IU Recently Offered Garden State D-Lineman Mike Tverdov

Written By Alex Compton

The hiring of new head coach Chris Ash by Rutgers hasn’t stopped Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson from recruiting in Ash’s new home state. Union, New Jersey native Mike Tverdov has seen IU become his most recent offer, which now joins a list of 10 others. The most notable of these offers come from Virginia Tech, Boston College, Pittsburgh, and Duke. Tverdov named many of these schools in an interview with HoosierHuddle.com, when he said, 

“Rutgers, BC, Duke, and Virginia Tech are recruiting me the hardest”.

This doesn’t mean IU is out of the running by any means, it just means that Wilson and company will have to turn up the heat if they want to land the three-star defensive end. Tverdov is currently rated as the #52 weak-side defensive end, and it is more than likely that he will crack the top 45-50 by the time he ends up on a college campus next summer. He uses his size to disrupt running lanes, while also possessing the strength to rush straight up field and wreak havoc on the opposing team’s signal callers. The blend of size and technique that he uses on the field makes him very comparable to sophomore DE Jacob Robinson, who experienced a good deal of success as a true freshman. 

The offer came as a pleasant surprise to Tverdov, but it has certainly made an impression on him. 

“[IU] is obviously going to be a competitor in the B1G because of a couple new guys on the staff and the players they're bringing in, so that means they're going to have a bright future.”

Much like fellow New Jersey native Javar Garrett, Tverdov sees opportunity in the chance to play at IU.  

“The things that stand out the most are the education and the competition they play.” 

At this point, Tverdov is still receiving offers and building relationships with many of the coaches. While he wants to narrow his list down at some point during this summer, there is no concrete timeline in place. If the Hoosiers are serious about landing him, a visit will likely be required, and that is something that Tverdov would definitely be interested in. 

“I can't guarantee a visit anytime soon, but if the opportunity comes I'll gladly go.”

With all of the new buzz surrounding Rutgers on the east coast and in New Jersey in particular, only time will tell if “HoosierArmy17” will end up containing some members of the Garden State.