Freshman Phenom Running Back Michael Drennen Hearing From Indiana

Mike Drennon held a scholarship offer from Kentucky before ever playing a down of high school football.

Now the high school freshman is drawing interest from the likes of Indiana.

Drennen, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound running back from Dublin, Ohio, visited Bloomington last weekend to see the Hoosiers up close. He was impressed with the team's hospitality and facilities, particularly the W. Jay and Nancy Wilkinson Performance Center Weight Room.

"I enjoyed the visit," he said. "It was a pretty nice place, especially that weight room. I've never seen a weight room quite like that. I couldn't believe it."

Drennen has quickly become a nationally sought after recruit despite only just completing his first season of high school football. He's already visited Michigan State and North Carolina, plans to see Michigan and Ohio State and wants to get down south in the future to see the likes of Alabama and Tennessee.

IU offensive coordinator Kevin Johns has been Drennen's primary contact with Indiana. Johns invited him up as soon as he could to check out practice, tour Memorial Stadium and take in what the Hoosiers have to offer.

"The players were very friendly," Drennen said. "We got invited into the team meetings and the position meetings. When we got in there, they were really friendly, very hospitable. Even on the practice field they were very friendly."

Drennen projects to be a running back at the next level but spent his first season of high school lined up at slot receiver because of a returning starter already being on the roster. Drennen made the most of the move, leading his team in receptions en route to being named Second Team All-Conference and Special Mention All-District.

That versatility to split between being in the back field and the slot is one of the major points of attraction in Drennen's recruitment so far. Drennen said he knows his time at receiver will translate into catches out of the backfield much like it has for current Pittsburgh Steeler and former Michigan State Spartan Le'veon Bell and current Dallas Cowboy and former Ohio State Buckeyes Ezekiel Elliott, both of whom Drennen models his own game after.

Playing in the slot rekindled memories of practicing in the front yard with his father, Drennen said. They used to spend time in the yard learning the game together as father and son, and now that work is translating on the field.

"My dad used to always have me running routes, and he'd throw me the ball to go catch," Drennen said. "For me to go out there and actually play receiver was really nice. It was fun and brought that back."

He used to always have me run routes and thorw me the ball. For me to go out tehre and acutlal yplay recievers. It was really fun. It brought that back.

Drennen already holds a Kentucky offer from July and just picked up an offer from Saginaw Valley State, a Division II program, earlier this week. He'll likely only continue to pick up offers as he matures and develops his game over the next three seasons.

Coaches from schools like Indiana have already made it clear they think Drennen is the real deal. He's set himself up for a busy road through recruitment that will no doubt lead to plenty of more visits to national powers in the future.

"I'm just taking it all in stride," Drennen said. "I just like at is as a blessing. It's shocking, really. It seems unreal."