The Unbelievable Strategy Behind Indiana's Stunning College Football Resurrection

Cignetti decided to get lots of players from his good defense and use them to fix the bad defense at Indiana. Amazingly, the strategy worked! Among JMU transfers on the IU defense:

Defensive tackles James Carpenter and Tyrique Tucker have been key as part of a rotation of anchors in the middle of the line. Carpenter has been the team’s most frequently used defensive tackle, while Tucker’s 15.4% pressure rate and 12.2% run disruption rate have made him arguably Indiana’s most disruptive tackle in a five-man rotation.
Inside linebackers Aiden Fisher and Jalin Walker are the team’s leading tacklers, with versatile contributions as run defenders, pass rushers, and coverage players. The two ex-Dukes are responsible for 28 of the 40 run stuffs credited to Indiana linebackers.
Edge rusher Mikail Kamara leads the team’s regulars in pressure rate (19.7%) and sacks (6.0, while no one else has more than 3.0).
Cornerback D’Angelo Ponds has five passes defensed and has held up very well while facing the most targets in the IU secondary. His 37.8% burn rate allowed is 10th in the Big Ten among the dozens of corners to face 15 or more targets.

The guy leading this unit, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, also came from JMU.