Following official visits to IU this past weekend, Flowery Branch (Ga.) outside linebacker Kristopher Smith and Iowa Western Community College inside linebacker Steven Funderburk have announced their decisions to join the Hoosiers’ football program.
Making his choice public via Twitter on Monday night, Smith became the 17th member of IU’s 2013 recruiting class and the fourth linebacker. Less than 24 hours later, Funderburk made his commitment as the 18th pledge and fifth linebacker in the group.
Sizing up at 6-foot-4-inches and 205 pounds, Smith is rated as a 3-star prospect on Rivals.com. He also held offers from multiple BCS schools including Cincinnati, Purdue, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
Funderburk meanwhile is a 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound prospect currently unrated by the website. The linebacker played his college football at Tulane in 2011 before transferring to IWCC for the 2012 season.
With both decisions, thirteen of the Hoosiers’ 18 recruits are now from outside of the state. Funderburk will join current teammate Jordan Heiderman at IU next season, while Smith will have a Peach State classmate in 4-star athlete Rashard Fant (Fairburn, Ga.)
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Hoosiers’ recruiting class ranks No. 45 in the Rivals.com team rankings and could rise given more commitments. Since its inception in 2002, IU has never finished a recruiting period with a top-50 class.
- Jordan Littman
