IU signed two more members to its 2020 recruiting class on National Signing Day on Wednesday, adding to the 18 players signed during the early signing period that ended Dec. 18.
IU head coach Tom Allen addressed the media inside the Hoosiers' team room at Memorial Stadium. Here are three takeaways from the press conference.
Kahlil Benson has the potential to be one of Allen’s most important recruits.
Of the two players Allen signed, the most important was three-star offensive guard Kahlil Benson from Southaven, Mississippi. Benson’s recruitment became a priority for the Hoosiers as signing day approached, leading Allen and the majority of his staff to go visit him in Mississippi in a final effort to sign the big offensive linemen.
“It sends a message that he’s important to us,” Allen said during the team’s National Signing Day press conference. “I can’t be in multiple places at one time. So as we shared with them, I chose to go there as head coach, we chose to bring the majority of the staff.”
Benson shares many similarities with freshman left tackle Matthew Bedford, who replaced former captain Coy Cronk when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury Sept. 21 against the University of Connecticut. Both players were three-star recruits who Allen coveted because of their size and athleticism
Bedford has shown star potential as a true-freshman starter in the Big Ten, and Benson was ranked almost 100 spots higher as the No. 731 recruit nationally, according to 247 Sports. IU’s experienced offensive line will give Benson an environment to grow before having significant playing time.
“We’re just really excited about him,” Allen said. “Just from a physical perspective, he’s a big man. If you want them big, you recruit them big.”
Allen gives health updates while spring football nears.
While IU looks forward to spring football in the upcoming months, Allen provided a generally positive update on the team’s health.
After missing seven games due to injury last season, including the final four contests due to season-ending shoulder surgery, Allen announced that redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been cleared to play and will have no limitations for upcoming practices.
“He’ll be full bore for spring ball,” Allen said. “He’s been fully cleared for that.”
Allen also said sophomore running back Stevie Scott III is healthy after missing the final two games of the season.
Allen said that sophomore tight end Peyton Hendershot won’t participate in spring football after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. Despite not playing during the spring, Hendershot is expected to make a full recovery and be ready to play during summer practices.
“I feel they’ll all be back this summer,” Allen said. “They’ll be ready to go into fall camp with good recovery from whatever they had postseason.”
Allen has laid the foundation, now he's looking to prepare for the future.
Over the past two seasons, Allen has brought in an abundance of young talent that played at a high level in 2019, allowing IU to win its most games since 1993.
Most of the team’s starters are not eligible for the NFL Draft as a result of back-to-back large recruiting classes.
That luxury allows IU to search for players with long-term potential. Most of the team’s recruits aren’t expected to be day-one starters, allowing them to grow behind upperclassmen before seeing consistent playing time.
“I’m a big believer in developing,” Allen said. “I just want to be able to, as much as possible, keep guys here and develop them.”
Allen’s belief in developing players lets him prioritize recruits that fit seamlessly into the program. Freshman cornerback Tiawan Mullen is an example of an undervalued recruit and became a standout player in the Big Ten.
“I want to get guys that fit the culture we’re creating,” Allen said. “We’ve got a really unique thing going here. It’s just really neat to see this team just buy into what we’re doing.”
