James Head Jr. Officially Signs With the Hoosiers

Written By Alex Compton

James Head Jr., SDE, 6'5" 210 Pounds, Miami, FL (Miami Southridge HS), 247 Composite Three-Star (86.88)

One of the top priorities in this class for Tom Allen in his first full recruiting cycle was impact pass rushers. He went all over the country to find guys that could come in as true freshmen and make an impact, but he ultimately ended up back in one of his old stomping grounds to land James Head Jr. Head Jr. projects as an All-B1G player during his career at Indiana, but absolutely as a key piece in every game in 2018. At 6’5”, he has the size you need to wear down Big Ten tackles, and the overall athleticism to make plays in the backfield. Mark Hagen was the lead guy in this recruitment, and he cited that as a major reason why he committed to Indiana back in July. 

On tape, what you’ll see is a bull-rush style end. Power moves are his bread and butter, but his quick first step makes me have no worries that he’ll develop a balanced, lethal arsenal in no time. This summer will be great for Head Jr. to build some upper body strength that he will need as a true freshman in the Big Ten. With Greg Gooch and Robert McCray graduating, there will be two starting spots up for grabs, and Head Jr. appears to be one the short list of guys to fill one of those spots come August. Having a deep group of capable guys up front on defense makes a huge difference, and is nearly always what sets the elite programs apart from the rest in their respective conferences. Watch Head’s tape, and you’ll be just as excited as I am for his career in Bloomington. He will be an all-conference caliber player as a Hoosier, and hopefully anchor some really deep D-Lines for years to come. Head Jr. is rated as the third-best signee on the 247Sports composite, but don’t be surprised if he ends up as the best player in the class in his first season in the Cream & Crimson. 

IU Comparison: Bobby Richardson