It didn't take long into Tyrese Fryfogle's official visit to Indiana last weekend to realize Bloomington was the right for for him.

Now the secret's out.

Fryfogle, a 6-foot-2, 204-pound standout receiver from Lucedale, Mississippi, committed to Indiana on Tuesday. The two-star prospect is the first offensive skill player to pledge to the Hoosiers and the 18th commitment overall.

"I've been holding it in since the weekend," Fryfogle said. "I knew it was the right place for me. I loved the environment and everything that I saw."

As a senior, Fryfogle put up a massive stat line of 88 catches for 1,432 yards and 13 touchdowns. He's a two-time member of the Sun Herald All-South Mississippi Team with potential to play just about anywhere on the field.

He picked Indiana over offers from Idaho and Ole Miss, with the latter being the most prominent threat to IU. He also drew interest from schools including South Carolina and Southern Miss.

When it came to his recruitment, new IU receivers coach Grant Heard always stood out among the dozens of coaches to come Fryfogle's way, he said. Heard initially got in touch with Fryfogle while he was coaching receivers at Ole Miss.

But when Heard opted to leave the Rebels to join new Indiana head coach Tom Allen in Bloomington, Fryfogle was one of the first players he called. If Heard was heading up north, he wanted Fryfogle to come with.

"Coach Heard has been with me all this time," Fryfogle said. "Being able to be coached by him just boosted everything with Indiana."

Admittedly, Fryfogle wasn't too interested in Indiana until Heard joined the Hoosiers in Bloomington. He saw a few games and knew the program typically ranked among the best offenses in the country but didn't put much thought into IU because the coaches weren't actively recruiting him.

Heard brought Fryfogle up for an official visit last weekend that immediately left a good impression from the moment the staff started sharing their plans for the future.

"The coaches stood out to me the most," Fryfogle said. "That was the best coaching staff I've seen as a whole group since I've been on a couple of visits."

Allen, in particular, reassured Fryfogle that Indiana was the right place.

"He's just a great guy," Fryfogle said. "he had a lot of excitement about him and about the program. I don't even know how to explain it. He just had so much excitement about him. He's the guy I want to be coached by."

IU rising junior receiver Nick Westbrook was Fryfogle's host on the weekend.

The Florida native relieved some of the Mississippi recruit's fears that he wouldn't fit in about 700 miles from home.

"I talked to him a lot about the distance," Fryfogle said. "He helped me through it. He came from far away and told me what it was going to be like and how I would adjust. I learned a lot from him."

Indiana is expected to keep attacking offensive skill players as it rounds out its class, and Fryfogle is happy to help. He's already started trying to convince a few other targets to join him in Bloomington.

Things between Indiana and Fryfogle came together quickly, but he said he's confident in his decision. His official visit confirmed that it was the place to be, and he doesn't have to wait too long to get back.

"It's good to get it off my chest," Fryfogle said. "I'm really happy with it."

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