The Indiana football program has been hot on the recruiting trail during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to Tom Allen's in-state relationships. Continuing to secure commitments from some of the top talent in the region, Indiana is on the right path.
Josh Hemholdt, Rivals National Football Recruiting Analyst, likes what Indiana is doing and says Allen is planning for the future the right way.
"It all starts upfront.. if you can't secure the offensive line you can't win championships and Tom Allen knows how he wants to do it to rebuild that program," Hemholdt told Indiana Sports Beat of Allen's recruiting.
While Indiana has been able to bring solid recruiting classes in before, Allen's mindset has made Indiana a real threat for some of the top in-state talent as well as players around the country.
"As a ball club you have to build your program with your backyard talent or in-state talent and then go and cherry pick those guys nationally," Hemholdt said. "They have been able to do that for the entirety of Tom Allen's tenure”
“He’s building for the future, he’s building long term. Now you’re seeing year after year they are bringing in four-star's," Hemholdt added. "They [Indiana] are recruiting big time talent and building for the future.”
“The state is on an uptick talent wise," Hemholdt added. "There is more competition but definitely more talent there too and will raise the stakes for in-state programs.”
Indiana starts off its season at Wisconsin, a game that Hemholdt says could be a big step and an important one for the Hoosiers.
“It’ll be interesting. It’s one of those games that can signal… you go into Camp Randall and win to start the season, that creates some national buzz to carry on throughout the season," Hemholdt said. "You win those games, it also helps recruiting”
Looking ahead, Indiana is in the mix for some more of the state's best prospects. Out of the top remaining players in 2021, there are a few names that stick out.
“I think the top guy on the board has to be Donaven McCulley. He's so talented. Hes a dual-threat guy and has the ability to pick up yards with his feet but his arm is exceptional," Hemholdt explained. "He can get the ball down the field and into areas that other quarterbacks wont even try to get it into… Austin Booker is another big time player and after [Rodney] McGraw left for Penn State. Booker is the guy to watch short term.”
To listen to the rest of the interview and more, check out the tweet below.
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