Wilson signs 21 recruits for 2011

IU football coach Kevin Wilson unveiled his 2011 recruiting class Wednesday on National Signing Day.

Following the Dec. 7, 2010 hiring of Wilson, many questioned how he would be able to recruit given the limited amount of time he had.  Wilson and his staff responded by bringing in 21 signees, including quarterback Tre Roberson, who was the 2010 Indiana Mr. Football award winner, linebacker Zack Shaw, IU’s first Rivals.com four-star recruit, and 12 three-star recruits.

Although the Hoosiers were able to sign some players that were highly touted, Wilson said the recruiting process for him and his newly hired staff was an abbreviated one.

“I felt a little bit like we showed up at the dance when they were playing the last song and a lot of the dates were already taken,” Wilson said. “The last couple weeks have been pretty hectic, and I think they did a great job of getting on some quality kids and we were able to land a few guys late.”

One player the Hoosiers were able to land late was wide receiver Shane Wynn from Glenville High School in Cleveland. Wynn was the only signee that had not previously given IU a verbal commitment. With offers on the table from Ohio State, Miami (FL), Michigan and USC, Wynn decided to take his talents to Bloomington.

The decision of junior receiver Tandon Doss to enter the NFL Draft left a hole in the return game that Wynn figures to be in the running to fill. Wynn’s 5-foot-7, 165 pound frame may seem small, but Wilson said he has a big future ahead of him.

“He saw that our system could be a good fit for him and in my world, he was uniquely a good fit for something we needed,” Wilson said. “I’m grateful that he came our way.”

Many have questioned whether or not Roberson will continue to play quarterback or if he will switch to wide receiver, similarly to IU freshman wideout Kofi Hughes. Wilson said Roberson’s athleticism and decision making can make him a signal caller at the collegiate level.

“It’s kind of nice when your quarterback is an athlete,” Wilson said. “I think he’s got the makeup of what you want in a young quarterback both physically and the way he acts, thinks and carries himself. I think he has a bright future as a quarterback.” 

Roberson is one of 12 three-star signees that IU was able to reel in, its second most in the last 10 recruiting classes.

While Wilson acknowledged the talent that is in this new recruiting class, he said a highly ranked prospect does not automatically translate into a successful college player.

“If you don’t want to work hard, if you don’t want to go to class and you’re not going to go about things the right way, this is not a good fit,” Wilson said. “A talent of being a good player is called working hard. We expressed that, ‘Hey, for you to be good, you got a chance, but are you going to come in and work?’”

With offensive and defensive signees across the board, the Hoosiers did not sign a kicker or a punter. Wilson addressed the issue with a simple response.

“We’re going to go for it on fourth down,” Wilson joked. “The defense has promised shutouts, and we’re going for it.”