On Monday, Homestead (Fort Wayne) High School wide receiver Isaac Griffith became the first member of IU's 2013 recruiting class Monday when he verbally committed. Wednesday, he spoke about why he made his decision and what his future in football looks like.
IDS You received an offer from IU on Sunday and ended up committing the next day. What convinced you to make your decision so quickly?
Isaac Griffith On the way back, I was talking with my dad about it and kept thinking about it. The thing that struck me the most was that place felt like home to me and I felt comfortable there. When I was in the car, I asked my dad, 'what if I did commit tomorrow?' and he said 'That's your decision, I'm totally 100 percent behind you on that decision, because I want what's best for you.'
We were maybe an hour to Fort Wayne and I told him, 'Hey, dad, I think I'm going to commit tomorrow,' because everything just felt right to me.
With IU, it's just a place I can feel comfortable at. They made me feel a part of the team even when I wasn't part of the team. They made sure I hung around with players and harped on becoming part of a family, and that's what I feel a part of now.
Coach Wilson wants to win games and compete and that's why I did it so fast. Coach Wilson is a great coach with a great staff around him. The guys that he wants in the program are the people I want around me for four years. Just that part of it is the main thing for why I committed so fast.
IDS When you are there for those four years, how do you think you'll be able to fit into that offense?
Griffith They've told me a lot of what I can do there. They said I could be a very good player for them, but that's just going to have to be with me working hard. I'm not going to stop just because I got a scholarship and I committed. I'm going to become the best player I can be.
What the coaches told me is that I'm going to play all four years and be part of something special with them. With Coach Littrell coming in as the new OC, coming in from Arizona averaging over 300 yards per game passing and with the offense that Coach Wilson has installed, it's going to be a very successful, pass-oriented offense for us.
Other than that, they want to throw me around the field, most likely be in the slot position most of the time. That's what they see me at and project me as when I come to IU.
IDS Was the addition of Littrell and the pass-heavy offense key to you committing to IU?
Griffith Definitely. There's a couple of other schools that did the exact same thing spread-wise. With what Coach Littrell has done and with some of the players that he's coached, I know that it's going to be a good offense to be in.
Him coming from Texas Tech under Mike Leach, where all they did was pass the ball, and then going to Arizona and doing the exact same thing, he ends up coming here and doing that with these players. I think it's going to be a fun offense to play in.
IDS Have you been talking with any teammates or any other guys about possibly following you or being interested in IU?
Griffith I started basically when I committed. That's the thing I think I'm good at. I'm getting kids that are from Indiana to be a part of something special.
Obviously, Coach Wilson is trying to build something, and I'm full go for it. I think that he can build something within his contract and could easily make something special at IU. That's why I did everything so fast. I believe in the system he's got going. I'm trying to get kids to believe in IU football again and be a part of something special and be able to build something from the ground up.
I know I'll be going down on Saturday and I think there are going to be some recruits down there and that's the first thing I'm going to do is tell them, 'What's better than playing for your in-state school and being able to make something special with that and putting IU football back to being a competitive team?'
I think that's the best feeling in the world, for something to happen like that and to be a part of it. That's my main job right now, is to be able to do something like that.
