Thursday, July 10, 2008

Still not quite where we need to be yet

I was looking at the Rivals database the other day that lists all of our committments from 2002 to this recruiting season. It also still contains the players ranking when he signed. Now, I've not a big supporter of ranking kids out of high school, because just as many 0 to 3 star kids are stars, just like the 4 and 5 starred players. I know that there are many, many more 0 to 3 star kids than 4s and 5s, so that does cloud things a bit. However, looking back at 2002, when Gerry DiNardo was still coaching here and the kids he brought in, then Hep's arrival, and now Coach Lynch, the talent level has grown a lot over these past 7 years or so.

In 2002, we signed 21 kids and 3 of them (Graeme McFarland, Alan Webb, and Sean Miller) were 3-star ranked by Rivals. Both Webb and Miller never played a down at IU, and McFarland didn't fit into Hep's scheme offensively when he came, so he transferred. Out of that class, Bo Greer went to JuCo and then ended up starting 2 years as an OL at New Mexico; John Kerr played 1 season and then sat the bench at the O$U; Chris Taylor is the only one that made an NFL roster, albeit the practice squad of the Houston Texans. All in all, this class didn't do much of anything, though we got starting time out some of them.

In 2003, we signed 25 kids and 7 of them (Altman, Burns, Faires, Meyers, Powers, Sexton, and Stubblefield) were 3-star ranked. Again, these guys were recruited for a running, pound it out offense, and when Coach Hep brought the spread in, most of these guys ended up switching positions or leaving. Altman and Stubblefield left, Burns never did anything, Faires and Powers switched positions, and only Sexton and especially Meyers produced much, though Faires did well last season at DE. Again, this class was plagued with transfers or those not even showing up, or just plain not developing like many thought they would. We got a lot more production out this class than from the 2002 class, so the talent level was improving, but it was at a crawl.

In 2004, this was DiNardo's last class and 5 (Bailey, Jadron, Love, Price, and Szczesny) were 3-star ranked. Again, there was underachievement, position switches, and transfers throughout this class as well. That tends to happen when a program switches coaches, but to really miss out 3 years in a row was pretty devastating to the program. Of the 3 starts, Bailey, Jadron, and Szczesny left; Price has switched positions 3 differents, and Love is a 2nd string OL, not at DT where he was recruited. However, what was very good about this class was the development of the 2-star ranked or below kids that really matured and raised their games to a whole new level. Hardy, Brown, Majors, Phillips, Porter (no stars by the way), and Thigpen have all produced very well through out their careers at IU. Of this group, Hardy and Porter were drafted this year and Majors is in camp with the Bears, and I believe Brown and Thigpen will get drafted late next season as well. This class was more about development under the new staff, than anything, but again, we moved forward production wise from 2002 and 2003, so we were still crawling upward.

In 2005, Hep's first class, we only signed 3 (Payton, McCray, and Matt Lewis), 3-star ranked kids. Again, with any new coach taking over, especially from a lower conference, kids need to see progression before they bring talent in. So on paper, this class would rank lower than the other classes, because of the ranking of the kids signing. This class has been a disappointing class because only Kirlew, Johnson,Polk, and Thomas have been major producers. In fact of the 25 kids we signed, 7 have transferred out. Most of the others are role players. Personally, I feel we dropped a little bit from 2004 with this class, but that's to be expected with a coaching change in the middle of it.

In 2006, Hep's first true class, we signed 21 kids with 5 of them (Faulkner, Mayberry, Perry, Sanders, and Vernon Smith) being 3-star ranked. So this class showed progress, talent wise anyway, as we began once again to crawl forward as a program. Out of this class, 2 (V. Smith and Roberts) have transferred, 10 are back ups this season, and 9 of them are penciled in as starters. This class also brough in the "7 Blocks of Limestone" and all 5 OL starters will be from this group this season. This class also brought us Greg Middleton, who was a 2 star ranked kid, but has developed into one of the premier pass rushers in the entire country and led the country in sacks last season.

In 2007, the hype was beginning to build in and around the program. Coach Hep, though diagnosed with a Brain Tumor, was beginning to bring excitement to the program. The AD and the University announced plans for a new academic/athletic center and a renovation to Memorial Stadium. Also, fans were starting to show up, not a lot of them, but more and more each game. IU signed 20 kids with 5 of them (Boyd, Dedmond, Jones, Schell, and Thomas) being 3-star ranked. This class also featured 3 kids from 4-time defending football champion Warren Central, however, this class lost it's biggest fish in Jerimy Finch, the programs first 5-star committment in years. All 20 of these players are still at IU, which is fantastic. While only punter Chris Hagerup and Max Dedmond are penciled in as starters, this group is pretty talented, as was evident from the Spring game. The talent level that this class has brought is evident on the practice field and it is hoped that they will be able to prove that in games over the next few seasons. Again, I'd say the talent level rose up another rung or 2, especially now that Finch has transferred back to IU from Florida. Also, we went bowling for the first time in over a decade and we are now beginning to reap the benefits of a winning season and a bowl game in recruiting.

This coming fall, IU will welcome 19 kids to the team (originally 20, but Suel is not academically eligible) with 5 of them (Adetona, Covington, Kozak, Smith, and Willis) being 3 star ranked. You can just see the ability of some of these signees being a lot better than we've had over the past few years. Other than Finch, Darius Willis is the biggest recruit to come to IU football in some time, in fact, he's probably underranked and should be a 4-star recruit in my opinion. Also, Tyler Adetona and Tandon Doss are a couple of WRs that I expect will compete for playing time this season. There's a lot to like about this incoming class because we were not just battling upper echelon MAC and other low end Big Ten programs for kids, we did battle with some regional and BCS programs for these players, which is a great sign. We didn't win all our battles, but this class is the most talented, even on paper, that we've seen at IU for at least a decade.

Now, we fast forward to this current recruiting season for the 2009 class. So far we have 8 verbals (6 are 3-star ranked and 2 have no rankings because they haven't been evaluated by Rivals yet). Like I mentioned previously, last season, we went bowling for the first time in over a decade, we squeaked out a winning season, and of course, we beat Purdue and played 13 for Hep. Last season has gotten the attention of recruits in Indiana and around the Midwest. It appears to me that to consistantly get 3 star ranked kids, you have to have winning seasons and get to bowl games. However, to get 4 star ranked and above kids, you have to have a tradition of winning and producing NFL kids, win bowl games, especially high profiled games on New Year's Day, and compete for conference titles. IU isn't there yet, and I think that's why we are losing out on the 4-star kids some. We've had 1 winning season, and while we are team climbing the ladder, we are still not quite where we need to be yet to consistantly get those 4 and 5 star kids.

This season though, we have a chance to really do some things. It's extremely feasible to win 9 or 10 games this season, and while our strength of schedule won't be that great, winning that many games will get us ESPN Gameday time and should put us into a very good bowl with a shot at winning one. I will predict that if IU can win 9 or more games, and win their bowl game, we'll see some 4 stars either finishing out this class or starting the 2010 class. Kids want to know what have you done for me lately, and for the 2010 class the stadium will be done and the athletic/academic center will be complete. This season is really a big year for this program. Even with a weaker schedule, we could really reap some benefits for once with this program with some bigtime recruits.

Yeah, it stinks to be so tight with DJ Hunter and 1, 1/2 day visit to Knoxville nets a verbal, but such is life. Also, my hunch tells me we haven't heard the last of Mr. Hunter either. A big year from this program and more DB verbals from Tennessee, and I honestly think you could still see DJ in cream and crimson. It's still a long time until February. As for now, our young gun assistants are working the recruiting trails hard. We are still in on several high profile 3-star kids, so the cubboard is not bare.

Hope all are well! God Bless!!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Chester, Lewis, and Finch

Jamonne Chester became the 8th member of the 2009 recruiting class this week. A 6'2" 195 WR, he runs a reported 4.5 and who caught 35 passes last season. His strength are his hands and his size/speed ratio. In the spread offense, he'll be a guy that can work the deeper route areas and use his height and hands well. After loading up at WR last season, it appears IU will try and take at least 2 or 3 WRs this season as well. I suspect some will switch positions once they get here, especially from last year's class, but as we learned earlier this week, Marquelo Suel didn't qualify, so we needed a replacement this year, so maybe the 2 or 3 we pick up will stay at WR also.

Chester is also aquainted with Gainer and Watkins from the Detroit area camps, and they had a part in his committment to IU as well. It's great to see these types of athletes committing. Last season, IU secured 5, 3-star (by Rivals rankings anyway) committments. This season, we already have five 3-star kids in our first 8. While that will probably be their peak, if some of these kids were committed to some other Big Ten Programs, their rankings would rise.

It appears now that the 2 other WR canidates the coaches are really looking at are Jeff Duckworth from Cincinnati and Duwyce Wilson from Columbus, Indiana. I suspect the staff will wait for their decisions before moving on to other prospects, if they don't commit. As it stands now though, Duckworth is down to IU and Wisconsin, and Wilson has IU right there in his top 3. Both have stated they want to commit by the end of July, but Duckworth is much closer in my opinion to choosing a school than Wilson.

Now, for our 2 unknowns, well kind of.

I was told during the first week of June that Kellen Lewis would be reinstated to the team by the end of June if he completed a couple of things. As of now, both of those things have been completed and I'm a little befuddled as to why an official announcement has not been made. In fact, everything that was laid out to him to achieve has been achieved, so all that is left is the official announcement. It's a foregone conclusion now that he'll be reinstated to the team and compete with Chappell for the starting QB position in Fall Practice.

Also, Finch is still waiting on word from the NCAA. His case is still being reviewed and it will probably be early August before IU knows anything for certain. Right now the best guess that I have gotten is 50/50, which is down from close to 100 % sure that he'd get to play next season. No word on what has changed the minds of those I talked to, but I think they are just being optimistic at this point in the process.

Jerimy has been working out and appears to be, from what I've seen/heard, pretty much recovered from his big knee injury last year against Tennessee. In my own opinion, I would love Jerimy this season, but I want him at 100%, so if he's not there, then another year to get back to normal and stronger and more familiar with the IU scheme will benefit all involved.

Hope all are well and had a safe and happy 4th of July! God Bless!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Who said IU can't recruit with the big boys?

Well, we wait forever it seemed to just get that first commit. I started with Josh Keyt, who really is a greyshirt and still the fans questioned, wondered what was going on. Then Edward Wright-Baker committed, and then last week happened. It's been a whirlwind last week or so for IU football and the talent continued to roll in today with Adam Replogle.

Let's look at the kids:

A. Ted Bolser is a 6'6" 215 TE from Cincinnati, Ohio. Last season he caught 68 passes, and judging from his youtube video that is out there via Ohiovarsity, this kid can get up and has very soft, big hands. What is just as impressive is his 40 speed which was clocked at 4.63. That's quick for a TE and with added weight, he should really be a good combo with Max Dedmond. Ted was rated the 2nd best TE in Ohio, so to walk into this state and kid a kid this good, is something that IU hasn't done in a LONG time. Ted also is a standout LaCrosse player and has an offer from Maryland to play college LaCrosse. Maryland is a really good school for that sport, so you can see the athletic ability that he possesses. Ted also has a HS teammate that IU is recruiting, DB Wali Morris.

B. Dimitrius Carr is a 6'1" 200 OLB canidate from Chicago. I've received word that he is actually up to around 215 or so and will need another 10 to 15 pounds to move into that Will or weak outside LB position. A poster on Peegs commented that this is first offseason that Carr concentrated on conditioning and weight-lifting. In the past it was all sports all the time, now it's just football, so the belief is Carr will grow more and really be a steal. New Mexico was the only big school to offer him, but his stats are pretty amazing really. He's also a track guy, so his 40 time is right at 4.5 at this point. If he can get into that 230 range or so, he will be just fine. Also, he should do well in coverage, since he's been a safety his entire life as well. What I also really like about Carr is where he comes from. Mount Carmel HS is a football power, so he'll come to IU knowing what it takes to be a part of winning program. This kid is a real sleeper that may take a year or 2 to hear his name mentioned, but his speed and develope with at the very least help our depth.

C. Jeremy Gainer 6'1" 215 OLB from Detroit. So far, Jeremy is the highest rated player that has verballed so far. He's ranked as the 20th best OLB in the country, which makes him a very good get for this program. This kid really is a big time athlete. Runs a 4.5 40, strong, and has extremely good lateral quickness. According to last season stats, he forced 7 fumbles last season, which screams to me that he can really lay the wood when he hits you. He also had 97 total tackles and 7 INTS to go along with the forced fumbles. Assistant Coach, George Ricumstrict is really doing well in recruiting in and around the Detroit area and Jeremy and his cousin Kenneth Watkins (more on him in a bit) are by-products of his hard work up there. This kid has a real chance to come in an play his freshman year. He is by far the biggest defensive recruit we've gotten right out of HS in sometime. I suspect we'll have to watch out for Michigan later on down the road, but he's had IU at the top of his list since last fall, so that's a pretty good sign that we really stand out to him.

D. Adam Replogle a 6'3" 265 DT from Centerville, OH. His committment is pretty fresh off the press, but one word describes him, and that is "animal". He's really an aggressive, all out, all heart, with ability player. He's a battler and fighter on the DL, and on the tape that I've seen, he shows real burst off the snap. His brother, Tyler, is another all heart, all effort guy with ability and played his true frosh year last season. I don't think Adam will do that, as I think he needs about 25 or so pounds, but again, he adds to the quality depth up there. He did post 82 tackles and 6 sacks last season playing DT. IU loves to rotate in their DL guys and he's another great kid to use in that rotation. You mix him with Mentzer and Sliger from last year's class and you have just some animals up there that will refuse to lose and will be the heart and soul of the defense.

E. Kenneth Watkins a 6' 190 DB from Birmingham, Michigan (Detroit suburb). Cousin of Jeremy Gainer, but he's no tag along either. Recruited as a Free Safety and he's got good size (6') and speed (low end 4.4) to be a very good player at that position. He will need a little weight, probably 20 pounds, but he's known for his cover skills. He also plays in a very tough league with his team that produces several D1 kids every season.

F. Nick Zachery a 6'1" 200 athlete from Sheridan, Indiana. Nick Zachery won't be highly ranked because he's an option QB for Class A (smallest divison) team in Indiana, but what I LOVE about Nick is his leadership and heart. For 3 seasons, he's been the starting QB at Sheridan, a school rich in tradition of winning and for the past 3 seasons, he led his team to a state championship. He passes, he runs, he kicks field goals, he punts, and yeah, he tackles on defense as a safety. While he's not excelling in football, he's run as low as 10.5 in the 100 yard dash in track. A mega athlete from a small town, he's been coached by legendary HS coach Bud Wright. As on Sheridan fan told me, we have produced Brett Law (at the time, the best RB in state history), Brad Maynard, and several other D1 and D2 recruits, but Nick Zachery is just in another class. He could be a WR, OLB, or Safety, but my guess is he'll be a strong safety in college. He'll need some time to learn the position and put on about 10 pounds or so, but he has leadership ability beyond his years. I really like this kid and if you get a chance to see his youtube highlights, please do, he's a treat to watch, as he really has a burst or 2nd gear that would be interesting to see if he were to play on the offensive side of the ball.

So now that 6 are in, who is next?

Well, we should hear something about Kyle Koehne a 6'6" 300 pound OL from Indianapolis within the next week or so. If he goes elsewhere, IU will turn to Jake Baratz from Naperville, Illinois. He's 6'5" 280 and has an offer from Arizona as well. He really likes IU and again, he comes from a powerhouse program that is coming off a State Championship.

I'm also expecting something soon from Dusty Kiel, QB from Columbus, IN. He lists IU and Central Michigan as his leaders. Also, his HS teammate Duwyce Wilson, WR, who says he'll decide in late July. No word on a leader, but IU sits very well with him, and a committment from Kiel, could push IU over the top pretty quickly.

IU also sits very, very well with Dolapo McCarthy, QB from Merrillville, Indiana. Also, Jeff Duckworth, WR, from Cincinnati has us in his top 2 with Wisconsin. Wisconsin a newer offer and he'll trip there soon for an unofficial. Jeff was down to IU last Friday with Bud Golden and DJ Hunter for unofficials. All 3 had fantastic visits from all reports. Duckworth wants to play in the Big Ten, but not far from home, so I'm hoping we can land this kid. He's got good hands, is pretty quick, and runs good routes already. He needs a little more weight, but he'd be a very good compliment at WR to Wilson if both were to commit.

John Prior a OT from Portsmouth, OH has us in top 5 with the likes of Purdue and West Viriginia. We also sit in Chapman's (OT from Michigan) top 3 with a couple of MAC schools. My hunch with him is he's waiting on instate schools to offer though. Another real intriguing prospect from Cleveland Ohio is OT prospect Henry Conway. Right now, it's an IU/Cincy battle for his services. Also, we are right there with Nate Klatt a true center prospect from Ohio.

On defense, we are done at DT with Replogle's committment, so now we will concentrate on DEs. I think we will snag a couple for this class to help our depth here. The big cat that is still out there is Montez Robinson from Avon, Indiana. He's cat quick, but he's listed Auburn and Alabama as his favorites. IU is giving it a yeoman's effort, but I just don't think we'll get him, as he's Alabama native anyway and like Jordan Luallen, appears to want to return to his roots.

Of course the big name still out there in most fans eyes is DJ Hunter from Ohio. Right now, it's an IU/Tennessee battle for him. As I mentioned earlier, DJ was on campus last week and had a great time. He'll visit the Vols though before deciding, but honestly, IU still sits extremely well here. I still believe, he'll be a Hoosier when all is said and done.

Hope everyone has a SAFE and HAPPY 4th of July. God Bless!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Is the sky really falling? New recruit and Kellen Lewis

So Cincinnati has gotten 4 verbals from Indiana kids, another kid from Pike really likes them, and we lost Jordan Stepp to them. Kind of shocking and already there are posts questioning what on earth is going on and what is the appeal of the University of Cincinnati over IU.

Well, I'm not all that well versed in Bearcat football, but looking at their roster, especially the defense, it appears Coach Kelly likes smaller defensive players that can scoot and make plays. Kind of sounds like Coach Hep's preference for a defense. Hep liked smaller guys, but then beefed them from athlete to football player with solid coaching mixed in. His strategy worked, but sometimes it took a high powered offense to keep scoring and scoring. Cincy also has a very good spread offense attack that can really score. They also appear to play a lot of kids in a rotation. As soon as Jordan Stepp steps foot on campus next summer, he'll be their biggest DT. My guess (only a guess) is that he'll play right away and rotate in. At IU, more than likely he'd be redshirted and then join the rotation. Though I don't totally know why Jordan chose the Bearcats, I'm going to assume that immediate PT played a part. I think he'll do well there and I wish him and his family nothing but the best of luck. Jordan reached his dream of gaining a full ride scholarship to a Division 1 school.

As for Mitch Meador, Andre Cureton, and Will Saddler, the other 3 Bearcat commits, IU had not extended offers to them. They have personally watched all 3 of them in practice and/or games, but no offers were extended, though offers could have came later, but we will never know. Either way, all 3 have the potential to be good, solid players for the Bearcats, but they are just not the type of players that IU is looking to verbal at this point and time. So, what kind of players are the Hoosiers recruiting?

Well, IU has set it's sights on a number of highly ranked players. This class will be a smaller class of signees when all is said and done (17 or so), so the recruiting philosphy is a bit different than in the past. Now, don't get me wrong, IU has recruited very solid kids in the past and last year, got some very good early verbals, but this year is a little different. Normally, under Hep, the staff would offer about 30 grade A kids, then settle into the rest of the kids they knew they could get. Of the 30 or so grade A's, maybe 5 or so would visit, but rarely did we get any of them.

Now, fast forward to this winter and spring, again we offer probably 30 or so grade A kids, but something different happens. John Decker from Scout mentioned this as well, but the majority of the Grade A talent, along with the top talent instate and in surrounding states came to camp at IU. This is a brand new thing, but something that fans need to pay attention to. When you begin to get your kids to camp, even if it's one day, you will begin to reap the benefits of that in the coming recruiting seasons. IU football can't recruit on name recognition like the bball program. Also, Coach Lynch and staff can't let the recruits see banners from the past either. In the words of the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it, they will come", well, that's the only thing IU can do, and it's beginning to work. Sure, it's not a quick overnight fix, but reshaping a program the right way rarely is. Sure, IU could have hired Ron Zook to rebuild this place, and he's recruited well, but his arrogance is already wearing on players and it will only be a matter of time before he bolts to greener pastures. Ron is also just one example, as there are many others out there just like him. IU has had to start completely over, and though fans want a quick fix, just like Coach Crean is giving the bball program (believe me, IU bball will be much better than people think and they'll be back in the tournament in a year or 2 based solely on tradition and name recognition recruiting).

S0, is the sky falling? No! IU seems to be going after the bigger names and they are winning some battles. Sure, they will lose battles too, but if IU doesn't get all the midwest kids they are targeting, they'll just wait until after the season and bring in some Georiga and Florida kids. Those type of athletes certainly are not secondary prizes at all. I really do expect more verbals in the next couple of weeks. We sit very well with Nick Zachery from Sheridan and the Carr kid from Chicago. We also have a couple of kids from Ohio coming in this weekend and we sit well with instate kids. I still believe we will land 6 or so top instaters, which is just fantastic to haul in 1/3 or more of your class from instate. That would be my preference every year, but it all depends on the talent instate as well.

Now, for Edward Wright-Baker who committed to be a Hoosier this week. I've said a lot about him in past blogs, so I won't repeat a lot of that, but I will say his committment is HUGE for the program. In my opinion, he's a far better prospect than Ohrian Johnson was last season, and he's the 2nd best QB in the state (again my opinion). He's really not that far behind Morgan Newton either, and I know the staff really likes this kid's ceiling, and compare it very favorably to Newton's. He has a great arm/great leg ratio, so he can throw and he can run. He's also fairly tall at 6' 2" and well built body wise at 205 or so, so he doesn't need anything but some muscle to step in and play. He's also raw, but he plays in a spread attack at Jeffersonville, which is great because he'll adapt to what IU does pretty easily, or at least he should. He's rated as an Athlete by Rivals, but he's coming to IU to be a QB and will stay there unless Newton commits, then it's feasible that he could switch somewhere else, as he's athletic enough to do that.

Right now, we have the best long snapper in the state and the 2nd best QB in the state committed to be Hoosiers. Sure, we missed out on the best DT in the state, but we can't win them all. I don't I have ever remembered IU being so selective with their verbals than this season. This is a very good problem to have, as the staff should be commended on their hard work. They just put on some great camps, got a ton of prospects in here, as well as some extremely good underclass talent, and they are now ready to hit the recruiting trail again for the next month. Also, many of the incoming freshman are here and doing 7 on 7 work and running and doing drills. Chris Phillips is really taken over the leadership of this ball club and he has them up and running at 6 AM and preparing. IU tasted the sweet nector of a bowl game last season, but they want more. They don't want to just play 13, they want to win that 13th game. Their desire and hunger is the best I've ever seen or heard of here, and I hope it continues to march in that direction.

Now, for Kellen Lewis. Of course there have been an awful lot of questions and posts and emails about this kid and rightfully so. Coach Lynch hasn't said a whole heck of alot about it, so he remains indefinitely suspended, but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel and it's beginning to shine a lot more each day. I fully expect to hear something on KL within the next 10 days or so. He has met and exceeded everything that was put forth for him to do and he's crossed every hurdle that stood in his way. I fully believe that unless he does something extremely bad before the announcement, Kellen Lewis will be fully reinstated to the program and will compete with Ben Chappell for the starting QB job this fall. I also fully expect him to win the job, and lead the Hoosier offense onto the field for their first game this coming season.

Hope everyone that reads this is doing well. God Bless!!

John

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The big deal about Josh Keyt

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later, and last night it did, IU got its first verbal for this class, but it wasn't what many fans expected and it's gotten a lot of fans and forum posters questioning why in the world Lynch would give up a scholarship to a Long Snapper. Well, the questions are valid, but let me assure you, Josh Keyt isn't just a run of the mill long snapper. In fact, if Rivals or Scout rated long snappers, Josh would be a 5 star recruit. He's the top LS in the Midwest this year, and unless IU reals in Morgan Newton, I can assure you that Josh will be the highest rated kid at his position in this class.

Josh will come to IU next fall and redshirt as a preferred walk-on or greyshirt, then come January 2010, he'll get his full ride and be on scholarship throughout his career. Josh will be doing just exactly what Terrance Turner (WR) did a couple of years ago. This way the staff doesn't lose a scholarship this season, but still locks up the Midwest's best player at his position. Josh is also a pretty good DE, and besides his snapping, he'll start his career as a LS/DE and go from there, but regardless, he's here to do mainly one thing, and that's long snap.

Tim Bugg was IU's long snapper last season and he consistantly snapped the ball from his down position to the holders hands or punter's hands in .70 to .75 seconds. The average NFL snapper is between .7 and .8 seconds, so you can see that Tim ranked right there with the very good timed snappers. Also, Tim was accurate, and rarely did a ball go anywhere but right to the punter and/or the holder. Even in bad weather, the balls were consistantly placed and the times were the same. Not many people can LS it consistantly every time and that's why Tim was the best LS in college football last season. Next season, Brandon, Tim's brother takes over and though he's not quite as quick getting the snap back there (averages .80 seconds), he's just as accurate.

Josh Keyt snaps consistantly at .70 seconds, which is right where Tim was last season and faster than Brandon. He's also pretty consistant, which is why he's the top snapper in the Midwest. He crafted his trade at Chris Sailor's kicking camps and credits his instructors and his dad for helping him achieve an offer from a division 1 school and earning a scholarship. Also, if you saw my post on Peegs today, he's a friend, and I'm pretty pumped up about having a Putnam County athlete playing for IU.

The funny thing about Josh is that he lives within about 5 minutes of where Coach Lynch has a summer house in Putnam County on Heritage Lake. It's a small world sometimes. Anyway, so for those that fear or question that Coach Lynch and staff are out of their minds offering a long snapper, rest assured that Josh is special and pretty hard to pass up. Fans have stated that IU needs to offer the state's best players and Josh is the best at his position. Games are won and lost constantly on special teams play and unless it's a kickoff, it all starts with the long snapper and if he fails to do his job, the play doesn't go anywhere.

Hope this blogs finds it's readers well and may God bless you all!!!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Odds and Ends

Been a while since I updated this, and I've kind of been waiting for the camps to get done before doing much, but I want to update a little bit on a few odds and ends.

First, Jerimy Finch is, as you all know, enrolled at IU and taking online classes. He has also applied for a hardship waiver with the NCAA to play next season, instead of sitting out the normal 1 year that is required for transfers from one D 1 school to another. For those that don't know what hardship waivers are, I thought I'd not only educate myself, as well as inform those that don't know and look into it a bit more. The official NCAA website provides the standards and codes that all schools and student athletes must follow, so this is where I got my information.

To be eligible for a hardship waiver, the tranferring student and the institution that the student is transferring too, must support their request via documentation as to why the player needs to play right away and not have to sit out the year. This documentation must be submitted to the NCAA subcommittee for review, and then a ruling is made. If the waiver is denied, the institution and/or the player can request an appeal hearing with the subcommittee for denial requests. This is almost like a hearing in that the transferring player and/or the institution can call witnesses before the committee to support their documentation request. At this point, this subcommittee will make a decision that will either agree with the original decision, or reverse the decision. Whatever the decision, this is as far as you can take it with the NCAA. I suppose you could take it further or outside the NCAA to the court system, but those do not usually end up in a timely matter.

Now, I'm in no way saying that Finch's case would ever go as far as I described above, but that are his, and IU's option. One of the most recent cases for hardship that was granted that IU fans may be familiar with is that of Tyler Smith. Tyler played at Iowa for Coach Alford, then transferred to Tennessee to play for Coach Pearl. He was allowed to play the following season, because he transferred to be near his ailing father who had cancer.

In one of the stranger requests of recent memory, was the family of Colin Peek. Colin transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech. The appeal for hardship was orchestrated by Coach Nick Saban, because GT didn't employ a TE in their scheme, so with Peek's position basically eliminated from the offense, Peek requested immediate playing time because Alabama was going to use their TEs a lot. Basically, Saban needed a TE, and Peek was his best option. Of course, this request was denied.

Finch's issue is family related, but that's as far as anyone really knows. This is of course a very private issue that will only be made public once a ruling is given by the NCAA. It will more than likely be July before we know the NCAA's decision on this one, and of course, if it's not favorable, Finch and/or IU could appeal.

I wanted to let those that read this blog know that Coach Tom Crean and Coach Bill Lynch have become very good friends very quickly and they often share a meal as their time allows them too. In fact, Coach Crean has leaned on Coach Lynch some through all this turmoil and strife that the men's bball program has went through recently. Coach Lynch and his staff are all too familiar with adversity and strife, as they dealt with the illness and ultimate death, of their leader, Coach Hep. Coach Crean has really bent Coach Lynch's ear, as well as other trusted friends about all that is going on with men's bball. Personally, I cannot remember, at least in recent memory, a school's athletic program that has dealt with as much adversity and strife as IU's fball and men's bball programs. One thing that I've heard Coach Lynch say about the late Coach Hep, is that you can give a player all the chances in the world to succeed, get them help, even drive by their house or call the apartment and make sure they are home, but ultimately, if a kid doesn't want to change, he won't. While I think that is obvious, I think some of that advice that was giving to Coach Hep staff, trickled down to Coach Crean. Sure, he could have given some of those many more chances, but sometimes you just go with your gut feeling. A lot of times, a person's past history will dictate their future behavior. This also leads me to my one and only comment about Kellen Lewis. I certainly made waves saying that in my opinion, there was a 99.9% chance that he would never don the IU football jersey again because of what he'd done. While I will certainly stand by that statement, I recently posted on Peegs that I think there is a 75% that he will play again. These percentages are merely based on the vibes and statements I am/was getting from those within the program. Things were laid out for KL to accomplish while he was away, and he's on track to complete those things by the end of this month. If he completes those things in the satisfaction of the staff, it appears it may ultimately come down to what his teammates want. At this point, that vote could either way.

Now that June has begun, that means it's time for football recruiting to really heat up. Kids all over the country will be making trips to football camps and taking unofficial visits. IU is no exception to this and here is the schedule of camps that will be held at IU this summer. These camps include the position coaches, as well as former and present players. During these camps, you usully wake up at 7:30, have breakfest, practice, eat lunch, practic, eat dinner, practice, then have a simulated game, then it's off to bed. It's jammed packed IU football.

This coming weekend IU will kick off their camp season with their 7 on 7 passing camp. Then on June 8 to 11 will be Session 1 of the Team camp. Session 2 will be from the 11th to the 14th. Finally, Coach Lynch will hold a youth camp for youngsters on the 16th and 17th. Also, Coach Bobby Johnson will hold a special Lineman camp on the 10th. Many offered lineman will be in attendance, as the staff will get a first hand look at what these kids can do. Also, Coach Ted Ginn's bus tour will again be making a stop in btown for a one day camp. No date yet on that one, at least none that I've seen listed on his website.

Ultimately, the staff believes that as many as 7 kids may very well verbal once the camp season winds down. I've gotten a few emails and saw comments about why in the world IU doesn't have any verbals so far and should we be concerned. Well, not having verbals by June is a little unusual, especially for IU, but IU has certainly upped it's effort on top notch talent. Almost everyday, the ticker lights up with another rated prospect that has IU in his top 2 or 3. It's only a matter of time before someone gets the ball rolling, then watch out as the dominos fall.

Well, that's it for now. God Bless!!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Finch, the key to the OL this year, and OL/DL recruiting updates

Well, Jerimy Finch will be a Hoosier after all, well maybe. First off, Finch was granted his release today and his intent is to enroll at IU and begin taking summer courses next week. So he is coming to IU, however, he's got some work to do in the classroom before he gains eligibility. I'm told it's not impossible, but he's going to have to work, so with held breath, we will take a wait and see approach.

Now, let's say he gets eligible, where does he play? One of the reasons he decided to transfer, and I'll get into those in a bit, is that he wants to play safety, and he feels that it's his best shot to get to the NFL is to stay at the FS position, so he'll have to drop some weight, but if he can get down to the 215 range or so, he'll be more than fine. He's got a year to do this, so he should be just fine. Nick Polk is currently listed at 215 pounds, so Finch, being a little taller, could play with a little more weight if needed. If Finch does come in and start play in 09, I fully expect Nick Polk will move back to WR full time. Nick is going to play some WR this season anyway, and he attends the WR meetings, so the transition wouldn't be all that bad.

Now, why does he want to transfer? Well, there are a few reasons really. One is he's really homesick and he misses his kids. I think he's maturing and wants to be a bigger part of their lives, which is great to see. Some will criticize here, but he's growing up and learning to take responsibility, and whether that happens at 19, 20, or 40 years old, that's very good to see. Finch was also injured for the first time in his career and the injury kept him off the field, so he got experience the long journey of rehab, away from home, and I've been told, this really changed him. Finch wasn't the most liked guy at WC, but amends have been made and his former mates have really talked with him about this impending transfer and can't wait to be united. Also, at IU, he will get the chance to play FS, which is what he wants to do.

Finch is a big time player and while he needs some classroom help, he's going to get the programs here with people he's familiar with. I have blogged in the past about a person that was involved in the academic help side of things at Warren Central, is now working at IU, and some of the WC kids cited her as one of the many reasons they chose IU. The whole academic support staff at IU is just incredible (don't let the bball issues fool you). These people really deserve a big pat on the back for their efforts with all student athletes in all sports.

Now, I want to talk a little bit about the OL. Most believe this position really holds the key to the offense this season, and that's very true. In fact, the old saying in football at any level is to win games you have to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. So, to move the ball offensively, you have to first win the battles up front. While most people will group linemen together, it's neat I think to take a look at each individual position and determine just who might be the biggest key for the success of IU's OL.

First, the Left Tackle is usually the high profile position on the OL, because he protects the blindside of the QB. Most people assume this has to be the hardest position to play, because game in, game out, this guy gets to block the opponets top pass rusher. To play this position at IU, you must first have quick, nimble feet. Just like in the pros, you have to be able to push the rusher to the outside, while your QB steps up in the pocket to deliever the pass. This is what you'll see this season from IU's LT.

Next is the Left Guard, he moves in concert so to speak with the LT and they work in tandem. IU will have the priviledge of having 2 guys (Saffold and Saxon) that have been together for 2 years now, so they work very well together. The LG also is responsible for recognizing stunts. Depending on the scheme of the DL and/or blitzes, the left side of the OL, with the C, will move together and leave the right side to get help from other places. As IU's left side of the line has improved over the past couple of season, IU has been able to get their RBs in passing routes, because the TE can stay and help the right side. The LG in IU's system is a mauler type that has to be able to pass block, as well as run block. Saxon is a big old mauler and fits that bill pretty well.

Next is the Center, he is the onfield coach of the OL. He makes the calls and must recognize what is presented to him, all from the squatted position. First off, he has to be smart. He doesn't have to be big, last season Wyss was only about 275 to 280. He was limited athletically, but he was very smart and he played with heart and had pretty good technique. This season, IU is a lot bigger at this position, but they may even be smarter. Josh Hager is 6'7" and his back up, Jarrod Smith, is 6'4". Smith is backing up the C and LG positions, so he's pretty nimble guy, but smart. Hager was moved inside from OT during his redshirt year because he's athletic and nimble and he's smart. The biggest adjustment for him was learning to recognize the DL formations and blitzing schemes. The only real way to learn that is through trial and error and a lot of film viewing. This will be interesting to watch early on, but to me, it's not the biggest key for success.

Next is the Right Guard, and in my opinion, through research, this is the key position to IU's success up front. I make this statement for one big reason, this person usually has no help inside or from a RB in pass blocking, so he has to maintain his block, one on one, or the play will be blown up. As stated earlier, the left side of the OL work in concert together and can kind of help each other out and bottle things up when one position gets off balance. However, on the right side, it's different. The RT usually gets the TE help, which has happened at IU the past few seasons, and the RB goes on a route, or stays in to pick up an extra blitzer, still leaving the RG by himself. Currently, Faulkner is the starter, but Brewer is closing fast, very fast. In fact, by game one, he may be the starter. The RG at IU must be strong, and should be able to handle guys one on one, which requires those quick feet againt. Last season Sandberg was the strongest guy, but he wasn't that athletic. You could punch him off balance, but he couldn't handle nimble guys and when the OL failed, it was mostly due to a failure at RG. Sure, at DE may get the sack, but when the RG loses his guy, others have to compensate from the left side, and it just screws the whole thing up. Also, in run blocking, the RG usually gets (with center help) the nose tackle, the biggest, strongest guy on the DL, so thus, this person has to be good at leverage and understand how to use their strength. You learn to succeed at RG, you will go a long way of winning the battle up front.

As for the RT, not much to say that I haven't said. Although, this position usually gets the TE help. Emerson got by on limited athletic ability, but a lot of smarts and technique. This season, Stark is a much better athlete and hopefully, this will allow for the TE to be used down the field much more on passing downs, instead of staying home to block. This tackle doesn't have to be all that quick or nimble, but he needs to be adapt at both run and pass blocking, because he's on the outside and will be the one asked to seal that side of the field, when running plays are called to the right side.

Hope you can get something out of that, as I really got into some interesting reading and viewing of last season tape to research that. Never really gave the OL that much indepth thought prior to doing this, but it gave me a whole new appreciation for what John Madden calls "the big uglies"!

Now, let's see who has offers on the OL so far. Note that IU will probably take 2 or 3 OL commits this year, and the state is as loaded here as it's ever been, so I expect us to be pretty picky.

Kyle Koehne 6'6" 300 from Indianapolis Catherdral HS. Some will argue he's the best tackle prospect in the state, and IU is in his top 3 with Boston College and Iowa. All that could change if Notre Dame would offer, but so far they haven't. He's getting a lot of national looks, and I really believe that IU stands a very good chance to land him if ND doesn't offer. If ND does offer, I'm 99% certain, he'll be a domer.

Austen Bujnoch 6'5" 260 from Cincinnati, OH Elder HS. This kid comes from a mega football program in Ohio. Could be a guard or a tackle, but needs weight. The thing you like about him is he's pretty athletic for a big guy and has some speed and quick feet. He's the type of player you like in IU's system. IU is right there with a lot of other Big Ten and MAC schools at this point.

Michael Schofield 6'7" 280 from Orland Park, Illinois. A very good prospect, rated a 4 star by Rivals. Many offers, so we'll see what happens.

Zach Martin 6'5" 270 from Chatard HS in Indianapolis. If Koehne isn't the top tackle prospect in the state, then most experts say this kid is. IU has offered, but so has every other Big Ten program, as well as some SEC and ACC schools. However, I think he'll end up at Notre Dame, but as of yet (it's only a matter of time) they haven't offered yet. If for some reason they do not offer, then it's going to come down to Michigan or O$U.

These are the only OTs that have been offered, but here are some other instate kids that are being recruited by IU.

Brooks Michel 6'7" 280 from Carmel, Indiana. Lightly recruited so far by IU, but he has offers from NC State and Purdue. Not sure why IU hasn't offered, because he's got some skills and he's coached by former IU coach. Also, his dad Tim played baseball at IU and Brooks older brother goes to IU currently, as a student. My guess is he'll be available later, if Kyle or Zach go elsewhere.

Andre Cureton 6'6" 295 from Pike HS in Indianapolis. Very good athletic tackle prospect from Pike. Coach Lynch watched he and some of his teammates work out a couple of weeks ago. Kind of an unknown, but he's got a ton of upside, possibly as much upside as anyone in the state. IU hasn't offered, but I think we will after he comes down to IU's camp in June.

Chris Watt 6'3" 285 from Glenbard, Illinois. Chris is the #2 ranked guard prospect in the country by Scout. We have offered, but so have just about everyone else.

Adam Bellamy 6'4" 280 from Auroa, Ohio. Seems to be leaning toward Michigan State at this time, but I'm thinking he's going to wait a while to see if O$U offers. IU has offered, but chances are slim it appears.

Ryan Spiker 6'5" 295 from Dresden, Ohio. Currently IU is in his top 3 with Cincinnati and West Virginia. No clue on how much of a chance IU has with him, but he's a mauler type that IU really likes at Guard.

Desmond Kenner 6'4" 335 from Fort Wayne, Indiana. A true mauler in every sense of the word. Raw, but with some upside. He'll camp at IU this summer in June. No offer from IU yet, but that could change once camp gets here.

Corey Reece 6'4" 3oo from Floyds Knobs, Indiana. Could he join Pat Graham as the only kids from Floyds Knobs to don IU uniforms? At this point, no offer, but he'll camp here in June, so we'll see.

Robbie Piper 6'4" 380 from Leopold, Indiana. I had never heard of this kid, but he's in the scout database. He's huge though.


Nate Klatt 6'4" 285 from Canal Fulton, Ohio. Nate is the only center prospect that IU has offered. Rivals has him as a 4-star recruit and size wise, he could put on a bit of weight and be guard pretty easily. Only 2 MAC programs have offered over IU, but he's waiting to see what the big boys will do with him I'm sure.

Steve Fiacable 6'2" 280 from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He's the best center prospect in the state and IU is watching him closely. We haven't offered yet, but it appears the MAC and other Big Ten programs are watching as well.

Jordan Stepp 6'1" 290 from Ben Davis HS in Indianapolis. This kid is one the strongest players in the state, if not the country. He can really lift some weight, and if football doesn't work out, I think he could get into competitive weight lifting and do pretty darn well. As for football, he's strong, but so far IU hasn't offered.

On the defensive line, I don't expect a lot of action, due to adding so many pieces last season. My guess is we'll add 1 DT and 1 DE. So far, we haven't done a whole of recruiting in this area.

Adam Replogle 6'3" 270 from Centerville, Ohio. Adam is the younger brother of current IU player Tyler Replogle. He plays with the same warrior mentality as his brother and has good quickness for DT. IU has offered, but for now, IU is battling West Virginia and Iowa. He claims Tyler will not influence his decision, but I don't think it will hurt IU's chances either. I really do expect Adam to be a Hoosier when all is said and done and the one DT recruit for this class.

Julius Forte 6'3" 225 from Gulfport, Florida. Julius is a former teammate of Ohrian Johnson, who chose O$U last winter. Julius is quite the DE prospect and he's got big time speed for a DE at 4.65 in the 40. He had 11 sacks last season and IU offered him last season when they scouted Ohrian. IU has been on him for a couple of season, so this will really help I believe, but he's going to get offers I'm sure from most of the SEC, and it's going to be hard to get him out of SEC country because of that.

Montez Robinson 6'5" 230 from Avon, Indiana. Montez is probably the best DE in the state of Indiana this coming season and he's a kid that I'd LOVE to see IU grab. He's got tremendous speed and with some weight, he's got a real chance to become a force in IU's attacking/blitzing defense. The one school that scares me here is Purdue. The Boilers have really had a lot of success taking DEs with Montez's size and measurables and turning them into solid pro propects. Here's hoping IU can reverse that trend and nab Montez and start a new tradition.

Davon Custis 6'5" 220 from Columbus, Ohio. A mega athlete that ran a 4.5 40 at IU's camp last summer. He's scary and IU has already offered, but with his speed, he's going to be a national recruit. Just about ever Big Ten and MAC program has offered, but one hasn't yet and that's the O$U, and I'm assuming he'll hold out for them. My guess is, eventually, he'll get that offer.

Antwon Johnson 6'3" 270 from Detroit, Michigan. This kid likes IU, has visited IU, and wants an offer, but so far, as far as I can tell, he doesn't have one yet. He's a very good athlete and could put on weight and move inside if need be.

Okay, next time, I'll dive into the LB and DB recruits as well as any updated information that pops up over the next couple of days. As always, GOD Bless!!