2024 IUFB Class Ranking

[Lebowski 2,442]

Current rankings.

Overall/Conference/Transfer
49/15/8 - 247
65/17/29 - On3
62/16/4 - Rivals

High School (17 total)
QB - Tyler Cherry - Greenwood, IN (12/19/2023)
DB - Jah Jah Boyd - Philadelphia, PA (12/18/2023)
DB - Dontrae Henderson - Charlotte, NC (12/17/2023)
DE - William Depaepe - Moline, IL (12/15/2023)
QB - Alberto Mendoza - Miami, FL (12/11/2023)
DE - Daniel Ndukwe - Lithonia, GA (12/11/2023)
DE - Mario Landino - Emmaus, PA (12/11/2023)
DB - Josh Philostin - West Palm Beach, FL (10/11/2023)
RB - Khobie Martin - Fishers, IN (9/22/2023)
OL - Austin Leibfried - Mount Horeb, WI (7/17/2023)
DB - Quentin Clark - Dublin, GA (6/26/23)
WR - Charlie Becker - Nashville, TN (6/22/23)
DB - Christian Peterson - Carmel, IN (6/6/23)
OL - Adedamola Ajani - Speedway, IN (6/6/23)
OL - Evan Lawrence - Danville, IN (6/5/23)
OL - Mitch Verstegen - Kaukauna, WI (5/2/23)
TE - Brody Kosin - Clarkston, MI (4/29/23)

Transfers (17 total)
RB - Kaelon Black - Virginia Beach, VA from JMU (12/24/2023)
OT - Tyler Stephens - Virginia Beach, VA from JMU (12/24/2023)
DL - James Carpenter - Roanoke, VA from JMU (12/24/2023)
LB - Jailin Walker - Richmond, VA from JMU (12/24/2023)
OT - Nick Kidwell - Boonsboro, MD from JMU (12/24/2023)
TE - Zach Horton - Roanoke, VA from JMU (12/24/2023)
LB - Aiden Fisher - Fredericksburg, VA from JMU (12/24/2023)
K -  Derek McCormick - Port Charlotte, FL from ULM (12/22/2023)
RB - Ty Son Lawton - Staten Island, NY from JMU (12/20/2023)
LS - Mark Langston - Savannah, GA from Georgia Southern (12/20/2023)
DE - Makail Kamara - Ashburn, VA from JMU (12/19/2023)
WR - Myles Price - The Colony, TX from Texas Tech (12/18/2023)
WR - Ke'Shawn Williams - Philadelphia, PA from Wake Forest (12/18/2023)
WR - Miles Cross - Olney, MD from Ohio (12/18/2023)
OT - Trey Wedig - Wales, WI from Wisconsin (12/16/2023)
QB - Kurtis Rourke - Ottawa, ON from Ohio (12/14/2023)
RB - Justice Ellison - Oakton, VA from Wake Forest (12/10/2023)

[Alford Bailey 12,350]

Dead last in the conference in 2/3 rankings. It can only get better from here.

[Lebowski 2,442]

16 hours ago, Alford Bailey said:

Dead last in the conference in 2/3 rankings. It can only get better from here.

The optics don't look good for sure. I personally don't take too much stock into those rankings now that the transfer portal is here. Because by the time these kids step foot on the grid iron in Bloomington there will be transfers added to the class. Keep in mind last year's class due to the transfer portal ended up boosting in rank when it was all said and done. 

[MemphisHoosier 2,048]

19 hours ago, Alford Bailey said:

Dead last in the conference in 2/3 rankings. It can only get better from here.

I try not to get too caught up in the rankings of individual recruits, IMO there is more value in looking at which schools are actively engaged (OV's, Offers, Camps, etc.) on said recruit.  This recruiting cycle has shifted back to the 2010's where the program was primarily battling MAC/CUSA schools - not great.

[OGIUAndy 759]

2 hours ago, MemphisHoosier said:

I try not to get too caught up in the rankings of individual recruits, IMO there is more value in looking at which schools are actively engaged (OV's, Offers, Camps, etc.) on said recruit.  This recruiting cycle has shifted back to the 2010's where the program was primarily battling MAC/CUSA schools - not great.

Yeah, I have noticed that as well. It also seems like the bigger recruits we had been landing leave after a year or two and not necessarily to play at better schools. We'll be able to fill in the gaps with the portal, but it's definitely not a good thing. The one aspect that Allen had been doing seemingly well was recruiting, especially in Florida. That "well" seems to have all but dried up. But I was impressed by the portal pick ups. CTA desperately needs a bounce back year. But I am cautiously optimistic if we can get decent (not detrimental) QB play. My worry is he's going to give the job to Davis regardless if he deserves it or not. The coaches really have to pick the guy who's going to give them the best chance to win regardless of high school rankings or hype. 

[Lebowski 2,442]

2 hours ago, MemphisHoosier said:

I try not to get too caught up in the rankings of individual recruits, IMO there is more value in looking at which schools are actively engaged (OV's, Offers, Camps, etc.) on said recruit.  This recruiting cycle has shifted back to the 2010's where the program was primarily battling MAC/CUSA schools - not great.

Or a shift in recruiting strategy now that NIL and the transfer portal is in the mix? IUFB's 2023 transfer class was in the top 20.

I've said this on here before but this would be my strategy if I were coaching. I'd focus on the portal and try to land recruits that can fill holes. From what it looks like this is the same direction CTA is going. He landed 23 transfers and 14 high school recruits last year. Whether or not it works remains to be seen. But yeah, not getting solid P5 recruits interested to begin with is a cause for concern, for me at least. 

Somewhat related but unrelated, in my opinion, until IU Athletics gets serious about IUFB this will always be an issue. The NIL dollars allocated don't seem to be distributed very high to the program and that makes a difference. I just don't see the Athletic Dept. ever getting serious about the football program based on the program's entire history. It's also cheaper to not focus on the football program. I think the AD is happy to see the program finish .500 or very close to .500. They probably see that as a success. Just like us sorry saps cheering for IUFB, I think the department is exuberant when they have a winning season. It's a shame but wouldn't surprise me.

[DChoosier 7,859]

9 hours ago, MemphisHoosier said:

I try not to get too caught up in the rankings of individual recruits, IMO there is more value in looking at which schools are actively engaged (OV's, Offers, Camps, etc.) on said recruit.  This recruiting cycle has shifted back to the 2010's where the program was primarily battling MAC/CUSA schools - not great.

I agree as I would also look at the recruits other offers and we have reverted to getting some guys with no other power 5 offers. Not exactly a positive trend.

[DChoosier 7,859]

6 hours ago, Lebowski said:

Or a shift in recruiting strategy now that NIL and the transfer portal is in the mix? IUFB's 2023 transfer class was in the top 20.
 

I can’t imagine that this is a shift in recruiting strategy. Surely the staff didn’t decide to ramp up their portal targets while actively focusing on MAC recruits. We need both Power 5 recruits and talented portal players.

[Lebowski 2,442]

13 hours ago, DChoosier said:

I can’t imagine that this is a shift in recruiting strategy. Surely the staff didn’t decide to ramp up their portal targets while actively focusing on MAC recruits. We need both Power 5 recruits and talented portal players.

I don't think they're focusing on MAC recruits per se. I'd imagine they're just not getting any interest from their first options?  I do think however they are ramping up more on the portal than high school recruits. As they should because it makes sense if you think about it. The current portal situation is a perfect storm for schools like IUFB and last year CTA took full advantage of it. I wholeheartedly agree about getting both P5 and upgrades from the portal but IUFB historically just isn't that type of football program, unfortunately. 

[OGIUAndy 759]

2 hours ago, Lebowski said:

I don't think they're focusing on MAC recruits per se. I'd imagine they're just not getting any interest from their first options?  I do think however they are ramping up more on the portal than high school recruits. As they should because it makes sense if you think about it. The current portal situation is a perfect storm for schools like IUFB and last year CTA took full advantage of it. I wholeheartedly agree about getting both P5 and upgrades from the portal but IUFB historically just isn't that type of football program, unfortunately. 

I would just like to see more Florida guys again. I thought that was a very smart recruiting strategy. A three star from FLA is better than a three star from the Midwest. 

[Gahoosierfan 272]

I wonder how other bad football programs turned things around. I know that Kansas State, Northwestern, Kentucky, and several others managed to do it. I don't think Dolson is the guy that can get it done. He is just a placeholder. 

[OGIUAndy 759]

40 minutes ago, Gahoosierfan said:

I wonder how other bad football programs turned things around. I know that Kansas State, Northwestern, Kentucky, and several others managed to do it. I don't think Dolson is the guy that can get it done. He is just a placeholder. 

Northwestern wouldn't have done much in the East fwiw. And they seem to be losing steam 3-9, 7-2, 3-9, 1-11 the last four seasons and that's in the West, so that's pretty awful. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 83,984]

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/where-iu-football-stands-in-the-2024-transfer-portal-and-high-school-recruit-rankings/

[Lebowski 2,442]

Made updates to the list. Transfer rankings has us as high as 4 and as low as 29.