Wide receiver Donaven McCulley enters the transfer portal – The Daily Hoosier

Last year’s breakout wide receiver for Indiana has become a midseason victim of the transfer portal.

Donaven McCulley is no longer listed on the program’s roster and will enter the transfer portal, a source confirms to The Daily Hoosier.

The 6-foot-5 McCulley had 48 catches, 644 yards and six touchdowns during the 2023 season.

McCulley also entered the portal after the 2023 season and the resulting coaching change, but chose to return to play for new head coach Curt Cignetti.

Cignetti and his staff filled the receiver room with a number of portal veterans during the offseason. In the season opener against Florida International, it was clear that McCulley was not at the top of the depth chart. He suffered an injury in that game and missed the second week.

Since he only appeared in four games, McCulley can play a redshirt season in 2025 wherever he transfers.

McCulley had just two catches for 21 yards and a score this season.

Cignetti made several comments during the offseason that suggested a discrepancy between player and coach.

“I think Donaven needs to put in a little effort,” Cignetti said in April.

Even in July at Big Ten media day, the first-year IU head coach seemed anything but happy with McCulley.

“He has to continue to develop, play in and play out,” Cignetti said. “I don’t want him to be a casual guy. I want him to be a player we can rely on.”

For his part, McCulley said during fall camp that he wanted to be challenged by the new staff.

“I told (Cignetti) to train me hard,” McCulley said in August. “Do what you have to do. Him leaning on me and challenging me in the spring helped me really learn how he operates and how the team works. I took the initiative to lean into my playbook even more and master it.”

Indiana has three wide receivers with nine or more receptions through five games – Elijah Sarratt, Myles Price, Omar Cooper, Miles Cross and Ke’Shawn Williams. Cooper and McCulley were high school teammates at Lawrence North HS in central Indiana.

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