Hoosiers Stacking Talent
12/21/2018 8:20:00 AM | Football
By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - How well did the Hoosiers stack up Wednesday?
Very.
And with stack the operative word.
Indiana football's 2019 recruiting class is its best since at least the turn of the century, when metrics established by internet rating services such as 247Sports and Rivals arose.
IU never had a class ranked by 247 in the national top 40. Till now. The Hoosiers pegged a No. 40 rating on 247 and No. 39 on Rivals, based on results from the December signing period that commenced Wednesday.
Indiana plans to fill five more spots in the class during the February signing period, which will likely enhance the positive verdict already rendered, since many other schools have essentially filled their classes already.
And this marks the second consecutive class Indiana has had ranked in the nation's top 50, with last year's 27-player group coming in at No. 49.
That matters. Because successful programs are built by stacking good recruiting classes on top of each other, year after year. And that is exactly what is happening at Indiana since Tom Allen's staff assumed control over
Hoosier recruiting.
Allen and his crew have had some ground to make up, which is in part reflected by two straight campaigns finishing one game shy of bowl eligibility after bowl appearances in 2015 and 2016 (the latter, a 26-24 setback to
No. 19 Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl, was Allen's first official game as head coach.
The coaching transition, as is only natural, had some ramifications. Only nine of the 20 players signed for IU's 2016 class, primarily recruited by Wilson's staff, remain on the roster. And the 2017 recruiting class was rated 62nd nationally.
"Looking at our roster a year ago, we liked our 1s (starters), but then there was a drop-off with the 2s (back-ups)," Allen said Thursday. "And even this past fall so many of our 2s were talented but freshmen.
"My first year as head coach, we struggled with depth. We played eight guys on defense that played almost the whole game, every game, and that took its toll. Especially late in the season.
"So this fall, we intentionally played more people, but those guys we played were young. There was more depth, but it was young depth. So the next step, now, is to build more, bring in another good recruiting class – and get older, deeper and more developed over time. It's not going to happen overnight."
But it is indeed starting to happen.
Allen's staff is showing considerable recruiting chops. Even without a bowl bid for two years. Even with the new IU football locker room not set for completion till the start of next season. Even amidst negative recruiting from foes vying for the same prospects.
Some might note that Indiana's 2019 recruiting class, though in the top 40 nationally, ranks just 10th among its Big Ten brethren on both 247 and Rivals. But that largely reflects quantity – not quality – of recruits.
Indiana's current class, officially with 19 signees, is measured against several teams rated higher because of overall signee numbers in the 20s.
But Rivals ranks the Hoosiers a robust sixth in the league for average rating per player. And while 247 has that average player rating at 10th in the league for IU, there are contingencies.
The rankings count IU long snapper recruit Sean Wracher – rated one of the nation's top five in his specialty – as a defensive lineman. Wracher therefore is labeled a two-star rather than five-star prospect by 247.
"That skews the overall numbers and it's unfortunate," Allen said, "because Sean is a five-star talent for his actual position."
Take Wracher's inaccurate rating out of the mix and the Hoosier average per player would rank seventh in the league for 247's ratings.
And that's not the only catch, regarding the ratings.
Neither 247 nor Rivals includes four-star quarterback Jack Tuttle in IU's 2019 class because he is a transfer (though he is expected to have four full years of eligibility remaining).
Tuttle is a 2018 graduate of San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills High School, which he led to a 12-1 record while completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 3,540 yards and 42 TDs (against just 4 interceptions) as a senior.
He had offers from Alabama, Southern Cal, LSU and many others – Indiana included – and chose Utah, from which he decided to transfer in October.
Avon running back Sampson James, Carmel defensive end Beau Robbins and Andrean linebacker Cameron Williams already give Indiana's 2019 class a trio of in-state four-star recruits. All three are rated among the state's top five recruits.
Indiana had never before recruited more than one of the state's top five, according to 247, in a single year.
Add Tuttle and there is a quartet of four-star recruits in the Indiana class, the most the Hoosiers have ever had. And it is a quintet if adding cornerback Tiawan Mullen from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., rated a four-star by Rivals.
Plus, given the star-status for his specialty, long snapper Wracher would make six recruits rating at least four stars.
That is absolutely unprecedented for Indiana football.
Adding Tuttle to Indiana's class (and omitting long snapper Wracher's "defensive lineman" ranking), here is how IU's class stacks up in terms of average rating per player among Big Ten schools according to 247:
Ohio State (92.16), Penn State (92.12), Michigan (90.37), Nebraska (88.01), Wisconsin (87.41), Michigan State (87.24), Indiana (86.83), Illinois (86.41), Purdue (86.31), Iowa (86.17), Northwestern (85.86), Minnesota (85.78), Maryland (85.31), Rutgers (84.43).
That is a solidly competitive position.
And with Tuttle added, where would Indiana's 2019 class rank in average rating per player nationally?
No. 30.
"To me, that's what you focus on," Allen said. "In terms of average rating per player, we're sixth in the league (according to Rivals). That's the number to use. Some are ranked higher just because they've got more players in this particular class, but that doesn't mean anything.
"And while rankings give you a concrete way to compare, they remain an inexact science. The biggest thing to compare is, 'Who are we competing against to get these players?' That to me is the biggest variable, looking at a player's offer sheet. And we're going against premier Power 5 conference teams to get these guys."
To cite but one example from the current class, IU had to stave off determined late bids from Southeastern Conference schools to sign offensive tackle Matthew Bedford.
How did the Hoosiers do it? Well, among other things, Bedford hails from Cordova (Tenn.). He and his family could consult current Indiana players from the Memphis area such as Cam Jones, Jacolby Hewitt and Jaylin Williams.
"Our players can tell the prospective recruits, 'Everything they say is true. It's not just recruiting-speak, not just coach-speak,'" Allen said. "And that, to me, means more than anything to a recruit.
"He can say, 'I talked to Cam Jones. I talked with Jacolby Hewitt, who is from my high school. I talked to Jaylin Williams.' They're all from the same area, and they'll tell him the same things. And their parents will, too. They'll tell them, 'Coach Allen is the same guy in recruiting as he is all the time.'
"I don't spend a whole lot of time telling them how awesome they are. I want them to know how it's really going to be when they're here. Now, we're going to hold them accountable. It's about accountability, toughness and love. That's what I want this place to be known for.
"I tell them what we're building and how we're building it. And that is the key. Honestly, I think sometimes they find that somewhat refreshing, but it's the way I want it to be, regardless."
The genuineness of Allen's faith in what IU football his building, and how it's being built, shines through.
"A tough, hard-nosed football program that is built on the foundation of love for one another," Allen summarized. "That's what it is. And I think that's how you have to play. It affects how you prepare. It affects the decisions you make, as a person and as a player.
"The toughness part is essential. You can't be a good football player unless you're physically and mentally tough. And I think that's the culture that we're getting to here. But what holds it all together is L.E.O. (Love Each Other). And that can't just be a phrase on the wall. It has to be a part of everything you do.
"It starts with the coaches, and has to get right into the heart and soul of the players, and go from player to player, from coach to player, from player to coach, and everything in between."
Allen is finding that resonates with recruits and their folks. Consistently.
"Our kids and our families want that," he said. "Every coach in America talks about family. Every football team I've ever been a part of talks about being a family. But talking about it and actually being it are two different things.
"The parents want to know, when their son gets here, that we're going to love him more as a person than as a player. I say it all the time, but I can't just say it – they have to feel that, they have to believe it in their hearts.
And they do when they realize and understand that it's genuine.
"When they come here, they go, 'This place is for-real. This is genuine. They're not just putting on a show.' Kids and their families can sense that. In terms of how the coaches treat each other, and how much we enjoy being around each other, and how the players feel, it's all obvious. You can't fake that."
And so Indiana's recruiting is ratcheting up.
Allen knows it has needed to. And he knows his Hoosiers have to start winning more football games. And he knows those things are not mutually exclusive.
Attracting talent at the crucial quarterback position can certainly help – in addition to returning starter Peyton Ramsey, the Hoosiers now boast two four-star quarterback recruits in redshirt freshmen Michael Penix Jr. and
Tuttle (with the latter the second-highest-ranked player IU had ever had, at any position, in 247's ratings).
But an even bigger factor is stacking successful overall classes atop one another.
"Stacking these classes, to me, is the whole key to building the program," Allen said. "… Football is a numbers game. Even in high school. That's why they have classes (to divide teams by enrollment size). It's that way in college, too – it's about depth and it's about having quality players.
"That's why recruiting is the lifeblood of your program. You have to recruit quality players who fit what you want well, and you can't just have a few of them. You need a lot of them. And you have to do it year after year."
Allen acknowledged that ratings aren't always accurate – that even NFL teams, with all their resources, don't always evaluate and draft wisely when it comes to personnel – but feels strongly that Indiana's evaluation and
recruiting process promises to play significant dividends.
Last year's class, this year's class, next year's class. Atop one another.
"The way it is structured is, roughly, is 25 guys per class," Allen said. "You bring those guys in and you need to develop them, need to keep them here, need to have them better each and every year.
"We've not had the stack-stack-stack with each class in the past, but we're starting to get to that point, and that is paramount to our future success."
That's nice for Hoosier fans to think about.
Imagine Indiana football, after all these years, playing with:
Something resembling a stacked deck.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - How well did the Hoosiers stack up Wednesday?
Very.
And with stack the operative word.
Indiana football's 2019 recruiting class is its best since at least the turn of the century, when metrics established by internet rating services such as 247Sports and Rivals arose.
IU never had a class ranked by 247 in the national top 40. Till now. The Hoosiers pegged a No. 40 rating on 247 and No. 39 on Rivals, based on results from the December signing period that commenced Wednesday.
Indiana plans to fill five more spots in the class during the February signing period, which will likely enhance the positive verdict already rendered, since many other schools have essentially filled their classes already.
And this marks the second consecutive class Indiana has had ranked in the nation's top 50, with last year's 27-player group coming in at No. 49.
That matters. Because successful programs are built by stacking good recruiting classes on top of each other, year after year. And that is exactly what is happening at Indiana since Tom Allen's staff assumed control over
Hoosier recruiting.
Allen and his crew have had some ground to make up, which is in part reflected by two straight campaigns finishing one game shy of bowl eligibility after bowl appearances in 2015 and 2016 (the latter, a 26-24 setback to
No. 19 Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl, was Allen's first official game as head coach.
The coaching transition, as is only natural, had some ramifications. Only nine of the 20 players signed for IU's 2016 class, primarily recruited by Wilson's staff, remain on the roster. And the 2017 recruiting class was rated 62nd nationally.
"Looking at our roster a year ago, we liked our 1s (starters), but then there was a drop-off with the 2s (back-ups)," Allen said Thursday. "And even this past fall so many of our 2s were talented but freshmen.
"My first year as head coach, we struggled with depth. We played eight guys on defense that played almost the whole game, every game, and that took its toll. Especially late in the season.
"So this fall, we intentionally played more people, but those guys we played were young. There was more depth, but it was young depth. So the next step, now, is to build more, bring in another good recruiting class – and get older, deeper and more developed over time. It's not going to happen overnight."
But it is indeed starting to happen.
Allen's staff is showing considerable recruiting chops. Even without a bowl bid for two years. Even with the new IU football locker room not set for completion till the start of next season. Even amidst negative recruiting from foes vying for the same prospects.
Some might note that Indiana's 2019 recruiting class, though in the top 40 nationally, ranks just 10th among its Big Ten brethren on both 247 and Rivals. But that largely reflects quantity – not quality – of recruits.
Indiana's current class, officially with 19 signees, is measured against several teams rated higher because of overall signee numbers in the 20s.
But Rivals ranks the Hoosiers a robust sixth in the league for average rating per player. And while 247 has that average player rating at 10th in the league for IU, there are contingencies.
The rankings count IU long snapper recruit Sean Wracher – rated one of the nation's top five in his specialty – as a defensive lineman. Wracher therefore is labeled a two-star rather than five-star prospect by 247.
"That skews the overall numbers and it's unfortunate," Allen said, "because Sean is a five-star talent for his actual position."
Take Wracher's inaccurate rating out of the mix and the Hoosier average per player would rank seventh in the league for 247's ratings.
And that's not the only catch, regarding the ratings.
Neither 247 nor Rivals includes four-star quarterback Jack Tuttle in IU's 2019 class because he is a transfer (though he is expected to have four full years of eligibility remaining).
Tuttle is a 2018 graduate of San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills High School, which he led to a 12-1 record while completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 3,540 yards and 42 TDs (against just 4 interceptions) as a senior.
He had offers from Alabama, Southern Cal, LSU and many others – Indiana included – and chose Utah, from which he decided to transfer in October.
Avon running back Sampson James, Carmel defensive end Beau Robbins and Andrean linebacker Cameron Williams already give Indiana's 2019 class a trio of in-state four-star recruits. All three are rated among the state's top five recruits.
Indiana had never before recruited more than one of the state's top five, according to 247, in a single year.
Add Tuttle and there is a quartet of four-star recruits in the Indiana class, the most the Hoosiers have ever had. And it is a quintet if adding cornerback Tiawan Mullen from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., rated a four-star by Rivals.
Plus, given the star-status for his specialty, long snapper Wracher would make six recruits rating at least four stars.
That is absolutely unprecedented for Indiana football.
Adding Tuttle to Indiana's class (and omitting long snapper Wracher's "defensive lineman" ranking), here is how IU's class stacks up in terms of average rating per player among Big Ten schools according to 247:
Ohio State (92.16), Penn State (92.12), Michigan (90.37), Nebraska (88.01), Wisconsin (87.41), Michigan State (87.24), Indiana (86.83), Illinois (86.41), Purdue (86.31), Iowa (86.17), Northwestern (85.86), Minnesota (85.78), Maryland (85.31), Rutgers (84.43).
That is a solidly competitive position.
And with Tuttle added, where would Indiana's 2019 class rank in average rating per player nationally?
No. 30.
"To me, that's what you focus on," Allen said. "In terms of average rating per player, we're sixth in the league (according to Rivals). That's the number to use. Some are ranked higher just because they've got more players in this particular class, but that doesn't mean anything.
"And while rankings give you a concrete way to compare, they remain an inexact science. The biggest thing to compare is, 'Who are we competing against to get these players?' That to me is the biggest variable, looking at a player's offer sheet. And we're going against premier Power 5 conference teams to get these guys."
To cite but one example from the current class, IU had to stave off determined late bids from Southeastern Conference schools to sign offensive tackle Matthew Bedford.
How did the Hoosiers do it? Well, among other things, Bedford hails from Cordova (Tenn.). He and his family could consult current Indiana players from the Memphis area such as Cam Jones, Jacolby Hewitt and Jaylin Williams.
"Our players can tell the prospective recruits, 'Everything they say is true. It's not just recruiting-speak, not just coach-speak,'" Allen said. "And that, to me, means more than anything to a recruit.
"He can say, 'I talked to Cam Jones. I talked with Jacolby Hewitt, who is from my high school. I talked to Jaylin Williams.' They're all from the same area, and they'll tell him the same things. And their parents will, too. They'll tell them, 'Coach Allen is the same guy in recruiting as he is all the time.'
"I don't spend a whole lot of time telling them how awesome they are. I want them to know how it's really going to be when they're here. Now, we're going to hold them accountable. It's about accountability, toughness and love. That's what I want this place to be known for.
"I tell them what we're building and how we're building it. And that is the key. Honestly, I think sometimes they find that somewhat refreshing, but it's the way I want it to be, regardless."
The genuineness of Allen's faith in what IU football his building, and how it's being built, shines through.
"A tough, hard-nosed football program that is built on the foundation of love for one another," Allen summarized. "That's what it is. And I think that's how you have to play. It affects how you prepare. It affects the decisions you make, as a person and as a player.
"The toughness part is essential. You can't be a good football player unless you're physically and mentally tough. And I think that's the culture that we're getting to here. But what holds it all together is L.E.O. (Love Each Other). And that can't just be a phrase on the wall. It has to be a part of everything you do.
"It starts with the coaches, and has to get right into the heart and soul of the players, and go from player to player, from coach to player, from player to coach, and everything in between."
Allen is finding that resonates with recruits and their folks. Consistently.
"Our kids and our families want that," he said. "Every coach in America talks about family. Every football team I've ever been a part of talks about being a family. But talking about it and actually being it are two different things.
"The parents want to know, when their son gets here, that we're going to love him more as a person than as a player. I say it all the time, but I can't just say it – they have to feel that, they have to believe it in their hearts.
And they do when they realize and understand that it's genuine.
"When they come here, they go, 'This place is for-real. This is genuine. They're not just putting on a show.' Kids and their families can sense that. In terms of how the coaches treat each other, and how much we enjoy being around each other, and how the players feel, it's all obvious. You can't fake that."
And so Indiana's recruiting is ratcheting up.
Allen knows it has needed to. And he knows his Hoosiers have to start winning more football games. And he knows those things are not mutually exclusive.
Attracting talent at the crucial quarterback position can certainly help – in addition to returning starter Peyton Ramsey, the Hoosiers now boast two four-star quarterback recruits in redshirt freshmen Michael Penix Jr. and
Tuttle (with the latter the second-highest-ranked player IU had ever had, at any position, in 247's ratings).
But an even bigger factor is stacking successful overall classes atop one another.
"Stacking these classes, to me, is the whole key to building the program," Allen said. "… Football is a numbers game. Even in high school. That's why they have classes (to divide teams by enrollment size). It's that way in college, too – it's about depth and it's about having quality players.
"That's why recruiting is the lifeblood of your program. You have to recruit quality players who fit what you want well, and you can't just have a few of them. You need a lot of them. And you have to do it year after year."
Allen acknowledged that ratings aren't always accurate – that even NFL teams, with all their resources, don't always evaluate and draft wisely when it comes to personnel – but feels strongly that Indiana's evaluation and
recruiting process promises to play significant dividends.
Last year's class, this year's class, next year's class. Atop one another.
"The way it is structured is, roughly, is 25 guys per class," Allen said. "You bring those guys in and you need to develop them, need to keep them here, need to have them better each and every year.
"We've not had the stack-stack-stack with each class in the past, but we're starting to get to that point, and that is paramount to our future success."
That's nice for Hoosier fans to think about.
Imagine Indiana football, after all these years, playing with:
Something resembling a stacked deck.
Players Mentioned
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