Back from the press conference, to adress a discussion i've seen on the comments below:
IU coach Bill Lynch said that for now, Cortez Smith is penciled in as a running back.
Officially, the Hoosiers signed four running backs, Willis, Smith, Shane Covington and Alex Hunt. IU offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said that it would be almost impossible for them all to get time at running back, so eventually some of them will likely switch positions. But for right now, they are all competing for time at running back.
Other notes from the press conference:
* In my opinion, this is the most candid and excited that Bill Lynch has been in any of his press conferences. Which gives me the impression that either he is genuinely excited about the recruits that he landed, or he just flat out loves to recruit players. It could be both, but either one would be a good sign for the newly signed head coach.
* The theme of the recruits signed was that they were athletes. Aside from quarterback Adam Falett Lynch broke them down into two groups 'Lineman' or 'Backs.' Lynch noted how several of the players are multiple sport athletes in high school and have the potential to fill numerous positions for the Hoosiers, based on how the season goes.
* When showing clips of the newest Hoosiers, several of the recruits high school teams had impressive records the year before. I asked coach Johnson how important that was for the staff in recruiting, and he acknowledged that it did play a factor in the recruitment. Johnson said that he hopes several of this years class will quickly become leaders for the team, and bring a winning attitude to Bloomington.
That's all i've got for today, other than Nick Saban landed the number 2 player in the class
Evidently good things do happen to bad people.
What are your thoughts about the Hoosiers class? Aside from Willis, what player/players do you think could emerge as BIG TIME players for IU? Has anyone watched any of these guys in person before? If so, what are your thoughts?
Be sure to check out the IDS tomorrow as well as Under the Rock, i'll give more in depth information on some of the recruits as time goes on.
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According to Indiana.Scout.com,
WR Cortez Smith and OT Marc Damisch have officially signed with the Hoosiers
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A couple of quick hit notes about the recruiting class so far for the Hoosiers:
* They have officially signed 16 recruits and have three verbal commitments who have not yet signed.
* According to ESPN.com Insider, the highest graded recruits for the Hoosiers are WR Tandon Doss and RB Darius Willis, both rated a 78. (The highest ranked player in the class is DE DaQuan Bowers, who's going to Clemson and is ranked 95)
* Offensive Lineman Justin Pagan is the Hoosiers highest rated player for his position. Pagan is rated as the #38th best guard in the class. (Willis is ranked the 48th for running backs while Doss is rated 64th for wide receivers.)
* Currently, the Hoosiers have zero cornerback recruits either signed or verbally commited to next year. IU's starters from last year, Tracy Porter and Leslie Majors, will both have graduated.
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I promise in the near future I will get some actual meaty info on some of these recruits, as well as a brief analysis, but for the time being, here are two more verbal commitments that have officially signed on, including:
WR Marquelo Suel - Fort Wayne, IN
OLB Chad Sherer - Cicero, IN
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Other signed recruits for the Hoosiers include:
DT Nick Sliger - Fishers, IN
RB Alex Hunt - Duluth, GA
WR Tyler Adetona - Gainesville, GA
QB Adam Follett - Alma, MI
OG Larry Black - Wyoming, OH
OG A.J. Thompson - Lakeland, FL
DT Mick Mentzer - Fort Wayne, IN
WR Charles Love - Memphis, TN
C Will Matte - Wheaton, IL
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Today is the biggest day for IU football since the Insight Bowl on New Year's Eve, (Hopefully things will work out better for the Hoosiers today.)
It's national signing day, where all those verbal commitments sign, and all the undeclared players make their announcements. IU coach Bill Lynch has a press conference today at 3:30 pm, I am also set to talk with offensive line coach and running game coordinator coach Bobby Johnson.
Be sure to check Under the Rock today for updates, as of right now, here are some verbal commitments for the Hoosiers that have officially signed:
RB Darius Willis - Indianapolis, IN
Offensive Tackle/Guard Justin Pagan - Chicago, IL
Defensive End Kyle Kozak - Pickerington, OH
Wide Receiver Tandon Doss - Indianapolis, IN
Safety Peter St. Fort - Naples, FL
I promise to give more prominent updates as the day goes on...But those five are apparently the five most likely to see the field in 2008
