychal on
Background
Career Notes & Records Appeared in 41 career games with 28 starts ... Only IU true freshman to not redshirt in 2023 and played all 12 games ... Posted first career multi-interception game at Michigan State (11/2) with a pair of second-quarter picks in 2024. Career: Ranks tied for No. 16 on career...