Oftentimes players can make a big jump with a good junior season. Prospects who go unnoticed and fly under-the-radar wind up landing big offers if the film backs up their size and strength. A current sophmoore out of Penn High School (Ind.) could be a nice pickup for the Hoosiers should they offer, and a strong junior campaign could provide just that.

Tayshon Bardo – a 6-1, 170 wide receiver and defensive back – is the latest prospect you’ve probably not heard about yet. Bardo is a tall, lengthy wideout who has a nice catch radius who provides the Kingsmen with an offensive weapon. Bardo – who recently visited the Hoosiers for a spring practice – is good after-the-catch, runs through contact, and has the raw tools to succeed and thrive at the Big 10-level.

“My visit went great,” Bardo said. “I loved everything about (the campus). The atmosphere at practice was great. The energy was super electric. Players push each other and coaches push the players during practice and that’s what I would want from the team I’d be committing to play for.”

Bardo said his interactions with the new staff under head coach Curt Cignetti have been very positive. He has developed a special connection with offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan.

“He is a very caring guy,” Bardo said of the coach, who came over with most of the staff from James Madison University. “And I can tell based off the visit he only wants the best from you as a young man on and off the field. They also have really nice facilities there. Things are very easy to get to - things like lunch, practice, weight room, and the academic aspect of it. Everything that you need is in the football stadium.”

The Kingsmen – who play in Indiana’s top high school classification (6A) and finished 10-2 last season before barely losing to state runner up Crown Point in the regional – have a solid history of producing college talent, especially under former head coach Cory Yeoman, who retired after 40 years at the school and is an Indiana Football Hall of Fame inductee. New coach Pete Riordan will have a nice weapon to use at his disposal in Bardo, who will likely garner plenty of attention in a talented 2026 class in Indiana.

“Mainly what I’m focusing on to prepare myself for this season is doing the basics,” Bardo said. “Consistently working on my footwork, speed and strength. I also work on my balance and hand-eye coordination.”

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