Bold warning: Indiana’s standout defensive end Stephen Daley faces a season-ending injury, potentially sidelining him for the rest of 2025 and the College Football Playoffs. Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti confirmed the gravity of the setback on Wednesday afternoon. Daley appeared to injure himself during the postgame celebration after the Hoosiers’ hard-fought 13-10 win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
“I can confirm that he did sustain an injury, a serious one that will likely keep him out for the remainder of the season,” Cignetti stated.
Video circulating on X shows Daley leaping to high-five fans in the stands, then landing awkwardly on his right leg. He was later seen seated on a cart and transported to Indiana’s locker room, with what looked like an air cast on his right leg.
“This postgame was a bit different than most,” Cignetti explained. “I didn’t get to the coaches’ room until about 45 minutes after the game, and that was the first I heard about (Daley’s injury). We were walking to my press conference when more details started to come in.” He added that by Sunday, more images and information had yet to fully surface, and he was still processing the update, which had initially given the impression that no one was hurt during the game.
Daley’s season accomplishments were substantial. He finished with 38 tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass breakup. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 260 pounds, he led the Big Ten in tackles for loss and ranked second nationally in that category, while ranking among the Hoosiers’ leaders in sacks.
A Kent State transfer, Daley’s breakout campaign earned him second-team All-American honors from CBS Sports and On3. He also earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition from both the coaches and the media.
