In the midst of a rare night when Memorial Stadium was nearly full, and the IU football team was taking No. 1 Ohio State down to the final play, 2016 commits Peyton Ramsey, Allen Cater, Phil Benker and Tyus Flakes could be found manning the sidelines, trying to hype up the crowd.
It was a night in which the IU faithful could enjoy the present, but those representing IU’s future couldn’t help but think about just that — its future.
“It’s so exciting,” Benker said. “Knowing that you’re about to be a part of something so big is the best feeling.”
Benker, rated as a 3-star receiver prospect by 247Sports.com, said games like IU’s 34-27 loss to Ohio State confirm he made the right decision. He said it made him feel this program is going in the right direction.
Coaches who recruit players like those four to come to a school like IU often need to assure them this program, without much history, is turning around. Saturday made that feel more like a reality, Cater said.
“If (Ohio State) is No. 1, IU isn’t far off,” Benker said. “The atmosphere was great last night. It felt great.”
It may have been a loss, but on the large stage and with all the adversity along the way, the performance excited players like Cole Gest, a 3-star running back commit out of Lakewood, Ohio.
“I was still super proud and pumped up, and I’m excited as hell to be a Hoosier,” he said.
Ramsey, Benker, Cater and Flakes — and other members of the 2016 class — are already becoming close, Benker and Cater said.
Benker added it already feels like a brotherhood to him. They talk about all types of things, not just football, but much of it stems from the goals they have for when they arrive in Bloomington as players themselves.
Cater, a 3-star defensive end prospect from Kennesaw, Georgia, said he and the three 2016 commits he was with spent time talking to the other prospects about where they stand and what their mindset is on IU.
One example is 2017 wide receiver prospect and fellow Georgia-native Jeremiah Holloman. He was in attendance and received a scholarship offer from the Hoosiers this weekend.
“The fans are die-hard Hoosiers and the players never give up,” he said. “They keep going until the clock hits zero.”
Maybe there is something to the fact Holloman considered the fans to be so devoted. He is from the southeast and is not as familiar with the years of poor attendance and losing seasons. He came to one game, and his experience was one of a large crowd.
But those who have already committed to IU said they felt more secure after Saturday’s performance and cannot wait to come to Bloomington.
“It’s exciting and feels great to be apart of something big,” Cater said. “Can’t wait to play with the guys and help change IU.”
