IU announces recruits

After inheriting much of his freshmen class last year, coach Gerry DiNardo made his first full recruiting mark on the IU football program Wednesday on signing day. \nDiNardo announced 26 letters of intent, 14 defensive and 12 offensive, from players spanning everywhere from Bloomington to Germany. \n"You are always excited about a new group of players," DiNardo said in a statement. "Generally we are pleased with the class, but you do not know how they will pan out for three or four years."\nAccording to the insiders.com, a Web site that profiles college football recruiting, five of IU's signees rank among the top-100 at their positions: running back Kenni Burns (68), tight ends Brian Faires (87) and Nick Sexton (93), quarterback Blake Powers (79) and defensive tackle Joel Stubblefield (57).\nPowers is a second-generation Hoosier. His father Paul played tight end at IU for Lee Corso from 1975-79.\n"I had a lot of schools that were looking at me, and I've always wanted to go to IU since I was a little kid since my dad went there," Powers said. "So I went to football camp and established myself with the new coaching staff. They chose me and offered me a scholarship, and it was a no-brainer." \nStubblefield said the attitude of the coaching staff is what attracted him to IU.\n"The new coaching staff is great," he said. "They really sold me. I'm all about relationships and situations, and it was a perfect fit. I set it off with all the coaches and they're for real, they're legit. They're really going to change (the program) around."\nStubblefield recorded 37 solo tackles, had 44 assists, six sacks and 13 tackles for loss as a junior at Pendleton Heights High School. He will become the first player ever from his school to play football for a Division I school.\n"It's great because ever since I was a little kid they've had a wall of fame with all these players and I think about them, and to know I'm one of those guys and to have right after my name that I'm the very first Division I player, it's great," he said. "I'm glad I was the first one to do it."\nDiNardo added four linebackers, including 6-2, 245-pound Ty Altman, 6-0, 245-pound Cleo Harbison, 6-1, 210-pound Josh Moore and 6-3, 215-pound Jake Powers.\nThe IU program is on the rise and the recruiting class will help bolster a successful year, Powers said.\n"They are only going to get better, and it will be awesome to be a part of that," he said. "The coaching staff is well-put together, and I want to come in and play at the top level … With our recruiting class, we can be a good team."\nIn the secondary, DiNardo added three safeties (Will Meyers, Ryan Skelton and Luke Stone) and a pair of defensive backs (Cedric Henry and Aaron Mitchell). The recruiting Web site rivals.com ranked Meyers as the 55th best safety in the nation. \nSkelton, a native of Greenwood, Ind. and a high school teammate of current Hoosier Andy Halterman, was a finalist for the Mr. Football award in Indiana. Skelton, a business major, said the combination of athletics and academics at IU were too strong to pass up.\n"I've always been a big fan of all IU sports," Skelton said. "I want to major in business, and (IU) has one of best business schools in the country. I feel like I'm heading in the right direction, and IU is a good fit for me."\nTwo of the recruits are local products: Sexton, of Bloomington North, and offensive lineman Chris Mangiero of Bloomington South. The 6-foot-3-inch, 265-pound Mangiero is the son of IU Director of Football Operations Dino Mangiero. He spent his first two years of high school at Poly Prep in Brooklyn N.Y., a school that produced current Hoosier fullback John Pannozzo and the lone wide receiver recruit, Jahkeen Gilmore.\nSkelton said he is optimistic for the upcoming season.\n"I expect to come in there and play and make a difference," he said. "I think the team will do well, better than a lot of people expect. They've been working really hard and I think we'll be pretty good."\nSports editor Tyler V. Hoeppner contributed to this story.