DaVondre Love was watching when IU upset then-No. 18 Missouri 31-27 in September.
A St. Louis native, Love was watching as a Missouri fan. Both schools had briefly reached out to him in recruiting but nothing had gotten serious at that point.
When IU finalized an upset win, the Hoosiers had caught Love’s attention.
“IU kind of took me by storm,” Love said. “I just remember being shocked, and I remember being excited and saying, ‘I wonder what’s going to happen with this Indiana team?’”
As it turns out, Love would soon find the Indiana team recruiting him. On Sunday, the Rivals.com 2-star offensive lineman became the 12th 2015 commit to the Hoosiers after his official visit in Bloomington.
“It feels so great because obviously going to college period has been something I’ve been working for for a while, a long time, all my life basically,” Love said. “And then going to be a Division I football player is a dream. I’m just glad that dream is coming true, and all that hard work is paying off.”
Shortly after watching IU beat Missouri, Love looked up the Hoosiers' schedule and said he saw inconsistencies but room for growth.
Love was recruited mostly by offensive line coach Greg Frey but also spent a good portion of his time with linebackers coach William Inge, who is a St. Louis native himself.
He said what impressed him the most about the coaching staff was their honesty. The coaches explained to him they would work with him but his future will ultimately be up to him and the work he puts in.
“I really bought into that,” Love said. “I thought it was really cool. It’s honestly on me. They’re just there to help.”
The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Love often towered over opponents in high school.
He said growing up, it was for him to get used to his large frame, but at the same time, it led to opportunities on the football field.
His size gives him quite a bit of leverage, and his long arms work to keep defenders off him while keeping them from getting off blocks and away from the quarterback.
“It was kind of a hassle when I was younger and growing into this body, but you get used to it,” Love said. “I was clumsy and everything, but I’ve gotten a lot better working with my body and taking advantage of it.”
Love committed on a day when two other players had also committed. For Love, it’s an exciting time to be a Hoosier.
Just three months ago, he was watching IU knock off Missouri. Now, he wants to be a part of the next chapter.
“I think with everything going on right now and in recruiting, in the near future Indiana will be one of the best teams in the country,” Love said. “I honestly believe that. I’m pretty excited about it.”
