Florida's Mizell has Hoosiers down as his top program
With a strong freshman season behind him and an impressive showing at his most recent 7 v 7 outing, Stranahan High School (Fla.) Tovani Mizell is garnering attention from various college programs, including Indiana.
The Hoosiers recently offered the Adidas Freshman All-American and national combine invitee, who also picked up Sun Sentinel Broward All-County honors. Mizell, a class of 2024 running back, spoke with TheHoosier.com about his offer and said the Hoosiers are at the top of his recruiting list.
"The Hoosiers are at the top. I like the family atmosphere, and I like that they have a good running game and that they brought a new coach in from the Kansas City Chiefs and the running backs that do well in that system," Mizell said.
Kasey Teegardin extended the offer to Mizell, who said the Indiana coaches told him they like his size and footwork.
"He also said I run really good routes. I was extremely happy to get the offer from Indiana. I was on a three way call with my coach and Coach Teegardin when I received the offer. Coach Teegardin talked about the school and staff and how he was impressed with the work I have been doing. I really like Coach Tom Allen's coaching philosophy and how he has turned Indiana into a top 15 team," said Mizell, who spent this last weekend in Atlanta for a 7 v 7 tournament.
Mizell said what impresses him about Indiana is its offense.
"When I look at the offense, I am looking at the chemistry and how the coaches coach under pressure," Mizell said. "My relationship with the Indiana coaches is great. They have a very welcoming staff."
In addition to Indiana, Mizell holds offers from Texas A&M, UAB and Cincinnati. As for what he is looking for in a school, Mizell says there is one thing in particular.
"I am blessed and humbled to have Indiana and the other top programs recognize my talent," Mizell said. "When the 2024 rankings come out, I expect to be at the top of my class.
What I am looking for in a school is: 1) an opportunity to play early and compete for championships, and 2) if they fit my style of play."
A season ago, Mizell played both ways as a freshman in one of the toughest divisions in the South Florida area, playing running back, linebacker, special teams and long snapper. He said it is exciting to see Indiana have many players from Florida and that he could, potentially, be one.
"I continuously work on my speed, strength and agility to improve my game. It is very exciting. I do not know any of the players personally, but I do know about them," he said.
He hopes to know them more as he is planning to visit Bloomington when he is allowed.
"I would love to visit Indiana and meet the coaching staff in person," Mizell said. "I want to learn about their strength and conditioning program and the Sports Science Department because I would like to major in that field."
----
• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals
• Like us on Facebook.