BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football receiver Elijah Surratt kept an open mind when he hit the transfer door after James Madison's 31-21 win over Air Force in the Armed Force Bowl.
One conversation with former coach Curt Cignetti during an official visit to Bloomington changed everything.
“They told me they were going to keep everything the same,” Surratt said.
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It seemed like a good plan for Surratt, who followed his younger brother Josh to Cignetti after a standout freshman season at St. Francis University. The decision paid off, as Elijah became one of JMU's breakout stars in 2023 with 82 catches for 1,181 yards (11th in the nation) and eight touchdowns.
Surratt (2023), Reggie Brown (2023), Chris Thornton (2022 and 2021) and Antwain Wells Jr. are the fifth receivers to reach this milestone during Cininetti's tenure. (2021) and Brandon Polk (2019).
“They move us around to different places, they know our strengths, and they try to play to our strengths,” Surratt said.
Indiana University's new offensive coordinator, Mike Shanahan, has been Cignetti's wide receivers coach throughout that time and will have the same duties in Bloomington. The only offensive assistant Cininetti did not bring in from JMU was offensive line coach Damian Roblewski.
This continuity will allow Surratt to pick up where it left off in the autumn, while Cignetti is optimistic about the group's overall potential. The Hoosiers have 10 scholarship recipients vying for playing time during spring training, with three-star signee Charlie Becker expected to enroll this summer.
“We've seen some guys really start to step up. Surratt, Miles Cross, (Myles) Price have been doing well,” Cininetti said. “Ke'Sean (Williams) when he's in the game. (Omar) Cooper has made some great plays, but he's been a little more consistent.”
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Cross (Ohio), Price (Texas Tech) and Williams (Wake Forest) were all transfer additions, as was Surratt. This trio brings a ton of experience and accomplishments to the team. Price played in 42 career games and led the league with 161 catches for 1,751 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has gained at least 300 yards in four consecutive seasons.
Cininetti said former Clemson transfer EJ Williams got off to a strong start in the spring before a leg injury limited his reps in recent practices.
The coach's tone changed a bit when he brought up IU's leading receiver Donaven McCallie last year. McCurry removed his name from the transfer portal after Cininetti was hired. He had 48 catches for 644 yards and six touchdowns last season.
The 6-foot-5, 203-pound former quarterback is a Lawrence North graduate and was part of the team's 2021 signing class.
“I think Donaven needs to step up a little bit,” Cininetti said.
Surratt, who has emerged as a de facto leader thanks to his experience playing for Cinetti, shares a message of perseverance with his new team-mates and hopes to keep everyone on the right track.
“There are days when things don't go as planned,” Surratt said. “You have to be consistent every day. Today he might be able to catch one pass, tomorrow he might be able to catch eight passes. I hope we can weather the storm and get better every day.” We must strive to do so.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for the Bloomington Herald Times. You can follow him at X @michaelniziolek Click here to read all of his articles.
