The No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers have been steamrolling everyone in their path. First, they throttled Alabama 38–3 in the CPF quarterfinals. Then, they embarrassed Oregon 56–22 in the semis. Now, just days before Indiana takes the field against Miami in the national championship game, the team was hit with a surprising twist: the cousin of two-time Pro Bowl DB Jaire Alexander has entered the transfer portal.

As per On3’s Pete Nakos, Indiana safety Dontrae Henderson has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Henderson played in just one game at Indiana as a true freshman in 2024, making a college debut against Western Illinois. And ever since then, he has been grinding, trying to carve out space in a loaded secondary.

The Charlotte native attended Julius L. Chambers High School, where he played the game as if defense were his natural skill. As a junior, Henderson piled up 65 tackles, five interceptions, 32 pass breakups, and multiple forced turnovers. Despite being a three-star talent, he did not receive many Power Five offers. Indiana was the only one.

Before Bloomington, Henderson was bound for James Madison, drawn in by the love he felt from Curt Cignetti’s staff.

“The whole coaching staff, they showed a crazy amount of love,” Henderson said of JMU. “It just feels like family to be honest.”

That connection followed him when Cignetti made the jump to Indiana and Henderson flipped to join the Hoosiers.

If defense seems instinctive for Henderson, that’s because it’s in his blood. His elder brother Jacobie plays defensive back at Rutgers. And then there’s his cousin, Jaire Alexander, a former first-round pick and All-Pro cornerback. Alexander, who starred at Louisville, became a household name in Green Bay before brief stops with Baltimore and Philadelphia. Growing up with two older brothers who also played in the secondary gave Henderson built-in mentors as he learned the position.

“They taught me a lot and allowed me to be the best player I can be,” Dontrae said. “They just taught me different techniques, knowing alignment and assignment and just knowing what the receivers are doing next.”

That foundation shaped Henderson into a player determined to carve out his own path when he arrived at Indiana. That didn’t work out, but a new opportunity can really help him get his career back on track.

Indiana reloads while chasing history

As the Hoosiers prepare for their title shot, Cignetti’s staff has been aggressively reloading through the portal. They shored up the defensive line by adding Tulsa’s Joe Hjelle, bolstered the secondary with FCS national champion Carson Williams, and even added a specialist in 29-year-old Australian punter Billy Gowers.

At the same time, the Hoosiers lost redshirt freshman safety Jah Jah Boyd, a former JMU commit who followed Cignetti to Bloomington and entered the portal during the expanded window for CFP finalists.

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And the belief fueling it all goes beyond the locker room. Indiana’s dream season has opened wallets, too, including that of billionaire alumnus Mark Cuban. A few days ago, he said, “Already committed for this portal.”

Even with a national title on the line, the Hoosiers are proving that the work of roster-building never stops.