My Two Cents: Criticism of Indiana Football Was Fair, But Praise is Deserved After Recruiting Haul

Indiana did something that's never happened before on Wednesday, putting together a top-20 recruiting class for the first time in school history. As near as we can tell, no team has ever had a top-20 class after losing double-digits games the year earlier.

Tom Brew | Dec 16, 2021

My Two Cents: Criticism of Indiana Football Was Fair, But Praise is Deserved After Recruiting Haul /

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For the past two decades or so, there's been a proliferation of college football recruiting rankings and services. None are the be-all, end-all, of course, but they do make good talking points.

Especially when something has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

And it was Indiana that did it.

The Hoosiers, who have lost more college football games that any major-college program in history, has never had a recruiting class ranked higher than the mid-30s. But on Wednesday, the Hoosiers checked in at No. 20 on the 247Sports.com composite rankings. (They are No. 23 in our Sports Illustrated rankings.)

Having a top-20 class for the first time is one thing, but to keep it all together — and then adding to it with several flips in the final few days — is amazing. Especially coming off a 2-10 season, because those two things don't normally correlate.

Like EVER.

I did quick research through the past two decades on several recruiting services, comparing top-20 recruiting classes with teams who had double-digits losses the year prior.

I couldn't find a single one.

As we've seen through the years, it's really hard to put together a top-20 class at Indiana period. But to do this under such extremely difficult circumstances not only says a lot about Tom Allen and his Indiana coaching staff, but it also says even more about the kids in this 2022 class, most of whom had committed during the summer — before Indiana went 2-10 with an eight-game losing streak to end the season.

What these recruits saw prior to their commitment was the Hoosiers' rise in the Big Ten, with 8-4 and 6-1 regular season records in 2019 and 2020 respectively. As a group — there were 18 high school signees on Wednesday — they stuck together, and kept each other engaged. They all have been texting and talking and recruiting for Indiana all fall, and only one player — Texas quarterback Josh Hoover — didn't honor his commitment, choosing at the last minute to stay home and play at TCU.

All the rest, they are Hoosiers through thick and thin.

You wouldn't expect four-stars studs like Bloomington South linebacker Dasan McCullough and Coconut Creek (Fla.) cornerback Trevell Mullen to waver, because their ties the Hoosiers are thicker than blood. They're family. Dasan is the son of Indiana running backs coach Deland McCullough and Trevell's older brother is Tiawan Mullen, the All-American Indiana cornerback who's coming back for 2022.

The others? They could have bailed at any time during the losing streak, but that never happened. They are all in. They were all in during the summer, during the fall and certainly on Wednesday.

And that meant a lot to Allen, who knows how ugly this 2021 season got more than anyone.

"We're really excited about the group that we put together as a staff and guys that believed in us and stuck with us through some challenges this season,'' Allen said. "Most of these guys were committed to us for a long time and stayed the course, which I really appreciate, and it means a lot to us, and just shows you what they feel about our program and where we're at.''

Allen pointed out several of the recruits who were vocal with their teammates, most notably Vero Beach (Fla.) defensive back James Monds III. He was talking and texting with his classmates often, keeping everything together and recruiting others as well.

"I tell you what, we had several guys I would say were leaders in this class in putting them together. James Monds, he's near the top,'' Allen said. "He was just tremendously active on social media, tremendously active with his teammates, future teammates, in the recruiting process. He loves football. I just really appreciate his leadership, and he's going to be here mid-year as many (16) of these guys are. I'm really excited about having James Monds here as a part of our team.''

It would have been easy for kids to waver after watching this 2021 season where everything that could go wrong did. Especially with so many out-of-state recruits, that loyalty hasn't been branded yet.

But that's what is amazing. That loyalty to Indiana? It was there. It is there. And this infusion of talent should help with a very quick turnaround.

"There's no doubt, and that's why I said, I appreciate these guys. You look at the group, we lost one, but they stayed together, which I attribute that to some leadership of some key guys on there,'' Allen said. "I thought Dasan McCullough was a huge part of that. I think James Monds, as I mentioned, was a big part of that, (Arkansas linebacker) Kaiden Turner, those guys, that really took ownership. James was probably the one that might be the most verbal of the crew, even just being able to just stay in contact with the guys, and they all just connected. They really did.

"We know what we can do. We've seen it, and that's what they saw in 2020, and even though 2021 wasn't anywhere close to what any of us expected, wanted or had envisioned that was going to happen, they also see themselves coming here and doing the very things that they know what we can do. I think they see some opportunity. I also think it was also them seeing, hey, 'this is what I know Indiana can become, what they've shown me they can do, and I can see myself being that next guy to help us take it to the next level.' ''

Since the recruiting ranking started, Indiana has had some rough seasons before. In 2003, Indiana went 2-10, and their recruiting class that followed was ranked No 54 nationally and 10th in the Big Ten. It was no better in 2011 when Indiana went 1-11 and their recruiting class the followed was No. 57 nationally and 11th in the Big Ten.

This haul is epic, and unprecedented. Trying to compete in the Big Ten East is very difficult. Heck, even this great recruiting class is proof of that. It's Indiana's best recruiting class ever — and barely makes a dent in the toughest division in college football.

Look at where the Big Ten East teams rank with this 2022 class:

No. 4 — Ohio State
No. 6 — Penn State
No. 9 — Michigan
No. 20 — Indiana
No. 21 — Michigan State
No. 27 — Maryland'
No. 28 — Rutgers

The ENTIRE division, all in the top 28, and three in the top-10. That's why the talent assembled in this class is huge for Allen and his staff. And now they need to do something with it. Talent development will be key. They need to still turn three-stars into fours, and four-stars into five.

That's how it works at Indiana. Always has, always will.

And that's why Allen and his staff — that same staff that many of you wanted fired after one bad year — deserve an enormous amount of praise for putting this group together.

Deland McCullough completely rebuilt his running back room and, practically overnight, it's now dangerous as hell. Gi'Bran Payne, the best running back in Ohio, was a big get, but flipping Jaylin Lucas out of Louisiana on signing day was huge. Put me down for FOUR special teams touchdowns in his career, minimum. People keep saying he's as dangerous in space as ANYONE in the nation.

Throwing in a couple of transfer portal pieces — Shaun Shivers of Auburn and Josh Henderson of North Carolina — and there's plenty of depth in that room again, especially with still-untapped promise from true freshmen David Hollomon and Trenten Howland.

Indiana tight ends coach Kevin Wright added to his room late as well, flipping Cincinnati's Brody Foley from Tennessee at the last minute, and adding him to fellow Ohio tight end Ryan Miller. That's a great 1-2 punch at an important position in Indiana's offense.

The recruiting efforts to bolster the defensive line by Kevin Peoples and others was huge, too. Indiana just doesn't normally get four-star studs like Nick James out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., but they reeled him in on Wednesday, beating out practically every SEC and Big Ten team that had offered him.

And California defensive line transfer JH Tevis fills a massive void, as well. The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder has been an all-Pac-12 performer, and he was as attracted to Indiana's Kelley business school as he was the football program.

"I'm just really excited about JH, the toughness he's going to bring,'' Allen said. "He was an All-Pac-12 performer there on the defensive line, and he's got some position flexibility as far as playing either the strong side end, or the 3-technique combination.

"I love his toughness, love seeing him making plays at that level consistently, and all that he was able to do there, and then just know how academically focused he is. His dad is originally from Indianapolis and played at North Central High School. As a matter of fact, we got to talking, he played in the 1979 Indiana All-Star Game that was played out here in Memorial Stadium here at Indiana when his dad was a high school player. Just being able to find a young man that's not from Indiana himself, but obviously has ties here with his family, and loved his visit, loved our time together with him, and really excited.''

Tevis is one of seven college transfers, and they are all going to fill gaps. That 2-10, it's not happening again. Combining the 18 high school kids with the seven transfers should help turn things around quickly. They aren't done yet, either.

So kudos for a job well done.

Now, get back to work.

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