Recapping a Huge Recruiting Weekend for Indiana Football

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Image: Amanda Pavelka Hoosier Huddle

Image: Amanda Pavelka Hoosier Huddle

Written By: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The past ten days have been quite eventful for the Indiana football program. They beat Purdue to win the Old Oaken Bucket and finish the regular season 8-4, secured the commitment of highly-regarded defensive tackle Damarjhe Lewis, announced the contract extension of Tom Allen and a big investment in the program’s future, landed a few more commitments after hosting several visitors this past weekend and then announcing a spot in the Gator Bowl against Tennessee. Hoosier Huddle will be covering all of that but this particular article is a recap on the past weekend’s additions to the Hoosiers 2020 recruiting class.

Bryson Bonds – Safety – Crowley, Texas

Bonds is a three-star safety from talent-rich Texas. He had 115 tackles, 11 pass break-ups, eight tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and a sack on a team that went 9-2 this season. Crowley excels on the field and in the classroom, earning scholarship offers to several Ivy League schools along with Texas Tech, Minnesota and Air Force. Bonds was the top safety target on the board for the IU staff and they were high on his combination of length and speed. Bonds is expected to be the only true safety Indiana takes in this class.

Dylan Powell – Offensive Lineman – Graduate Transfer from Stanford

Indiana pursued this one for quite a while and graduate transfer Dylan Powell finally made the call to become a Hoosier late last week. Dylan Powell is graduating from Stanford in December and he will join the IU program immediately. As a bonus, Powell did not play at all this season so he is planning on playing two seasons in Bloomington. Originally from Missouri, Powell played in 19 games at Stanford and started three times. IU is going to plug him in at either guard or center and he could certainly earn a spot as a starter on what could be a strong offensive line next season.

A.J. Barner – Tight End – Aurora, Ohio

A late arrival as a target for the Hoosiers, Nick Sheridan zeroed in on Barner and made him a high-priority target as a tight end. Barner does not have a huge offer list but he dominated late in his high school career and was garnering interest from a number of big programs. IU could try him at linebacker or even defensive end but they have made it clear they plan on playing him at tight end first. He is big at 6’5” and 225 and has a frame that should be able to fill out to 240 or 250 pounds. Barner is very athletic and quick and it is reasonable to think he could be very nice offensive weapon in the future for the Indiana offense.

Tim Baldwin – Running Back – Nokesville, VA

Heading into the season, IU appeared set at running back and unlikely to take any in this class. However, defections by Ivory Winters and Cole Gest opened up a spot and Tim Baldwin was the man Mike Hart wanted to fill it. Baldwin committed to Michigan but de-committed last week and chose IU over offers from Maryland, Northwestern Rutgers, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Virginia and several others. He had 233 carries for 1,604 yards with 25 touchdowns along with 192 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the season for a 10-2 team. Baldwin joins a backfield with Stevie Scott, Sampson James and Ronnie Walker.

Charlie Spegal – RB/FB – New Palestine, IN

I am including this preferred walk-on addition because he is unlike most preferred walk-ons. Charlie Spegal, while he is only 5’9” and 225 pounds, is the most productive running back in the history of the state and one of the most productive backs in the history of high school football nationwide. Spegal is one of only five players to exceed 10,000 rushing yards and score over 1,000 career points. He finished with 10,867 rushing yards and a mind-blowing 173 touchdowns and won back-to-back state championships at New Palestine for head coach Kyle Ralph. “His speed, his quickness…I think this year the best part about him he showed he wasn’t just a pounder. He showed he can make people miss and breakaway from people,” Ralph said. Tom Allen has made it a priority to increase the strength of the walk-on program and this addition could pay big dividends for the Hoosiers.