When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
The plan was for all three McCullough Bros. to play at Indiana which would have been a tremendous haul for the Hoosiers bolstered by their father being an assistant coach on Tom Allen’s staff.
But when coach Deland McCullough left Indiana for Notre Dame this offseason, the Hoosiers were able to keep four-star Dasan McCullough but earlier this week his four-star brother, Daeh, decided to back off his pledge to Indiana.
With a transfer coming to South Bend (Ind.) St. Joseph’s, Daeh McCullough’s own recruitment now takes shape as he’s closer to his father, programs from across the country are recruiting the four-star cornerback and many more options are now available.
The other McCullough boys look like they’re sticking in Bloomington.
That won’t be the case for the four-star cornerback who’s ranked third in the Indiana state rankings behind Notre Dame commit Drayk Bowen and four-star defensive end Kendrick Gilbert but the Hoosiers aren’t necessarily completely out of it yet, either.
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LOCAL REACTION
"Losing Daeh McCullough is a big blow to Indiana's 2023 class and future success on the field but this was something that was almost expected. Despite his two brothers on the IU roster with Deland and Dasan McCullough, his dad taking the Notre Dame job always put Daeh's commitment in question. Indiana will be losing a lot in the next year from its current secondary so losing a commitment at the position is a hit and puts a big emphasis and priority at the defensive back position moving forward." - Alec Lasley, TheHoosier.com
Sting factor: 7
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NATIONAL REACTION
Indiana went 2-10 last season and that could have played a part in McCullough’s decision to not join his brothers with the Hoosiers but more than anything this was a case of his father moving over to Notre Dame, him attending a new high school and getting a fresh start in his recruitment. It’s tough for Indiana because the Big Ten program needs to keep building off recent momentum and not let last season spiral into something just as bad. Recruiting over other Big Ten standout programs is tough enough but losing a four-star cornerback who could play early makes things more difficult. This had more to do with his father’s move to Notre Dame than McCullough’s confidence in the Indiana program but it still hurts. - Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director
Sting factor: 7
