Hoosiers Now

Meet Indiana Football's 2020 Recruiting Class

Indiana signed 18 players on the first day of the Early Signing Period, with hopes of adding a few more players between now and February.

Tom Brew

Meet Indiana Football's 2020 Recruiting Class
Meet Indiana Football's 2020 Recruiting Class /

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana signed its smallest class in three years on Wednesday, but that was more before of slots not available talent. Hoosiers coach Tom Allen is thrilled with the haul, which was heavy on offensive linemen.

"I'm really excited about this group,'' Allen said. "I feel like it kind of embodies — even though it's not a very high-number class, we knew it was going to be a smaller class with our numbers that we're losing — but at the same time, it's heavy on the offensive line, which it needed to be. I really like our offensive line class.

"Also, there's a little bit of a good flavor at each position. We had a chance to address those needs, guys that would be graduating. I like the length of the class. If you notice, there's nobody listed under 6-foot. We got some length at skill positions on both sides of the football, and a lot of length on the offensive line, which is important to be able to develop and get these guys where they need to be.''

There is one 4-star recruit, wide receiver Rashawn Williams from Detroit, and 17 3-stars. The class is ranked No. 12 in the Big Ten and No. 49 nationally, down about a dozen spots from a year ago. Allen said they aren't finished yet, either

"We have two spots available, which is kind of what you like to have, some wiggle room with that,'' he said. "I would say we're definitely still looking for a rush end, a priority for us, and we'll continue to pursue that position.''

Here's is the list of players who have signed

Rashawn Williams, wide receiver

School/Hometown: Martin Luther King HS, Detroit, Mich.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds

Ranking: 4 stars

The skinny: Williams is the highest-ranked recruit in this class, the only 4-star. He's been all-in for months and even did all he could to help recruit other kids as well.

"Rashawn to me is just a very talented young man. I love his work ethic,'' Allen said. "Man, I tell you, he's a worker. I just think he has a chance to come here and really dive into all that we have for him, in his development. He's 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and has strong hands, runs good routes, makes a lot of tough, contested catches. He's a competitor. Also has a great charisma about him, personality.''

Lem Watley-Neely, defensive back

School/Hometown: Harper Woods HS, Harper Woods, Mich.

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 175 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars

The skinny: Neely-Watley has played on both sides of the ball, but he's going to start out as a defensive back at Indiana.  "(Indiana) recruited me hard; I felt like I belonged there, it felt like family," he told the Detroit News. "The coaches really showed me love, like they really cared about me.” 

Cameron Knight, offensive lineman

Hometown (School): Noblesville HS, Noblesville, Ind.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 260 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars

The skinny: Knight is a Class 6A all-state selection and the younger brother of former Indiana lineman Brandon Knight, who currently plays in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. "He's come to our camp, a good athlete, ran well, change of direction, strong, tough. We know what we're getting because of his brother, the family, and the mindset he's going to be for us,'' Allen said.

Brady Feeney, offensive lineman 

Hometown (School): Christian Brothers HS, St. Louis, Mo. 

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 325 pounds

The skinny: A former Rice commitment, Allen loves his size. Feeney was a St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Super 30 selection ."Brady Feeney is a big old guard, a320-pound guy, got a girth in there. (Indiana offensive line) Coach (Darren Hiller) did a really good job of identifying these types of bodies that we're looking for for each spot.''

Caleb Murphy, defensive end 

Hometown (School): West Washington HS, Campbellsburg, Ind.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 260 pounds

The skinny: Murphy played at a small school in southern Indiana, but don't let that fool you. He's a top-10 recruit in Indiana "and is a really smart kid,'' Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said. "Indiana has always been my dream school, and as soon as they offered, I said yes,'' Murphy said. "I can't wait to get there and get started.''

Dylan Powell, offensive lineman

Hometown (School): Stanford University (graduate transfer), Hannibal, Mo. 

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 290 pounds

Ranking: (in high school)

The skinny: Power is a graduate transfer from Stanford and will probably have two years remaining at Indiana. "We said it would be nice to have an older guy. That's where Dylan Powell gives us a chance to get a grad transfer from Stanford. He's an excellent student. I think he gives us a chance to kind of fill some of those holes you have in the upper part of our class that I feel like over time have kind of been creative with some injuries and caused guys not to be able to finish.''

David Baker,  wide receiver 

Hometown (School): Scecina HS, Indianapolis, Ind. 

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3/200 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars 

The skinny: Baker was an all-state receiver at Scecina for two straight years. Baker played receiver and cornerback for Scecina, finishing his senior year with 41 catches for 493 yards, six receiving touchdowns. He also intercepted three passes, recovered a fumble and blocked a punt. Baker had 63 catches for 799 yards and 11 TDs as a junior, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Javon Swinton, wide receiver 

Hometown (School): North Stafford HS, Stafford, Va.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 170 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars 

The skinny: Swinton had offers from Virginia, South Carolina and Syracuse, among others. He's a two-way player who is also a standout basketball player, and some have called him the best all-around athlete in the state of Virginia. Swinton is an outstanding defensive back, but he wants to start his career as a wide receiver, Allen said.

Tim Baldwin Jr., running back

Hometown (School): Patriot HS, Nokesville, Va.

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 210 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars, 643rd nationally, 18th in Virginia, 47th at position

The skinny: Indiana got a flip out of Baldwin, who was a former Michigan commit. He rushed for 1,604 yards and 25 touchdowns this season and led Patriot to a 10-2 record, its first 10-win season in school history. He is one of nine players who will enroll early at Indiana. "We want to recruit great kids, and we get that with Tim,'' Indiana running backs coach Mike Hart said. "He's a guy we really wanted. He's a big, strong, fast back and we're excited to add him to our team.''

Luke Wiginton, offensive lineman 

School/Hometown: Bishop Dwenger HS, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 285 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars 

The skinny: Allen said that  Luke Wiginton "is a guy out of high school here in Indiana that has the length. Obviously, he needs to develop and get stronger and all that. Basically you want to recruit the things that you can't change. They're not going to usually get much taller once you get them here. Wigginton was a Class 5A Senior All-State selection and was ranked as the No. 10 player in Indiana. 

AJ Barner, tight end

School/Hometown: Aurora HS, Aurora, Ohio 

Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 225 pounds 

Ranking: 3 stars 

The skinny: Barner was also a late flip to Indiana. He's been a two-way player as well, and won several and state defensive honors as a linebacker. "I couldn't be more excited about AJ,'' Indiana tight ends coach Nick Sheridan said. "He's super tough and super competitive and comes from a great family. I'm thrilled to have him.''

Ty Wise, linebacker

School/Hometown (School): Carmel HS, Carmel, Ind.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars, N/A in nation, 13th in Indiana, 93rd at position

The skinny: Wise will be on campus to take part in bowl practices. He had 112 tackles, including 20 for a loss, for Carmel, the Class 6A state champions. Wise also had five sacks, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and caused two fumbles as a senior. He had 13 tackles in the state finals against Center Grove. "What stood out to us a year ago with Ty are the same things that stood out in the state championship game. He does a phenomenal job with blitz timing and his best football is ahead of him.''

Dexter Williams, quarterback

School/Hometown: Mount De Sales Academy, Macon, Ga.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars, N/A in nation, 160th in Georgia, 37th at position

The skinny: Williams is a dual threat quarterback with a big arm that Allen likes. "The thing that stuck out to me about him, initially when you watched his film, is his arm strength,'' Allen said. "To me kind of just become stronger, stronger believer in that the arm talent piece is such a big deal. He has the Big Ten arm talent, then the ability to extend plays with his legs. He gives you that. He has the thickness and girth to be able to play in this conference. 200 pounds coming out of high school. He's going to be a mid-year guy, so he'll get a chance to have that whole extra semester of development.''

Bryson Bonds, defensive back

School/Hometown (School): Crowley HS, Crowley, Texas

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 200 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars, N/A in nation, 139th in Texas, 69th at position

The skinny: Bonds was ranked the second-best safety in the Fort Worth area by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a second-team all-state selection. He was an academic all-state selection and had offers from eight Ivy League schools. 

Luke Haggard, offensive lineman

School/Hometown: Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma, Calif.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 265 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars, 83rd in nation (JUCO), 17th in California (JUCO), 12th at position (JUCO)

The skinny: Haggard was a late commitment to Indiana. "He's a junior college guy who  qualified out of high school, a guy that plays a lot of defense, and goes to offense when he goes to junior college. He's 6-7 and lean, but he has an athletic skill set.''

Randy Holtz, offensive lineman

School/Hometown: Snider HS, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-7, 350 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars

The skinny: This was a good get for the Hoosiers, because Holtz was considering both Indiana and Purdue. He won several state honors and is one of six finalists for the overall Mr. Football award. "He's a guy you can say can do both inside spots. It's nice to be able to have a guy that can be in both of those spots. He's 6-7 and 350-plus pounds. He's a rather large human being,'' Allen said.

Christopher Keys, defensive back

Hometown (School): Collins HS, Collins, Miss.

Height/Weight: 6-foot, 175 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars, 982nd in nation, 28th in Mississippi, 78th at position

The skinny: Keys will play in Mississippi's North-South All-Star game.

Damarjhe Lewis, defensive tackle

Hometown (School): Griffin HS, Griffin, Ga.

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 295 pounds

Ranking: 3 stars, 691st in nation, 70th in Georgia, 57th at position

Note: A former Auburn commit, Lewis was an all-state selection who chose Indiana over  Tennessee, West Virginia, Florida State, Miami, Penn State, and Florida, among others. "He was committed to an SEC school, and he fits that build,'' Allen said. "He's 6-foot3 and 290-some pounds out of high school. He's athletic, has high energy, and is disruptive. We always talk about twitch, explosiveness, just pop that these guys play with. He has that. 
They're hard to find, those are guys that are valuable guys. Another one that just brings a lot of energy. I think he's going to bring a lot of juice to that room. He's going to practice hard, play hard. He has a really good personality about him.''

Published
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the Indianapolis Star and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered college sports in the digital platform for the past six years, including the last five years as publisher of HoosiersNow on the FanNation/Sports Illustrated network.

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