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The month of January was a hectic, exciting, and potentially program-altering one for Indiana football.
Whether you've been on top of a figurative mountain of wedding planning and work or a literal mountain falling head over heels attempting to ski (both true in my case), you may have missed some major football happenings.
Here is a summary of the events that have unfolded over the past 31 days:
Massive Coaching Shakeup:
The coaching staff has gone through a major shakeup this month. Most notably, on January 10, Coach Wilson announced often criticized defensive coordinator Doug Mallory (along with defensive line coach Jon Fabris) would not be returning.
Ten days later, on January 20, it was officially announced that former Wake Forest DC and Ohio HC Brian Knorr had accepted the challenge of reversing a historically hopeless Hoosier defense. One day later, it was announced that Hoosier alum Larry McDaniel would be taking over the defensive line coaching at Indiana after working the same job at Bowling Green.
That same day, it was officially announced that Indiana offensive coordinator Seth Littrell would be leaving to take the same job at North Carolina. Kevin Johns, who was already extremely involved with the offense as a WR and QB coach, was promptly was promoted to offensive coordinator.
James Patton, whose history has been on the offensive side of the ball, was then assigned as TE and fullbacks coach after serving as recruiting coordinator, special teams coordinator, and defensive line coach in 2013.
Goodbye Old Friends:
Indiana received a big, yet unsurprising, blow on January 7 as star WR Cody Latimer declared for the NFL draft. Coach Wilson also announced on January 15 that several players would be transferring in the interest of playing time. Most notably once starting QB Cameron Coffman and linebacker Jordan Wallace, who was considered a major recruit for the Hoosier's coming out of Indianapolis Warren Central in 2012.
Hello New Friends:
On January 16, Indiana welcomed six mid-year enrollees to campus. All were highly heralded recruits: Dominique Booth chose IU over a host of SEC suitors, Delroy Baker chose IU over his homestate Florida Gators, DeAndre Herron was a one time Louisville commit, Jordan Fuchs was a one time Rutgers commit, Timothy Gardener was a one-time Ohio State commit, and California QB Alexander (Zander) Diamont.
Commitments Pour In:
With National Signing Day just days away, there aren't a lot of spots left for this year's recruiting class thanks to flurry of commitments over the past month. Here's a quick look at the most recent additions:
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Tommy Mister committed to the Hoosiers over offers from Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. A superb athlete, Mister played QB in high school but projects as a RB at Indiana. The staff has been high on him for a while, but they'll have to continue to fight as other school's haven't let his commitment deter them from attempting to sway him their way.
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Tegray Scales was another guy the staff has been after for a while. The number 34 linebacker in the nation, Scales, is the type of difference maker the staff is looking for on the defensive side of the ball. He chose IU over offers from schools including Oklahoma, Louisville, and Wisconsin.
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Waynedriko Smith was the second Rutgers commit to flip to Indiana along with Jordan Fuchs and has good size for a cornerback at 6'0".
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Tony Fields is yet another top defensive target that rewarded the staff for its efforts with a January pledge. The Florida native is ranked as a top 50 safety and had several major offers from schools like Missouri, Ole Miss, and Michigan State.
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Zeke Walker and Sam Boyd. Walker is a safety prospect with great size at 6'2" and Boyd is an absolute beast of a receiver at 6'4" 235 pounds (seemingly the perfect replacement for Latimer). Although both have committed to Indiana, Indiana isn't committed to them...In Walker's case, the staff may be holding out for a higher level player. In Boyd's case, the staff appears to be waiting on academic clearance before accepting his commitment.
Phew.
Happy February Hoosiers.
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