Minnesota · W 23-16
4 tackles, 0.5 for loss
The other 8 games average 5 tackles. This one was 1 below.
5 stories in the last 30 days, from 5 outlets.
Hoosiers Daily News: Amare Ferrell and the Drench Gang take over Indiana
Yahoo Sports Oct 28
Written , before the 2026 season
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.
Sources
Play style, written June 13, before the season
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.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
46 tackles. 3 passes defended. 3 interceptions. 1 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 5 outlets
Hoosiers Daily News: Amare Ferrell and the Drench Gang take over Indiana
Yahoo Sports Oct 28 · 1 outlet
from 8 outlets
Watch: IU football’s Amare Ferrell and Jamari Sharpe fall camp Q&As
Indiana University Athletics +1 Aug 13 · 2 outlets
The Crimson Quarry +1Indiana safety Amare Ferrell, cornerback Jamari Sharpe press conferencesAug 13
On3Player Q&A: Amare Ferrell and Jamari Sharpe discuss camp progress after Thursday's practiceAug 13
The Daily HoosierRadio Show: IU football’s Curt Cignetti and Amare Ferrell — Howard weekSep 10Yahoo Sports
FOX SportsThe Daily HoosierIndiana University Athletics +1Each week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Last game (Wk 9): 4 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 9 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-16vs North Texas | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 55-0vs Howard | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 38-0vs Western Kentucky | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 29-23vs Northwestern | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 47-15@ Rutgers | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 6 | W 20-17@ Nebraska | 9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 7 | L 15-19vs No. 4 Ohio State | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Wk 8 | W 13-6@ Michigan | 8 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 23-16vs Minnesota | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 46 | 21 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 |
Oct. 31 · W 23-16 vs Minnesota, play by play
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 5 for him; the box score credits 4.
His game this year: taking the ball away — 3 interceptions in the 9 games with play by play.
How Indiana’s defense played that day
Minnesota’s 13 drives: 9 stopped (1 takeaway) · 4 scored. While the game was within a score they held 9 of 13.
8 tackles, including 1 interception. His interception on 3rd and 7 ended Michigan’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted on 3rd and 7. Second quarter, up 3-0. Ended Michigan’s drive (int).
A big game: 7 tackles, including 2 interceptions, 2 passes broken up, tied for the most interceptions in FBS that week. His interception ended Ohio State’s drive (int).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 8 for him; the box score credits 7.
Intercepted. Second quarter, down 3-0. Ended Ohio State’s drive (int).
Intercepted. Third quarter, down 13-7. Ended Ohio State’s drive (int).
9 tackles.
1 tackle, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
6 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 5 of his 6, sacks included.
5 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
1 tackle.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -12 to +29 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
7%3 pass breakupsInterceptions
3interceptionsTackle volume
46tackles this seasonTFL rate
2%1 TFL46 tackles · 1 for loss · 3 pass breakups · 3 interceptions.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 9 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home6g | 4.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Road3g | 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 4.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 6.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Curt Cignetti
Pass share
42.5%
231 pass / 312 run
Plays / game
60.3
9 games
Team sack rate
5.4%
259 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2025
Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.
Recognition
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #6 of 77 Big Ten DBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 35% of returning players who ranked #4–10 at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 31–38%).
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 40 games over four seasons.
The role got bigger.
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-BIG TEN · 2ND TEAM
All-Big Ten 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Tom Allen → Curt Cignetti. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
