Indiana defensive end Stephen Daley looks set to miss the College Football Playoff after suffering an apparent knee injury following Indiana’s Big Ten championship game win over Ohio State.
Indiana head coach Kurt Cignetti confirmed Daley’s injury is “serious” enough to “likely” sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Video of Daley celebrating with Hoosiers fans after Indiana’s 13-10 win surfaced on social media earlier this week. As he high-fived fans above him in the stands to celebrate the school’s first conference championship since 1967, Daley appeared to land awkwardly and injure his right leg.
Daley was photographed sitting in a car after the game.
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The Kent State transfer is a big part of Indiana’s stellar defense in 2025. He ranks third on the team with 5.5 sacks and leads Indiana with 19 tackles for loss. Only linebackers Royha Hardy and Isaiah Jones have more sacks, with Jones ranking second on the team with five fewer sacks.
This was Daley’s breakout season after spending the first three years of his career at Kent State. As a junior in 2024, he had nine tackles and four sacks.
Dailey had a sack against Ohio State and has 11 tackles in Indiana’s last four games.
The Hoosiers are the top seed in the College Football Playoff and will face the winner of No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma State in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.