Hoosier DE's Ready to Showcase their Skills

Both Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton will be showcasing their skills tomorrow at the combine. Up to this point they have made interviewing with a variety of teams and asked a variety of questions. Both defensive ends are in group #7 which will begin at 9:00 am tomorrow and their drills will last until noon. Kirlew participated in the bench press today and did 26 reps and 225 pounds which tied him for 19th most of the defensive lineman. Check back here tomorrow to get all of the highlights from tomorrow's workouts for your hoosiers.

How did Saffold stack up at the combine?

Overall I believe Saffold had a great combine. He was able to show off his athletisism and I think he has solidified himself as a 2-3 rounder. NFL.com said he was the best value at the offensive line position. He are some of his numbers compared to the other offensive lineman at the combine.

Broad Jump

Washington, Tony
9'6"
Saffold, Rodger
9'5"
Williams, Trent
9'5"
Smith, Shelley
9'4"
Veldheer, Jared
9'1"

20-Yard Shuttle

Lauvao, Shawn
4.51
Veldheer, Jared
4.51
Newhouse, Marshall
4.60
Tennant, Matt
4.62
Williams, Trent
4.63
Brooks, Dorian
4.66
Larsen, Ted
4.66
Saffold, Rodger
4.67

3-Cone Drill

Newhouse, Marshall
7.40
Veldheer, Jared
7.40
Saffold, Rodger
7.42
Hawley, Joe
7.50
Olsen, Eric
7.50

James Hardy's role to expand?

James Hardy's NFL career has gotten off to a slow start. In his rookie season he played in 14 games (starting 3 of them) and recorded 9 receptions for 87 yards and 2 scores. Then his rookie season ended when he tore his ACL. Then he had lingering effects from his injury into his 2nd year in the league. On top of that the Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens to a 1 year deal, thus burying him in the depth chart. His 2nd year he only managed to play in 2 games and record 1 catch for 9 yards.

However, yesterday the Bills announced they would not resign Terrell Owens or another receiver Josh Reed. This leaves Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish as the most veteran guys returning. This could be a perfect opportunity for Hardy to get an expanded role in the offense and to become the red-zone threat we were so accustomed to when he was a hoosier. With the injury 100% healed and the release of TO and Josh Reed, next year could be a good year for Hardy to show everyone what he is capable of doing in the NFL.

Hoosier DE's speak at combine

Here is a link to the video.

Here are some tidbits from the article:

"We used to always look in the record book and we would always say we want to try to beat some of these records try to tie some of these records," said Kirlew of their little reading on the side"

"We just look at all the history we have with 'D' ends in front of us and we know how well they did at IU and be able to be successful at the next level," said Kirlew, and the list as of late has been impressive.There is Adawale Ogunleye, who recorded 34 sacks during his time in Bloomington and has now racked up ten seasons in the NFL, most recently with the Chicago Bears. Kemp Rasmussen enjoyed some time in the league following his standout career at Indiana which ended in 2001.Victor Adeyanju followed him in the line of solid defensive ends, as his 13.5 sacks from 2002-2004 for Indiana caught the attention of St. Louis, who took him in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and has spent the last four seasons with the Rams."That's definitely motivation to get to this level and be competitive and try to be No. 1 in everything," said Middleton of following the tradition, and now he begins the second step of that journey."

"I definitely think I'm a guy that's going to be seen as a 'tweener' (Play both tackle and end), its gonna be having my hand down in the 4-3 or standing up as an outside linebacker in the 3-4," said Kirlew of his possible NFL positions. "That's why its important for me to be able to show my athleticism."

Saffold Rated Best Value

Saffold was rated the best value lineman at the NFL combine. The video posted does not have the audio but here is the link if you wish you to have audio. Link

Saffold 2nd Broad Jump

9 feet 5 inches. 2nd best from the offensive lineman. Leader has 9 feet 6 inches.

Saffold Broad Jump

8 feet 11 inches

Saffold Vertical Jump

Rodger Saffold Position Drills

Saffold Agility

Saffold Kick and Slide Drill

Saffold Drills

Saffold Position Drill

Saffold 40 yard dash

Saffold Film

I have edited down some practice film from the East-West Shrine practice. The clips are only of Saffold so you don't have to watch the whole thing. I will try and do the same thing for the combine so you can have highlights of all our IU guys. Blogger is having some problems uploading the video to the blog so here is the link. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcqhYcHbmMc

Comparing Non-Conference Schedules

Here is a look at how IU's non-conference schedule matches up to some other big ten schools. You can find the rest here.

INDIANA:
Towson: 2-9 Western Kentucky: 0-12 Akron: 3-9 Arkansas State: 4-8
Combined record: 9-38 (.191)
FCS schools: 1
BCS member schools: 0
Top 25: 0 Bowl teams: 0

PURDUE
Notre Dame: 6-6 Western Illinois: 1-10 Ball State: 2-10 Toledo: 5-7
Combined record: 14-33 (.299)
FCS schools: 1
BCS member schools: 1
Top 25: 0
Bowl teams: 0

NORTHWESTERN
Vanderbilt: 2-10 Illinois State: 6-5 Rice: 2-10 Central Michigan: 12-2
Combined record: 22-27 (.449)
FCS schools: 1
BCS member schools: 1
Top 25: 1 (Central Michigan)
Bowl teams: 1

ILLINOIS
Missouri: 8-5 Southern Illinois: 11-2 Northern Illinois: 7-6 Fresno State: 8-5
Combined record: 34-18 (.654)
FCS schools: 1
BCS member schools: 1
Top 25: 0
Bowl teams: 3

MICHIGAN
Connecticut: 8-5 Notre Dame: 6-6 Massachusetts: 5-6 Bowling Green: 7-6
Combined record: 26-23 (.531)
FCS schools: 1
BCS member schools: 2
Top 25: 0
Bowl teams: 2

What to Watch for this Spring

Here is what Adam Rittenberg is watching as IU gets into the spring. Link

1. Rebuilding the back seven on D. Indiana loses three starters in the secondary and two linebackers, including blog favorite Matt Mayberry. The Hoosiers brought in three junior college defenders, two of whom, linebacker Jeff Thomas and cornerback Lenyatta Kiles, will participate in spring practice. Needless to say, jobs are open everywhere, and coordinators Brian George and Joe Palcic will be looking for playmakers to step up. Several players are moving from offense to defense, including wideout Mitchell Evans to safety.

2. End game. Indiana loses a lot of pass-rushing production as multiyear starters Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton depart. Both starting jobs at defensive end are open this spring, and IU will look to Darius Johnson, Terrance Thomas and others to step up and make plays.

3. Willis watch. Indiana hopes 2010 is the year when running back Darius Willis becomes a superstar. Getting him through spring practice healthy will be a key first step. Willis has been impressive on the field, but he has struggled with injuries for much of his career. IU's passing attack should be very strong in 2010, and if Willis can elevate the run game, the Hoosiers should put up a ton of points.

I agree with most of these statements. Most of the focus should be on the defensive side of this ball this spring. Willis will be key as well because he needs to stay healthy. If he goes down then it will be tough to remain balanced on offense and we will have to rely on some other guys. I also would like to watch Edward Wright-Baker this spring as well. He was pretty highly touted coming out of high school and should be a perfect fit for the wildcat spot. He has a strong arm and can beat you with his legs as well.

More Saffold

Link
INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Hoosier offensive lineman Rodger Saffold says that he has already spoken to the Indianapolis Colts at the 2010 NFL Combine."I talked to a bunch of different teams," said Saffold from the podium in the main media room at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday. "And [will speak with] many more tonight."Along with the Colts, the 2009 2nd Team Big Ten Team offensive lineman listed the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders among the other NFL teams he had already met with at the scouting combine.The Indianapolis Colts were the only team that Rodger wanted to win Super Bowl XLIV, which left the 2009 Hoosiers team captain in a bit of quandary when Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning to seal the win for the Saints. Saffold and Porter were teammates at Indiana in 2006 and 2007.Calling it 'bittersweet' watching the Saints cornerback crush the Colts Super Bowl chances, Saffold credits Porter for his humility and confidence as well as being prepared and knowing his assignments. By the looks and sound of Rodger at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, those attributes are shared by both former teammates in Bloomington. For about 12 minutes on Thursday Saffold was asked a range of questions about his NFL future, his college experiences and his past injury."I haven't seen a lot of the 3-4 defenses [in college]," admitted Rodger, who appeared mostly calm but slightly anxious at times with nervous energy. "I've been preparing myself for those types of defenses once I play in the NFL."Most draft boards project Saffold to be selected as a late 4th or early 5th round pick in this year's NFL Draft.Following an impressive college career at Indiana, where he started at left tackle since midway through his freshman season, Saffold was invited and elected to play in the East-West Shrine Game."I just wanted to play," shared Saffold on the All-Star game. "In the East-West game I really wanted to play against competition I never would have faced in the Big Ten. I was able to do that and I played well."At the NFL Combine, the pro scouts (and media members) are super-sensitive to any injuries that the prospect may have endured during their college football career. For Saffold, that meant being questioned on a back injury in 2008 that hampered the star lineman during the end of his junior season."I did have a spine injury but right now that's no longer a problem," answered Saffold while also admitting that, like most can concur who ever experienced lower-back pain, it was a painful and physically limiting experience."I couldn't put on my own socks," he said about the injury.Saffold is the only Hoosier offensive lineman at the 2010 NFL Combine but is joined by three teammates from Indiana also hoping to further impress the pro scouts. Along with defensive back, Nick Polk, defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton were also invited to workout at Lucas Oil Stadium.Having to practice against fellow prospects Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton helped to better prepare Saffold for the competition he hopes to face in the pros."I think it made me more versatile against defensive ends," Saffold says of practicing against Kirlew and Middleton while at Indiana. "He'd [Jammie Kirlew] spin and bring that backhand around and hit you in the helmet," Saffold recalls. "And you'd be like 'What happened?'The 2010 NFL Scouting Combine is from February 24th through March 3rd at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Saffold at Combine

Another Interview with Saffold

Link
Feb. 25, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Left tackle Rodger Saffold is one of four Hoosiers at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. He met with the media this afternoon and the transcript is below:
On where he has trained:"I trained in Bradenton, Fla., at IMG with Jammie Kirlew, so that was a lot of fun just being down there with a bunch of our guys from Sports Stars. They really did a great job for us, lifting, and running, and also other things off the field."
On what he worked on in Bradenton: "We definitely worked on all those but what they did was make sure that none of the interviews were rehearsed, we were still doing what we knew how to do, that we were smart on our own, that they were just telling us answers and making us memorize them. Those types of things you have to learn. And then when the new test comes it should be easy for you."
On the training being like a job: "It's definitely like a full-time job. We were up around 7 a.m. and done around 5:30 p.m. If you want to be able to play in the NFL it's definitely something you need to be able to do to get yourself ready. You can't just relax.
On the best pass rusher he faced: "The best pass rusher I ever faced was (Wisconsin's O'Brien) Schofield. He is a real big speed guy. He is lighter but his inside moves were really crisp. Just being able to have that speed and have that counter speed is really beneficial to him."
On the teams he has talked with: "I talked to the Jaguars, the Bills and the Colts. I also talked to the Dolphins, talked to the Falcons, talked to the Raiders, talked to the Chargers, and I have many more interviews tonight."
On what he has seen on the field in 41 straight starts at left tackle: "Pretty much (seen everything). I haven't seen a lot of 3-4 defenses, but I've been able to see a whole bunch of different things and basically I'll be preparing myself for those type of defenses once I play in the NFL."

On his back injury in 2008: "I did have a spine injury, but right now that's not even a problem for me. I used to have to wear a brace, but I was still able to play every game. In 2009, I didn't have to wear a brace at all. I haven't had any problems. I am not limited in any type of activity."
On how painful the injury was: "I don't know if anybody has ever had lower back pain, but when you have a fracture back there -- I mean I couldn't put on my own socks. It was hard putting on my own shoes. Just being able to rehab and do what I needed to do to get back on the field for my team was good enough for me."
On his performance at the East-West Shrine Game: "I just wanted to play. You've always got to fight for what you want in life, and in the East-West game I really wanted to play against competition I never would've faced in the Big Ten. I was able to do that, I played well, but it wasn't really a confidence boost because you always have to have confidence in yourself. I really just enjoyed the time that I had down there, and just the experience of learning from the SEC and ACC guys was an experience I had never received.
On playing at Indiana: "I had different experiences. It was really great down there. Playing for Coach (Terry) Hoeppner, being one of his last recruiting classes of his life, that's something that you can be truly proud of. And just being able to go out there and play your hardest for somebody like him and his wife (Jane), that was very big for me. It was a very emotional ride for me, but I have no regrets."
On seeing Coach Bobby Johnson: "It's always good seeing your coach down there. Of course when you get it in there for the interview and he's looking at you, you kind of want to look around at everybody. It was very good talking to him. It really made me feel more comfortable out here, especially with me being the only Indiana offensive lineman down here.
On having Coach Johnson in the NFL: "It can go either way. It could be good because anybody could just go ahead and glorify you, but somebody that knows your weaknesses can make you better on the road to being a part of the NFL. And also just being able to work harder knowing that he knows that you have those weaknesses. Just being able to be aware that he knows your weaknesses, to be able to work a lot harder."
On Coach Johnson's influence on him: "He helped me a lot on the field, but he also helped me off the field. You have to be responsible when you're out there by yourself. I've had a lot of talks with him when it was just he and I talking about life. He's been able to help me be a better man myself, and ultimately that helps you on the field. My character definitely changed my freshman year being able to be that loyal guy that was able to help your teammates. Because I was more accountable, I ended up taking more responsibility while I was playing. I continued to work on that through this summer and just being accountable helped me throughout my whole career."
On if the Combine has been what he envisioned: "Not yet. I haven't done any of the running or the benching or anything like that. All the things that we're doing now are definitely expected because I know they have to take every precaution available to them in order to make the right decision. Right now we are dealing with more than medical things. But when it comes down to the running and the benching I know I'm going to be prepared."
On the biggest thing he needs to do at the Combine: "Basically I need to show everybody that I'm here to take advantage of my opportunity. I'm not going to be somebody that just sits in the background to watch people run the 40... I'm going to go out here and I'm going to take it. I can't sit back and watch anybody. I have to make sure that I can focus on myself and just go out there and show everybody what an Indiana football player is all about."
Special thanks to Inside Indiana editor-in-chief Ken Bikoff for providing the transcription.

Teams Looking at Saffold

Posted by: John CRIST, BEAR REPORT at 02/25/2010 02:03 PM ET
Seven Teams Interested in Saffold
Another four-year starter at left tackle, like LSU's Ciron Black, Indiana's Rodger Saffold has the kind of experience NFL scouts are looking for during the draft process. While with the Hoosiers, Saffold said that Wisconsin's O'Brien Schofield was the best pass rusher he faced, although Schofield's stock was sent tumbling after he tore his ACL during preparations for the Senior Bowl. Saffold mentioned several teams that appear to be hot on his trail: JAC, BUF, IND, MIA, ATL, OAK and SD.

Other updates from the combine blog

Hoosiers Ready for Combine

Per iuhoosiers.com

Feb. 24, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Left tackle Rodger Saffold, safety Nick Polk and defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton will arrive at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis this week. The Combine begins today and runs through Tuesday, March 2. Coverage begins on the NFL Network Thursday and workouts will air live starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday-Tuesday.
Saffold and the offensive lineman register today and work out on Saturday along with place-kickers, specialists and tight ends. Kirlew and Middleton arrive on Friday and work out on Monday with the defensive linemen and linebackers. Polk gets his opportunity to work out on Tuesday with the rest of the defensive backs, and he heads to Indianapolis on Saturday.
Last year, Andrew Means participated in the Combine. In 2008, New Orleans Saints cornerback and Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter, Buffalo Bills wide receiver James Hardy and long snapper Tim Bugg worked out in Indianapolis

Texas out of talks

From the ESPN big ten blog:

Dodds said Texas would be a natural target for any league because of the school's strong academics, athletics and the power to draw a large television audience. But Texas and the Big 12 are good for each other, Dodds said, adding "It's working. I like it." ...
"We're always going to be looked at. I don't think that's a bad thing. That's a good thing," Dodds said.
He said there have been no talks between Texas and the Big Ten. He said the Big 12 has been a good fit for the Longhorns since the conference started in 1996 with the members of the old Big Eight and four members of the old Southwest Conference.

3 new videos

Youtube is having trouble letting me upload some videos so here are 3 new videos that I encourage you to watch.

2 interviews with Tracy Porter that are pretty good on espn in case you missed them. The more publicity the better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4OSBQ5PORs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdEGoWQ-VBA&feature=related

This next video is some footage of the east-west shrine game practice. There are some great shots of Rodger Saffold in this one. He looks very good in the tape. Look for #76 with the IU logo on the helmet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqGuDcgbMJ4

More fans than you think

Historically, IU isn't known for their extremely large fan base. Most Saturday's in Bloomington aren't sold out with 50,000+ screaming fans in the stadium. However, I am noticing an increase in the interest in the football program as of late. It started after the bowl game which got the current fans excited and let us recruit more talented players. I feel like there are tons of hoosier football fans who are just waiting around for the football teams play to pick up slightly before they crawl out of their hiding places. Even after a 4-8 season this year, there were certain times where I saw a much larger interest from the students than in previous years. After almost upsetting the wolverines on the road many more people were getting excited about the potential for the hoosiers and started to realize than we are a few steps away from becomig a consistant winning program. If we can get back to a bowl game next season and continue to improve the program, I think you can expect a lot of hoosier fans to come out of hiding and start showing their true colors. I strongly believe there are a ton of hoosier football fans out there who are just waiting a bit until the team gets a few more wins. If we win then they will follow.

Do the mouthguards matter?

ESPN.com talked with Tracy Porter about his mouth guard. Here is what they had to say about it. Link

"When New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV, you probably didn't think his mouthguard played much of a role in that game-changing play, much less a major role, did you? Neither did we and, apparently, we were ill-informed.

The Super Bowl hero came to Bristol to educate us on the almost-impossible-to-believe benefits of PPM mouthguards and how they elevate your game to a championship level. According to their website, PPM mouthguards are designed to help "properly align and relax muscles in the face," which in turn results in improved balance, speed (!) and strength (!!) on the playing field. We know what you're thinking and, believe us, we felt the same way ... until we had the chance to witness the awesome power of this majestic mouthpiece for ourselves.

Our Senior Correspondent for Physio-Dental Coordination, Steve Braband, caught up with Tracy and had a chance to borrow his performance-enhancing mouthguard for the day. The results speak for themselves ..."

Saffold a 1st Day Pick?

Wow has Rodger Saffold's stock risen. Before the East-West Shrine game most people thought of him as a late round pick in the NFL draft. Here is the most recent blurb about him from sportingnews.com.

"Saffold was surprisingly one of the biggest risers of all-star-game season. He came to the East-West Shrine Game viewed as a late-round prospect by most NFL teams, but after shining all week in Orlando, many were talking about him being a third-round pick, at worst. Then, when NFL teams spent a week watching Senior Bowl practice, they suggested Saffold would have been the best offensive tackle there if he had been invited. As a result, Saffold has been mentioned as a possible second-round consideration. If he performs well at the Combine, he could not only lock up a spot in the second round, but also become a late first-rounder, because offensive tackles with exceptional athleticism and natural strength have been rare in recent drafts."

A pick on day 1 could be some good attention to the hoosiers. There will most likely be a handful of hoosiers picked in the other days of the draft.

IU has 3rd largest attendance increase in nation

According to Adam Rittenberg's blog on espn:

"Indiana had the third-largest one-year percentage increase in average attendance, increasing by 10,051 to 41,833. New athletics director Fred Glass deserves a ton of credit for the surge, especially since the team stumbled to 4-8. Indiana was the only Big Ten team to rank among the top 30 of Division I in one-year percentage increase."

"The Big Ten ranked second nationally among FBS conferences in average attendance (71,769), according to the official numbers released Monday. Although the league set a single-season attendance record (5,526,237), increased its average by 1,644 fans in a year where overall college football attendance slightly declined, it wasn't enough to catch the SEC (76,288 average). Michigan led the nation in both total attendance (871,464) and average home attendance (108,933), followed by Penn State (856,066 total; 107,008 average). Ohio State ranked third in average attendance (105,261) and fourth in total attendance (736,830) despite playing one fewer home game than the top three teams (Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee)."

"Northwestern's attendance struggles are well documented, but the totals for the last two years are pretty discouraging, especially since the team won 17 games. Washington State (22,509) is the only FBS program to average fewer fans than Northwestern (24,190). Jim Phillips is one of the best athletics directors around, but his toughest challenge remains boosting the home gate."

Here are the national attendance rankings for each Big Ten squad:
Michigan: 1st (108,933 average)
Penn State: 2nd (107,008)
Ohio State: 3rd (105,261)
Wisconsin: 15th (80,109)
Michigan State: 18th (74,741)
Iowa: 21st (70,214)
Illinois: 29th (59,545)
Minnesota: 42nd (50,805)
Purdue: 44th (50,457)
Indiana: 56th (41,833)
Northwestern: 83rd (24,190)

However when looking at the percentage of the stadium being filled IU finishes above both Northwestern and Purdue.

The Ultimate Spring Game Experience

How would you like to have the VIP treatment at IU's spring game this year? Right now you can go online and bid for this ultimate experience. The winning bidder will get 4 sideline passes for the Spring Football Game, 4 IU polos, a private tour of the North Endzone Facility, and the chance to call a play during the Spring Game. The Football Spring Game will be played on April 17th at 6pm at Memorial Stadium.

Click here to see the most recent bids

Early look at 2011 Prospects

It is still early but I wanted to give everyone some names that IU is going after for the 2011 class. Looking at IU historically, most of their commitments occur over the summer when they can bring kids they like onto campus and evaluate them while they are here. Most kids like to commit somewhere before their senior season starts and this is why a majority of our class will be formed during the summer months.
Here is an early list of some players IU has offered scholarships.

5 stars

Lawrence Thomas (Renaissance HS) Detroit, MI- is seems like a long shot because he is the #1 rated MLB according to scout.com but one of his teammates (Ishmael Thomas) will be a freshman at IU next year. He is 6'4 and 230 lbs with offers from Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama and a ton of other schools. He is listed as expressing medium interest in IU.

4 stars

Ryan Kelly (Lakota West HS) West Chester, OH- he is the #1 rated center according to scout.com. He is 6'5 270 lbs and has offers from Cincinnatti and Louisville. He is listed as expressing medium interest in IU.

Jordan Walsh (Glenbard West HS)Glen Ellyn, IL- number 2 rated offensive guard according to scout.com. He is listed at 6'4 270 lbs. He has other offers from Arizona, Illinois, Purdue among others. He has expressed medium interest in IU.

Ray Hamilton (Strongsville HS)Strongsville, OH- a 6'5 230 lbs tight end. He is expressing medium interest in IU and has offers from Cal, Boston College, Pittsburgh among others.

Kiaro Holts (Warren Central HS)Indianapolis, IN- 6'5 260 lb offensive tackle from Indianapolis. Warren Central has provided IU with many players in the past. He is expressing medium interest in IU and has offers from Cinci, MSU, and Kentucky among others.

Kris Harley (Warren Central HS)Indianapolis, IN- 6'2 260 lb defensive tackle also from Warren Central. He is expressing medium interest in IU and has offers from Iowa, Oklahoma and USC among many others.

The list is extremely long and will look very different as kids commit places and announce which schools make their final cut. You can see an early list of who we have offered and are targeting here. Coach Lynch has done a good job of upgrading the overall talent level in the program and should expect a similar class this year as we have the last couple of years.

Big Ten hires firm to look into expansion

According to Adam Rittenberg and the big ten blog on espn.com, the big ten conference has hired a firm to look into expanding the big ten. The report included 15 teams and Texas did not make the list.
"They basically broke down what they would bring to the table," Alvarez said. "They talked about academics. They talked about size. They talked about size of their arenas. They talked about attendance. They talked about the populace in that specific area."

I know many fans think that adding Notre Dame would be very intriguing into the conference and create many more rivalry games but it doesn't look like it will happen.
"My read is that Notre Dame wants to be a national school, and they want to play a national [football] schedule," said Alvarez, an assistant with the Irish before taking over the Wisconsin football program in 1990. "And unless you've been there and seen the magnitude of their fan base and the interest nationally, it is hard to understand."

The big ten hasn't ruled out multiple additions if the move makes sense.
Here is the link to Rittenberg's article in his blog. Link

Is this Finch's Year to Shine?

Coming out of high school Jerimy Finch was the #1 rated player in the state of Indiana. He originally committed to the University of Michigan, switched his commitment to Indiana and then at the last minute signed with Florida on signing day. It has been an interesting road for him to say the least. At Florida he played outside linebacker (did not start) for the first few games and while returning his first career interception against Tennessee he broke his leg and was out for the year. After the season he transferred to IU and his waiver from the NCAA was granted so he did not have to sit out a year after the transfer.

Jerimy came in with pretty high expectations. A former 4 star recruit and the top player in Indiana, most people thought he would bolster the secondary immediately. In his first season with the hoosiers he mostly played special teams while backing up Nick Polk and Austin Thomas at safety. Not 100% recovered from his injury though, he had to get off season surgery after his sophomore season. Going into his junior year he was supposed to be 100% healthy. He had shown some flashes of his athleticism on special teams by blocking a few kicks but it was tough to get onto the field at safety with the experience that was already there. Since Finch had played outside linebacker at Florida he had to learn the safety position at the college level for the first time.

After a somewhat disappointing two years so far at Indiana, Jerimy now has a chance to shine. Both Polk and Thomas will be graduating and the safety position will be up for grabs. If you have been browsing various online message boards it has been said that Jerimy is doing a much better job grasping the defensive playbook this off season and he has been working very hard. Finch has very good size for the position and has been known to be able to deliver the big hit. Could this be the year that he breaks out and shows everybody what he is capable of? Or will this be an unfortunate quiet year to end his college career? What are your thoughts?

NFL Combine Schedule

24th-27th
Day 1 Arrivals*: Grp 1(PK, ST, OL), Grp 2(OL), Grp 3(TE)
Wednesday
Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Thursday
Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Friday
NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, *PK/ST Workout*, Interviews
Saturday
Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

25th-28th
Day 2 Arrivals*: Grp 4(QB, WO), Grp 5(QB, WO), Grp 6(RB)
Thursday
Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Friday
Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Saturday
NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, Interviews
Sunday
Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

26th-1st
Day 3 Arrivals: Grp 7(DL), Grp 8(DL), Grp 9(LB)
Friday
Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Saturday
Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Sunday
NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, Interviews
Monday
Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

27th-2nd
Day 4 Arrivals: Grp 10(DB), Grp 11(DB)
Saturday
Travel, Registration, Pre-exam & X-ray, Orientation, Interviews
Sunday
Measurements, Exams, Media, Psych Tests, Interviews
Monday
NFLPA Meeting, Psych Tests, Interviews
Tuesday
Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure

Winter Conditioning Update

The hoosier scoop has some updates on winter conditioning. They were there after a 6 a.m. workout with some updates. Here is also a link to a twitter video of Coach Lynch talking about conditioning and the offseason so far. Link

Here are some notes from hoosier scoop about the offseason.

- LG Justin Pagan will be out most of the spring as he gets ankle surgery tomorrow.
-Shane Covington who had been moved to safety last year will be moving back to the running back position.
-No leaders have yet emerged for the offensive line coaching position but Coach Lynch will most likely fill the void by spring.
-Lynch has been pretty pleased with the JUCO players Lenyatta Kiles and Jeff Thomas so far during workouts.
Link

Tracy Porter on Mike and Mike in the morning

Link
A good interview with Porter about shifting up coverages and breaking down what happened during the Super Bowl. Tracy has brought an extreme amount of positive attention to the hoosier program in the last couple of weeks.

Kirlew Rated #20 in Big Ten

Adam Rittenberg, the writer of espn's big ten blog, has ranked Jammie Kirlew as the #20 best player in the big ten. Link Here is his explanation.

Why he's here: Kirlew might be the most anonymous back-to-back all-conference selection in the country. Sure, he plays for Indiana, which isn't known for its defense, but few defensive linemen in the country have been more productive since the start of the 2008 season. Kirlew finished seventh in the Big Ten in both sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (15.5) after ranking second and third in the league in 2008. He also finished second in the league in both forced fumbles (5) and fumbles recovered (3) this season. He was a consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection after earning first-team all-league honors from the media in 2008. After appearing in 48 career games and starting 41, Kirlew wound up with 220 career tackles, including 52.5 for loss and 23 sacks, to go along with nine forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. The productive linemen should have a future in the NFL and most likely will be drafted in the later rounds in April.

He hasn't ranked all of them players yet but here is the rundown so far.
No. 30: Michigan State WR Blair White
No. 29: Northwestern DE Corey Wootton
No. 28: Wisconsin TE Garrett Graham
No. 27: Ohio State LG Justin Boren
No. 26: Iowa S Tyler Sash
No. 25: Northwestern QB Mike Kafka
No. 24: Penn State C Stefen Wisniewski
No. 23: Michigan CB Donovan Warren
No. 22: Northwestern CB Sherrick McManis
No. 21: Ohio State DE Thaddeus Gibson

NFL Draft Q&A with Rodger Saffold

I found a great Q&A with Rodger Saffold on the SD Bold Report. Here are pieces of the interview.

CS: During your time at the Shrine game, I’m sure you met with a number of teams. What teams did you meet with and were there teams that showed more interest in you than others?

Saffold: "I basically talked with every team; they want to get your information, see what you can do on the field and critique you from those standpoints. The teams that showed the most interest in me were the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. There were a bunch of other teams I spoke with; it was just a pleasure to talk with every team, because they tell you what you should work on. It wasn’t a situation where they’re telling me, ‘Oh, man we love you so much.’ It was more like, ‘Hey, what can you do for us?’ And that’s something that you really have to think about and give them your answer on the spot; you have to be truthful. I’m an outgoing person, so I was able to do that easily. I told them who I was and they were very cordial to me as well."

CS: In those conversations with the teams, what did they say that you had to work on specifically and what aspects of your game do they like already?

Saffold: "They like my athleticism; that I can move my feet, as well as recover. Of course they want me to continue to try and finish every block, which they want to see from every lineman. Finishing blocks is something you always have to work on. Also, they want to see better hand placement, not just from me, but from everyone, especially in the passing game. They want you in the right position at all times, that’s always critical, and they want you to be mentally prepared for the task at hand. Overall, the conversations were basic, but I expect a much deeper evaluation at the [Scouting] Combine."

CS: Speaking of the draft board, have any scouts mentioned to you where you may be on their boards at this time?

Saffold: "I’ve gotten mixed reviews; some has been from scouts, as well as guys like yourself. There are things all over the media about me being a second, third or even a fourth round pick. I’ve even heard that I could go in the late first round. It doesn’t really matter to me where I go in the draft, obviously I’d like to go as high as possible to be able to support my family, but I just want to play."

CS: As you continue to train, and with the Combine approaching, what are you specifically working on to showcase your skills?

Saffold: "I’m working on my technique and trying to improve all of my times. I want to continue to show that my athleticism can really save me in bad situations, and it allows me to recover from any type of move that’s laid in front of me. I want to continue to prove that I can make adjustments and that I know the person I’m going against so I can set myself up better in games. And, show that I can perform under pressure, because it’s overwhelming pressure at the Combine."

What’s a quote that you live by: "Hard work always beats talent, so I continue to work hard no matter how much talent I have."
What’s your most prized possession: "My Insight Bowl ring"
If you could trade places for one day with someone who would it be: "That's easy, the kicker on the hottest practice of the summer."

2010 Spring Game

The Indiana football program will hold its annual Cream & Crimson Spring Game on Saturday, April 17. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. IU opens spring practice on Tuesday, March 23.

Link

Statistical Approach to Calculate 2010 Record

Using MJE's post on the rivals.com boards as a guide, I used Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the amount of wins we will get next year. Here are the results. I am having trouble posting up the charts from excel but for now he is what it looks like. I will post up the charts when I can.

Wins: Probability:

0: 0%

1: 0%

2: .5%

3: 2.9%

4: 10.5%

5: 21.6%

6: 27.1%

7: 22.1%

8: 11.2%

9: 3.5%

10: .7%

11: 0%

12: 0%

OL Coach to Buffalo Bills

According to the Hoosier Scoop, writer Tom Dienhart (Rivals/Yahoo writer) said on his Twitter account that an Indiana source told him Hoosiers offensive line coach Bobby Johnson is leaving to take a job as the assistant offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills. I will let you know when their is confirmation.

Link

***Update***

Hoosierhype has confirmed Bobby Johnson will be joining the Bills staff to become the assistant offensive line coach.

Big Ten Expansion

There have been a lot of rumors swirling around the last few months when the big ten announced they would look into expanding the conference. By adding a 12th team the big ten will be able to have a big ten championship game. This benefits the league with higher revenues and more national exposure. Many big ten coaches have felt that they were at a disadvantage when their season ends much earlier than other teams playing in bowl games. Many schools have surfaced to be a good fit or possibilities to join the big ten. Some of the mention names have been Missouri, Pittsburgh, Rutgers to name a few. The most recent name to surface has been the University of Texas. Geographically, most people would be scratching their head with this pick, but according to this source, the big ten has opened discussions with the university into joining the big ten. 

Here are some highlights from the article. 

“There have been preliminary exchanges between the Big Ten and Texas,” the source told the Journal-World on Wednesday. “People will deny that, but it’s accurate.”

-Travel costs, in terms of money and fatigue, make Texas seem on the surface like a stretch, but TV revenue would more than make up for the fatigue factor.

-Getting TV sets in the massive state of Texas tuned to the Big Ten Network would qualify as a home run for the Big Ten.

-Geographic concerns don’t carry the weight they once did because TV revenues have grown so much, and this wouldn’t be the first time Texas has considered such an odd geographic match. Before joining the Big Eight with three other schools from Texas, the Longhorns looked into joining the Pac-10.

“No one seems to recognize the genius of this suggestion, which may be evidence of its genius,” DeCourcey wrote. “Everyone else seems to be thinking small and boring, but as I suggested not long after the Big Ten Network was conceived, Texas is the one program that could dramatically expand the money-making power of the league's cable operation.”

SidelineScouting.net take on Matt Mayberry

Matt Mayberry - Indiana (HT: 6'2" WT: 237) Projection: 4th Round

Strengths:-Character guy, good work ethic-Natural leader on and off the field-Good in zone coverage (three interceptions in 2009)-Takes advantage of opportunities to get to the quarterback-Very productive in 2009 (108 tackles)-Great speed (4.49- 40) Weaknesses:-Could stand to put on some weight-May work out slower than clocked 4.49-Needs to develop more block-shedding moves

Weaknesses:-Could stand to put on some weight-May work out slower than clocked 4.49-Needs to develop more block-shedding moves

To see the rest of the inside linebackers view it here

Porter on Dan Patrick Show

Tracy Porter was on the Dan Patrick show this morning discussing his INT. You can listen to it and read the summary here.

Polk's Performance Texas vs Nation

The Texas vs The Nation game was played last Saturday. It has been very difficult to find stats but I finally tracked some down. Nick Polk played for The Nation squad which lost the game 36-17. Polk 3 tackles while 1 of them being solo. He also registered .5 tackles for loss which resulted in a 2 yard loss. He also had a pass deflection that saved a touchdown. Jammie Kirlew

didn't end up playing. An injury could've been the reason.

Tracy Porter's Haircut

If you watched the Superbowl yesterday you would've noticed how much love Tracy Porter got. It wasn't the 74 INT for a TD that he was only being talked about for but a lot of it was due to his haircut. Many local newspapers have written about it this morning and it even made it into the New York Times. In case you missed it, here is a breakdown of exactly what Porter had done to his hair according to the New York Times.

"On the left side of his almost-shaved head his remaining hair said “SB 44” in honor of Super Bowl XLIV. On the right side of his head was the outline of the Lombardi Trophy, which Porter’s New Orleans Saints won Sunday night with a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. And on the back of his skull, his remaining hair was shaped into the outline of the Superdome, the home stadium of the Saints and the refuge for suffering residents ousted from their homes in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."

"He said that he paid his barber $40 and an undisclosed tip at the team hotel in the afternoon and that it took so long to do it, Porter briefly worried that he would be late for the team bus."

If you would like the Tracy Porter haircut you must contact his barber back in New Orleans named Reggie.

Link

NFL Combine

The official list has been made. Like I wrote on here before, it looks like Jammie Kirlew, Greg Middleton, Nick Polk, and Rodger Saffold will be representing the hoosiers. It surprises me not to see Mayberry's name on the list. He will have to take advantage of IU's pro day if he wants to get drafted.

Link

IU Football Update

Ken Bikoff's take on the 2010 football recruiting class and an look ahead to the 2010 season.

Photo Gallery from Signing Day

http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/view.gal?id=62746

2010 Texas vs the Nation - Nation WR's vs DB's

Just like the video below, Polk is wearing #8 with his IU helmet. About the same amount of clips in the other video. This one is from Monday's practice.

2010 Texas vs Nation - Nation WR vs DB - Wednesday

Here is some practice footage from the Texas vs The Nation game. Nick Polk is wearing #8 and has his IU helmet on. He has 4 clips including the last one of the video.

Fan Survey

The athletic department would like to hear from you on the 2009 game day experience at Memorial Stadium. Follow the link to fill out the short survey.

Highlights of the 2010 Commits

Here are 5 highlights of each and every member of the 2010 class. It is a little over 28 minutes and compliments to iuhoosiers.com

Offensive Commits Ranking

Every recruiting service has disparities between where player and team rankings are. After looking at a bunch of them and watching film on each player here is where I would rank our offensive commits.

QB:

Kofi Hughes- Considering he was the only QB in the class he gets my vote for best QB in the class. He was the Gatorade player of the year in the state of Indiana. His passing yards and rushing yards were almost identical this past season. He is a very explosive player when he is in the open field. Coach Lynch will start out by giving Kofi the option of playing where he wants to play but I would love to see him end up at the receiver position. He could also get some time in the "wildcat" sometime in the future.

RB:

Matt Perez- his numbers senior year were incredible. I watched the state championship game as he ran for 316 yards and 5 touchdowns. Maine South did not lose a game the last two years and finished ranked 5th in the nation. Perez played through a lot of bumps and bruises during the game and showed he had great toughness. He listed at 5'11 and 200 lbs. He has some pretty good speed and is a bruiser, usually fighting through an extra few tackles before he gets taken down. He is good enough to switch positions to either safety or linebacker but I believe he will be starting at running back until further notice. He was also listed by Parade magazine as an All-American and finished his career with 5,170 yards and 68 touchdowns.

Antonio Banks- he is listed at 5'10 and 210 lbs. Like Perez he is also a physical back. Antonio has good break away speed. The big thing that will help him is the fact that he graduated early and is already on campus. Going through winter conditioning and spring practice will help him get adjusted quicker to the college game and he will most likely put on a good amount of muscle through IU's workout regime. The running back position is going to get a little crowded because we already have Darius Willis, Nick Turner, Trea Burgess, Zach Davis-Walker and the newcomers from the 2010 class. Don't expect an immediate contribution from our running backs in the 2010 class but we got some good ones. He seems like a very determined kid to become the best running back he can.

Xavier Whitaker- I don't mean to knock Xavier here listing him as the 3rd best running back in the class but to his defense he unfortunately suffered a season ending ACL injury on the first play of the second game. He is 6'2 and 195 lbs. There is a possibility that he could move to the defensive side of the ball to safety. This is what happened to Shane Covington a few years ago as well. He definitely has the body type to do it. Even know he didn't get to play much his senior season he was still ranked as the 13th best prospect in the state of Wisconsin. In his junior year he ran for 872 yards on 116 carries (7.5 average) and 12 touchdowns. I believe the other running back on his team is a University of Wisconsin commit.

WR:

Tim O'Connor- both our wide receiver commits are very good and it is almost a toss up to say who is better. They are so similar in measurables (6'4 and 190 lbs) and body type. O'Connor had a wrist injury that prevented him from playing in 4 games. Finished his senior season with 42 catches for 635 yards and 9 touchdowns. In the 2008 state championship game he had 15 catches for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns. Elder high school was ranked as high as 3rd nationally this past season.

Logan Young- like I said just above he is so similar to Tim O'Connor. You can't really say one is much better than the other. They both run 4.5 40 yard dash times as well. Logan was named the 2009 Mr. Football at wide receiver in the state of Indiana. He can go up and get jump balls pretty well. Both him and O'Connor have good hands. His 3,110 career receiving yards ranks fifth all time in Indiana. He now is the all time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns for Delta high school. He is rated the 11th best prospect in the state of Indiana and was selected as an all-state player.

OL:

Cody Evers- he already has good size coming in at 6'4 and 315 lbs. He is going to start out at guard and is surprising quick for a guy his size. He also played on the defensive side during high school and can move his feet for a big guy. He's a little underrated, probably because not many people make it up to Little Chute, Wisconsin. Because of his size he could find the field sooner rather than later in his career. He is a mauler and was selected to play in the All-Star Shrine Bowl this July.

Bill Ivan- similar to Cody, Bill came from an area where not many college scouts go. He is probably more of a tackle where as Cody will probably play guard. Right now he is on the smaller side at 250 lbs and 6'4. He is the first division 1 player to come from his high school in the past 21 years. He has good feet and has played high school basketball, baseball, and track. Will need to put on some weight but after a redshirt season he will probably fit right in.

TE:

Paul Phillips- him and Leneil are both very good and I can't really say one is much better than the other. Paul is a little bit leaner being 225 lbs and 6'5. He had an offer from Syracuse and Richmond outside of IU's. He is going to be more of a receiving tight end and as the athletic ability running in his family. He has two brothers who play at Virginia and Stanford.

Leneil Himes- he is listed at 6'3 and 245 lbs. Plymouth high school didn't throw the ball a lot so Leneil's numbers aren't as good as they should be. He still leaves them as the all time leading receiver. He was the 2009 Mr. Indiana football for tight-ends. If tight end doesn't work out he also has the body type to play defensive end.

Former Hoosier lands at Ohio U

Former hoosier defensive end Kyle Kozak is now apart of Ohio University's football team, per Ohio U's football page. We wish him the best of luck as a bobcat.

Football Signing Day 2010

I'm glad hoosierhype posted the video up on youtube. There is also a video on iuhoosiers.com.

Hoosier Commit Leneil Himes on Signing Day

I found 3 good videos on TE commit Leneil Himes from yesterday. Here is the link. The videos are listed right before the article and will appear in the media player on the right hand side after you click them. Leneil is just the 2nd player in Plymouth High School's history to play in the big ten on a division 1 scholarship (1st for football, other was Scott Skiles for basketball). Leneil was the 2009 Indiana Mr. Football at the tight end position and led his team to a 9-1 record in his senior season. He was the 15th best rated prospect in the state of Indiana and left Plymouth high school as the school's all-time leading receiver, holds the school record for longest touchdown (99 yards) and most interception TD returns (5).

Are you ready for some swag? Andre Kates is ready to bring it

Andre Kates interviews and comments can only get IU fans excited for the 2010 season. In this mornings Indy Star, Terry Hutchens, wrote a great article about Andre and signing day in general. Here are some quotes that I thought were pretty important. Here is the link.

The 22-year-old defensive back chose IU from 14 Division I offers, including Illinois and Minnesota in the Big Ten. He also had offers from schools such as Clemson, BYU, UCLA, Oklahoma State, Washington State and Oregon State.

"I wasn't looking around for a school to beat Indiana out, because if you look at my offer list, I had a lot of schools that could have easily beat them out," said Kates, a 5-11 cornerback from Washington, D.C. "But I wanted to go to a school where I could help make a change. I felt like Indiana was that place. I want to help get the fans excited to see IU football again.
"And I'm not going to Indiana looking to win five or six games in a season. I'm going to Indiana to help lead them to a Big Ten championship."
Kates said he called Lynch as soon as he reached his school Wednesday.
"I asked, 'Are you ready for me to bring some swag to IU?' " Kates said. "And he said, 'Bring it on.' "

Big Ten Network breaks down Hoosiers recruiting class

Coach Lynch Press Conference Transcript

I'm not going to post the whole thing but here is the link. Here are some of the statements he made which come from iuhoosiers.com

"It is obviously a big day for us as a football program, and it is a culmination of a lot of work. Those of you who cover it so closely understand that so much of the work is done a year ago. My wife came home last night and said, `What are you doing?' I was writing recruiting notes for the 2011 class, so you are always working a year ahead. This class was one without any surprises, which is good. We really like the group. It is a bigger group than we've had with 25 new guys, and we signed 21 today because four of them are already here.
On how well needs were addressed:
"I think pretty well in the sense that we got six DBs, and we lost five defensive backs, so we are good at DB. We felt like we needed two guys that were a little bit older so we got the two junior-college corners. We felt fortunate there and the same thing at linebacker losing a lot of linebackers and we have several of them coming in. I thought that was important.
"We had taken four offensive linemen the year before so we weren't as concerned with that, plus Marlandez Harris and Pete Bachman both played offensive line so if it didn't work out at defensive line, they could come over and play offensive line.
"I get myself concerned with making sure we have enough bigs. A big guy is a tackle-to-tackle on offense or a defensive tackle on defense. A defensive end can be a guy that fits a linebacker or tight end, that kind of thing. It's important to me to make sure we have the right kind of guys in the program and then we'll find the right spots.
"We lost a couple of running backs and so we needed some there. We took two quarterbacks a year ago, so Kofi Hughes was perfect for what we were looking for, a guy that can play quarterback but is also an athletic guy that can do some other things. We've got some good young wideouts but we wanted to replenish it so [Logan] Young and [Tim] O'Conner fit that. We lost two tight ends in [Troy] Wagner and [Brian] Zematis who were bigger kids so [Paul] Phillips certainly helps there and [LeNeil] Himes can be a big tight end or a receiving tight end. From that standpoint, I think we did very well."

On position changes:
"We have talked to some of them. Mitchell Evans is going to go over to defense. He won't practice in the spring because he had some surgery, but he started for us as a freshman. We're going to try Matt Ernest at corner. He's a really good athlete, a physical guy, a quick guy who really played good on special teams late in the year. Now, that's the beauty of the spring because if it doesn't work, he'll just go back and play receiver. Plus, he is going to pitch [for the baseball team] in the spring so he's going to have a busy spring. But that's the beauty of a guy who's in his third year in school, he can handle all of that. It would be overwhelming to these young guys but for Matt its just like, `Let's go.' And he played it in high school. Those are probably the two main guys from a defensive standpoint that would jump out at you. There may be a few other things that we are still debating as a staff."

On emphasizing recruiting in the state of Ohio:
"Ohio is a good football state and it is a big state. If we have 300 high schools playing football in the state of Indiana, they probably have 800. So, it is just a numbers game. Ohio has been good for us because our three lead recruiters over there, Bobby Johnson, Brian George and Mike Yeager, all played high school football in Ohio, all played college football in Ohio and all coached college football in Ohio, so we've got a pretty good go there.
"We've got guys in the right geographical areas. We've got those three guys that all have done that and they are all in the areas where they grew up. Bobby grew up in Akron, he is in northeast Ohio. Brian grew up in central Ohio, he is in central Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Yeager grew up in Cincinnati, he is in Cincinnati. It is like here in the state, Billy Lynch and Kyle Conner played high school football, college football and have coached in the state, so they have Indiana. George Ricumstric is from Michigan and played high school football and college football. He has done a great job in Michigan over the last several years. Matt Canada recruited Wisconsin for years while he was at Northern Illinois, so we try to put guys in the areas where they know high school coaches and have connections.
"But, I don't think it is coincidence, because we're going to recruit Ohio hard, but we don't have a quota that this is how many we're going to take out of each state. We didn't take as many out of Indiana as we normally do or would like to. Every year it is a little bit different."

Good Article on DB Commit Drew Hardin

Good article from Jody Demling of the Courier Journal:

One of the Division I signees in the state of Kentucky didn't get as much attention during his high school career as some of the other Bluegrass prospects.But now Ballard High School defensive back Drew Hardin is ready to prove those naysayers wrong. The 6-foot, 192-pound Hardin runs a 4.51 40-yard dash and didn't become a household name across the state until his senior season.Now, Hardin is a member of the Indiana University recruiting class."I just kept working hard and improving each year," Hardin said. "I felt like a lot of schools just kind of took me for granted, but Indiana was there for me."Hardin, who is a starter for the Ballard basketball team, was named to the second-team All-State team as a senior for the Bruins.When he arrives in Bloomington, Hardin said Indiana coach Bill Lynch told him there's a chance he can compete for playing time as a freshman."What coach Lynch told me is that he will play freshmen," Hardin said. "He didn't say any names in particular but I want to have a good summer camp and see what happens."They need some younger players to step up and defensive back is a need."

Link

Good Article on OL Commit Cody Evers

From the Courier Journal:

One of the biggest members of the Indiana Hoosiers' recruiting class is Appleton (Wisc.) Little Chute High School offensive lineman Cody Evers.The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Evers was named first-team All-Conference and All-Region on both te offensive and defensive lines and All-State honorable mention on offense.Evers will play offensive guard at Indiana. But the best thing about Evers is that he's not just a 'big guy' but looks at himself as an underrated athlete."For a bigger guy, I move better than people expect," Evers said. "People usually think the bigger guys are not as athletic but I am pretty athletic."Little Chute coach Greg Enz agrees, noting Indiana fans will be surprised."He has an incredible athletic bend to him," Enz said. "There were plays when he was making it to the opposite side. He's built like a hay bail."He's so big and such a block of marble, but he's athletic as can be for a big guy."Evers ranks as one of the top shot put throwers in Wisconsin.

Link

Coach Lynch on the Dan Dakich Show

Coach Lynch was on Dan Dakich's radio show this afternoon after receiving all of the letters of intent. He talked specifically about Matt Perez, Jack Denton and Kofi Hughes as well as discussing what they were looking for in this years recruiting class. His interview is the 4th one from the top.

Link

What you will be getting today

I will post the link and discuss Coach Lynch on the Dan Dakich show this afternoon. Any notes from the press conference along with the transcript from the event. Any videos that I can find of any of the players press conferences and analysis from recruiters. And compliments of John Decker and scout.com here is a picture of Andre Kates decked out in his IU gear.

Player Bio's

Link

I will post some of the players bio's later on the blog but because there are 25 of them I don't want to post of all them. I will be blogging later tonight after the press conference. Happy Signing Day!

Andre Kates

Scout.com's John Decker has said he texted Andre Kates and Andre said he will be coming to IU. He is the highest rated player in our class and will most likely be a starter from day 1. He will instantly bolster our secondary and credit to Coach Lynch and staff for being able to keep him committed. We should all be very excited to have Kates on board.


*In case you didn't know he is also cousins with Clinton Portis

20 LOI's are in

and the only one we have not received yet is Andre Kates. I believe he will be announcing at 11 am according to LemmingDemling. I will keep you posted on any updates. So far there haven't really been any surprises. Every one who was a verbal commit has faxed over their letter of intent. Just waiting on the last one.

Kentucky RB to Decide on Signing Day

One of the top ranked prospects in the state of Kentucky, running back Miles Simpson, will be holding a press conference at 8:30 am tomorrow to announce where he will be headed next season. Simpson, listed at 6' and 195 pounds, will decide between IU, Kentucky, and the University of Illinois. In the past two seasons Simpson has run for over 4500 yards and 72 touchdowns. Both rivals.com and scout.com list Miles as a 3 star recruit. Stay tuned for many updates on signing day. I will be attending Coach Lynch's signing day conference and will have lots of information regarding all of our 2010 commits.

Link

IU Commit PARADE All-American

2010 hoosier running back commit Matt Perez has been named to the PARADE All-American team. Here is the link. Check to see what other players were selected and what schools they will be attending next year.