Indiana University Athletics
Build It Right And They Will Come
2/3/2022 12:16:00 PM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It starts with quarterbacks.
It has to.
At any level, especially in 21st Century, offense-heavy football, you go as far as your quarterbacks take you.
So as Indiana wrapped up its best-ever football recruiting class, it landed a promising high school quarterback (Brendan Sorsby) to go along with Missouri transfer quarterback Connor Bazelak (a 2-year starter for the Tigers) as well as three returning scholarship quarterbacks (Jack Tuttle, Donaven McCulley, and Dexter Williams II), plus walk-on Grant Gemel.
Wednesday's Signing Day made it official that Sorsby, a 6-3, 220-pounder from Texas, is now a Hoosier.
Add Louisiana defensive lineman J'mari Monette, a 6-4, 280-pounder who totaled 48 tackles while helping his team finish as the 5A state runner-up, and you have a 32-player newcomer group -- 17 on offense, 15 on defense -- that includes 10 college transfers.
It's a class that stayed true to its Cream & Crimson commitment despite last season's 2-10 Hoosier record.
For head coach Tom Allen, it reaffirmed what he's known all along:
Build it right, and they will come.
"There wasn't a lot of guys who were waffling a lot," Allen said as part of Wednesday's Signing Day press conference. "I know that may seem surprising, and I get it.
"But the relationships were strong. And the belief is strong in what we're doing and how we're doing it and how we're building this place.
"There's no question this season was difficult and not close to what any of us wanted or expected. I think the strength of those relationships held us together."
IU's class has star power as never before.
It has eight four-star prospects in linebacker Dasan McCullough, cornerback Trevell Mullen, running back Gi'Bran Payne, defensive lineman Nick James, offensive linemen D.J. Moore, Richard Thomas Jr., and Venson Sneed, and receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
Plus, two college transfers, Bazelak and Auburn running back Shaun Shivers, were four-star prospects in high school.
The other transfers were Kentucky linebacker Jared Casey, Ole Miss defensive linemen LeDarrius Cox and Patrick Lucas Jr., North Carolina running back Josh Henderson, UCLA outside linebacker Myles Jackson, Miami linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr., North Carolina receiver Emery Simmons and California defensive lineman JH Tevis.
McCullough, who reaffirmed his commitment to IU even as his father, Deland, leaves the Hoosiers to become Notre Dame's running backs coach, is the most-heralded prospect with a Top-80 rating.
McCullough's older brother, Deland II, also will remain a Hoosier.
"They chose to come to Indiana," Allen said of the McCulloughs. "They want to be here. This is their home. They're with us now. That, to me, is a testament to them wanting to be part of this program."
Dasan McCullough is among Indiana's 19 mid-year enrollees. Allen called that a "huge number" critical to the Hoosiers' turnaround plans for 2022 and beyond.
"They are being developed every day.
"I've already met with a majority of them one-on-one in my office. That's a very important time for me. To hold them accountable to build those relationships so they continue to grow, along with my ability to understand them and what motivates them, what they care about. The things that will allow me to more effectively lead, guide, and direct them."
Flash back to Sorsby.
Last season, he threw for 1,271 yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for 823 yards and 15 TDs. He averaged 305.6 yards per game, but only played seven games because of an injury.
ESPN rated him as the nation's No. 13 dual-threat prospect.
Sorsby also made all-district in baseball, which reflects Allen's preference for multi-sport players.
"I'm really excited about what he brings," Allen said. "He's a big young man that has tremendous athleticism, arm talent, and ability. The upside is really high for him.
"He has not played the position as many years as a lot of guys that are in his recruiting class. That's the big reason why he was evaluated a little later in the process."
Mobile quarterbacks that stress defenses to the breaking point are crucial to title-winning success.
You'd better believe Allen has Big Ten championships (yes, plural) on his mind.
"I'm excited about his ability to make all the throws, and then be able to create things with his legs when it calls for that."
As for the overall potential of the quarterback room, Allen said, "Our objective from the beginning of this process was to bring in an older transfer as well as a younger player. And I looked at several different options. We wanted players who are able to create something out of nothing. That's the simplest way to put it.
"Things don't always go your way. You have to create. You watch every game at every level, the great ones are able to do that.
"Brendan is a guy that meets those qualities we're looking for. We did a national search to find him. We're really excited about what he brings us."
Spring practice begins March 5 with a meshing of new players and new coaches (new offensive and defensive coordinators, a new defensive line coach, and a new running backs coach).
When it comes to the defense, Allen said the focus "will be on takeaways, tackling and effort." For offense, it will be about "toughness."
"It will be about developing guys within our system. There are fundamental things we have to get better at.
"Running the football is a big focus. Throwing the football better. Those are the two key base things."
It will be about "getting back to playing football the way we can. I know we will."
To wrap up this newest group of Hoosiers, Allen pushed the foundation of the program he has built over the last six seasons.
"When you have a great foundation, whether it's in recruiting or whether it's in your life or whether it's in this whole program, when the storms come and things get shaken, when the foundation is strong, you weather that storm.
"There have been challenges and those challenges continue, and you just continue to stay locked in and focus and continue to build and grow.
"I think these guys, they were all in. They were bought in. And they believed in what we were doing.
"We just kept being who we were. Don't make excuses. Don't look for ways out. You confront things head on and you just keep building."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It starts with quarterbacks.
It has to.
At any level, especially in 21st Century, offense-heavy football, you go as far as your quarterbacks take you.
So as Indiana wrapped up its best-ever football recruiting class, it landed a promising high school quarterback (Brendan Sorsby) to go along with Missouri transfer quarterback Connor Bazelak (a 2-year starter for the Tigers) as well as three returning scholarship quarterbacks (Jack Tuttle, Donaven McCulley, and Dexter Williams II), plus walk-on Grant Gemel.
Wednesday's Signing Day made it official that Sorsby, a 6-3, 220-pounder from Texas, is now a Hoosier.
Add Louisiana defensive lineman J'mari Monette, a 6-4, 280-pounder who totaled 48 tackles while helping his team finish as the 5A state runner-up, and you have a 32-player newcomer group -- 17 on offense, 15 on defense -- that includes 10 college transfers.
It's a class that stayed true to its Cream & Crimson commitment despite last season's 2-10 Hoosier record.
For head coach Tom Allen, it reaffirmed what he's known all along:
Build it right, and they will come.
"There wasn't a lot of guys who were waffling a lot," Allen said as part of Wednesday's Signing Day press conference. "I know that may seem surprising, and I get it.
"But the relationships were strong. And the belief is strong in what we're doing and how we're doing it and how we're building this place.
"There's no question this season was difficult and not close to what any of us wanted or expected. I think the strength of those relationships held us together."
IU's class has star power as never before.
It has eight four-star prospects in linebacker Dasan McCullough, cornerback Trevell Mullen, running back Gi'Bran Payne, defensive lineman Nick James, offensive linemen D.J. Moore, Richard Thomas Jr., and Venson Sneed, and receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
Plus, two college transfers, Bazelak and Auburn running back Shaun Shivers, were four-star prospects in high school.
The other transfers were Kentucky linebacker Jared Casey, Ole Miss defensive linemen LeDarrius Cox and Patrick Lucas Jr., North Carolina running back Josh Henderson, UCLA outside linebacker Myles Jackson, Miami linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr., North Carolina receiver Emery Simmons and California defensive lineman JH Tevis.
McCullough, who reaffirmed his commitment to IU even as his father, Deland, leaves the Hoosiers to become Notre Dame's running backs coach, is the most-heralded prospect with a Top-80 rating.
McCullough's older brother, Deland II, also will remain a Hoosier.
"They chose to come to Indiana," Allen said of the McCulloughs. "They want to be here. This is their home. They're with us now. That, to me, is a testament to them wanting to be part of this program."
Dasan McCullough is among Indiana's 19 mid-year enrollees. Allen called that a "huge number" critical to the Hoosiers' turnaround plans for 2022 and beyond.
"They are being developed every day.
"I've already met with a majority of them one-on-one in my office. That's a very important time for me. To hold them accountable to build those relationships so they continue to grow, along with my ability to understand them and what motivates them, what they care about. The things that will allow me to more effectively lead, guide, and direct them."
Flash back to Sorsby.
Last season, he threw for 1,271 yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for 823 yards and 15 TDs. He averaged 305.6 yards per game, but only played seven games because of an injury.
ESPN rated him as the nation's No. 13 dual-threat prospect.
Sorsby also made all-district in baseball, which reflects Allen's preference for multi-sport players.
"I'm really excited about what he brings," Allen said. "He's a big young man that has tremendous athleticism, arm talent, and ability. The upside is really high for him.
"He has not played the position as many years as a lot of guys that are in his recruiting class. That's the big reason why he was evaluated a little later in the process."
Mobile quarterbacks that stress defenses to the breaking point are crucial to title-winning success.
You'd better believe Allen has Big Ten championships (yes, plural) on his mind.
"I'm excited about his ability to make all the throws, and then be able to create things with his legs when it calls for that."
As for the overall potential of the quarterback room, Allen said, "Our objective from the beginning of this process was to bring in an older transfer as well as a younger player. And I looked at several different options. We wanted players who are able to create something out of nothing. That's the simplest way to put it.
"Things don't always go your way. You have to create. You watch every game at every level, the great ones are able to do that.
"Brendan is a guy that meets those qualities we're looking for. We did a national search to find him. We're really excited about what he brings us."
Spring practice begins March 5 with a meshing of new players and new coaches (new offensive and defensive coordinators, a new defensive line coach, and a new running backs coach).
When it comes to the defense, Allen said the focus "will be on takeaways, tackling and effort." For offense, it will be about "toughness."
"It will be about developing guys within our system. There are fundamental things we have to get better at.
"Running the football is a big focus. Throwing the football better. Those are the two key base things."
It will be about "getting back to playing football the way we can. I know we will."
To wrap up this newest group of Hoosiers, Allen pushed the foundation of the program he has built over the last six seasons.
"When you have a great foundation, whether it's in recruiting or whether it's in your life or whether it's in this whole program, when the storms come and things get shaken, when the foundation is strong, you weather that storm.
"There have been challenges and those challenges continue, and you just continue to stay locked in and focus and continue to build and grow.
"I think these guys, they were all in. They were bought in. And they believed in what we were doing.
"We just kept being who we were. Don't make excuses. Don't look for ways out. You confront things head on and you just keep building."
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