Recapping the Wild Month of June of IU Football Recruiting

Tom Allen and his staff took IU from one commitment to 11 in the month of June. Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle

Written By Nathan Comp

The Hoosier coaching staff has been working hard on the recruiting trail and the results showed during the month of June. This article will serve as a recap of all that transpired during the past month, including the #LEO explosion that saw nine commitments in a mere five days. IU’s 2019 class is currently ranked 11th in the Big Ten (43rd nationally) by 247 Sports with 11 total commitments.

June 1st: Beau Robbins

The first, and perhaps the biggest, commitment came on the first day of the month in the form of Carmel High School’s Beau Robbins. Robbins is a six-foot-four 238-pound defensive end that is ranked in ESPN’s Top 300 for the class of 2019 and is a 247 Sports Composite four-star prospect. He remains as Indiana’s highest ranked recruit – a great get for coaches Tom Allen and Mark Hagen. Robbins chose Indiana while holding offers from Big Ten foes Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue, Iowa, among others outside of the conference. He tallied 58 tackles and 11 sacks in his junior season and is known for his strength, motor, and feel for the game.

June 15th: Jeramy Passmore

Two weeks later, Beau Robbins was joined by fellow defensive lineman Jeramy Passmore. Passmore added his name to the “Florida recruiting pipeline” list that Coach Allen has established during his two-year stint as head coach. Passmore was an especially exciting commit for the staff because of how much time had been dedicated to his recruitment, including his attendance at the spring game in April. He is a six-foot-two 250-pound interior lineman that is ranked as a three-star prospect and the 836th best player nationally by 247 Sports. He continues to rise in recruiting rankings after his outburst last season, tallying 16 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 75 tackles. Passmore held offers from 32 total schools, including the likes of Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston College, and Ivy League schools Harvard and Yale.

June 16th: Matthew Bedford

Little did we know at the time, but Passmore was just the first domino to fall. The next day, Indiana earned its second verbal commitment in as many days, this time from Tennessee offensive lineman Matthew Bedford. Bedford is a six-foot-five 260-pound three-star prospect by 247 Sports. He comes from the same high school as, and is actually the cousin of, current wide receiver Jacolby Hewitt. The coaches have loved his ability to hold his blocks and force defenders to the ground. He held offers from seven total schools, the most impressive being Indiana and Memphis.

June 17th: Michael Katic and Larry Tracy

Michael Katic

On the 17th, another offensive lineman committed, this time being six-foot-four inch 270-pound Pennsylvania native Michael Katic. Katic is ranked as a three-star prospect and the 38th best offensive guard in his class. After taking an unofficial visit during the weekend of the 16th, Katic decided that what Coach Hiller and graduate assistant Danny Friend showed him IU had to offer was enough to earn his commitment. He passed up offers from Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia, Rutger, among others.

Larry Tracy

During the spurt of commitments, the lone verbal from a player in the state of Indiana came from Decatur Central cornerback Larry Tracy. Once an Iowa commit, the five-foot-10 175-pounder is a three-star prospect and ranked the 12th best player in the state of Indiana. Like Michael Katic, Tracy was a visitor on campus during the weekend and capped off his visit with his commitment. In Tracy’s junior season he tallied 86 tackles, 5 fumble recoveries, and 3 interceptions. Since his announcement, he has been a big recruiter of other uncommitted IUFB targets on Twitter. He also held offers from Purdue, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Iowa, and others.

June 18th: CJ Person

In a class where Indiana will be looking for defensive lineman, Indiana added a third on the 18th: CJ Person. Person, a six-foot-two and 295-pound interior lineman, joined earlier June commits Beau Robbins and Jeramy Passmore in the defensive trenches. He attends Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School in Alabama and is ranked as the 63rd best defensive tackle in his class. He projects as a defensive tackle at the next level that will likely be over 300 pounds with strength training and be an elite run stopper. He is known for playing nasty and wreaking havoc against the opponent’s line. Person also held offers from Purdue (he cancelled an official visit with the Boilers immediately after committing), Duke, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, and 21 others.

June 19th: Kervens Bonhomme, Gary Cooper, Sean Wracherm, Dorian Jones

Kervens Bonhomme

The bookend of the LEO explosion came north of the border in the form of six-foot-one 230-pound Canadian linebacker Kervens Bonhomme. Bonhomme will play his senior season at Clearwater Academy International in Florida. At 230 pounds already, Bonhomme will continue to gain strength and will certainly bring physicality at the next level. He is a three-star prospect ranked in the top 700 nationally by 247 Sports. Bonhomme had been offered by Nebraska, Rutger, UCF, and garnered interest from Big Ten East foe Michigan before committing to Indiana.

Gary Cooper

Four days after Jeramy Passmore’s commitment, high school teammate Gary Cooper followed suit pledging to Indiana. The six-foot-one 225-pound tight end is a three-star prospect and ranked as the 43rd best tight end in his class. This was a truly impressive get by Coach Allen and staff; Cooper held offers from top programs Oklahoma, Florida, Michigan, and Ole Miss. His high school coach raves about Cooper claiming he is one of the most athletic and gifted players he has coached in his eighteen years in Miami. Although a bit short, continued strength training should make him a threat in the passing game against linebackers and smaller defensive backs. He already has impressive footwork and has shown great ability when asked to block. Continued improvement could certainly earn him early playing time in his career.

Sean Wracher

Current Hoosier long snapper Dan Godsil, member of Phil Steele’s All-America first team and unanimously considered one of the best long snappers in the country, will be a senior this year. Hoping to have little drop off in the 2019 season, Coach Allen was quick to begin recruiting one of the nation’s top long snappers in the 2019 class, Sean Wracher. Wracher, at six-foot-four and 195-pounds out of Ohio, is a two-star prospect but ranked as the third best long snapper in the nation by 247 Sports. He will likely see immediate playing time when he arrives on campus. Wracher held offers from Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Toledo.

Dorian Jones

Once again, Coach Allen tapped into his Florida pipeline to secure the verbal commitment from West Palm Beach inside linebacker Dorian Jones. Jones is a six-foot 219-pound three-star prospect ranked in the top 30 at his position in the nation. Jones may be looking for a new school for his senior season, as his school recently announced the end of their football program. He was included in the large group of individuals who visited over the weekend of the 16th. His strength is his most appealing attribute now, so naturally he was most impressed with coach Ballou and the strength and conditioning program. He chose IU over offers from Kentucky, Syracuse, USF, and others.

Lost Commitment: Emery Simmons

Despite ten additions during the month of June, Indiana lost the commitment of North Carolina wide receiver Emery Simmons. Simmons was the first commit for the Hoosiers 2019 class, but after being offered by home-state school North Carolina, was unable to pass up the opportunity to play close to home. Simmons had also been offered by Penn State after committing to Indiana.