Indiana: 2021 Recruiting Trail
Last Updated: August 27, 2020
Recruiting is where a majority of a college football roster is built. Obviously a team wants to get the best players they can each year, but no two years are the same on the recruiting trail. Based on what a team is able to do one year the needs and expectations for the next year change. In this feature we will track what the Indiana Hoosiers have done and what they still need to achieve on the trail in the 2021 cycle.
2020 Recruiting Recap
Indiana has a breakthrough season last season and the 2020 recruiting class was another step towards building the program up. The Hoosiers added a recruit rated four stars or higher in the 247Sports Composite for the second straight year (they signed three in 2019) after not landing a four star recruit since 2014 before that. The one four star recruit was receiver, Rashawn Williams. Head Coach Tom Allen and his staff signed five other prospects ranked in the top 1,000 with two of them on offense (a running back and a guard) and three of them on defense.
The top defensive recruits were a defensive tackle, a defensive end and a cornerback. There wasn’t a star recruit like Williams on the defensive side of the ball but the 2019 class had signed two four star defenders so there is talent on the defensive side of the ball. Indiana has not been a recruiting hot spot but the Hoosiers are becoming a player on the recruiting trail. Indiana has been able to build a strong roster by spotting talent where others may not, but with more success expect the Hoosiers to land more high level recruits going forward.
Indiana does not always have many highly rated prospects in state, but the Hoosiers do a good job signing their fair share of the top talent in the state. However, in 2020 the Hoosiers did not sign either of the two four star prospects in state and were only able to sign two of the top eight prospects in state. This was a step back from 2019 where the Hoosiers signed three of the six four star prospects in state. Outside of Indiana, the Hoosiers were able to add a four star prospect from Michigan. It will be important to recruit well out of state going forward as well.
Indiana 2021 Recruiting Landscape
Head Coach Tom Allen led Indiana to it’s first eight win season since 1993. The program has been growing and has improved it’s recruiting under Allen’s leadership. Allen did have some staff turnover especially on the defensive coaching staff adding a new defensive line coach and safeties coach. On offense the staff has a new offensive coordinator though they promoted from within and hired a new tight ends coach. Allen was able to maintain continuity on his staff while filling the vacancies on his staff, which should continue the positive recruiting momentum.
There is not a lot of premier talent in state this cycle but there is more depth than in the 2020 class. Indiana will have to land their share of the top talent in state and then find more talented prospects to bring in from across the country. The Hoosiers will have to fight off competition from Notre Dame and Purdue in state. The Fighting Irish lean on their strong tradition and pick off top recruits in Indiana whenever they can. Purdue is the in state rival and has gained a lot of momentum on the recruiting trail.
Goals For Indiana 2021Recruiting
1. Sign a quality quarterback recruit. The Hoosiers have Michael Penix (#16 QB in our rankings) on the roster, but will need to build depth and groom a future starter. The Hoosiers have not signed a highly rated quarterback in the last two classes. The quarterback position is the most important on the field and good play at the position is often the catalyst to elevate a program to new heights.
Status: Indiana has received a commitment from Donaven McCulley. He fits the bill as a quality quarterback recruit with a high ceiling.
2. Sign three of the top ten prospects from Indiana. There is competition from Notre Dame and Purdue as well as other teams in the region so signing a minimum of three of the top ten prospects is a good goal to help build the program. Indiana needs to be strong in the home state during 2021 recruiting cycle.
Status: Indiana has received commitments from three of the top ten prospects in state including the aforementioned McCulley. There are still two uncommitted prospects among the top ten prospects in state so there is a chance the Hoosiers could pass the target number of three.
3. Sign at least three four star recruits again. Star rankings aren’t everything but a higher rated prospect has a better chance to succeed. Indiana added three four stars in 2019 and another one in 2020 but should try to get back to at least three in the 2021 class.
Status: Indiana has received commitments from two four prospects in the 2021 class. McCulley is joined by WR Jaquez Smith in the Hoosiers 2021 class. There is still time for Indiana to find one more four star recruit in the class.
4. Sign at least two top 50 offensive lineman. Indiana is trending up on the field and on the recruiting trail, but quality offensive line play will be needed to maintain that positive trend. The Hoosiers only landed one top 50 ranked offensive lineman in the 2020 class and will need to improve on that in 2021.
Status: Indiana has signed Joshua Sales and Vinny Fiacable who are both on the border of being top 50 prospects at their position in the composite.
This post will be updated throughout the cycle.
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