The Daily Hoosier

2023 4-star defensive back Daeh McCullough has decommitted from IU football

May 19, 2022 Mike Schumann IU Football Recruiting 31

A second member of the McCullough family has departed the IU football program.

Class of 2023 4-star defensive back Daeh McCullough announced on Thursday he has decommitted from Indiana.  He is the son of two-time former running backs coach Deland McCullough, who left IU following the 2021 season to take the same job at Notre Dame.

“I would like to thank everyone at Indiana University for everything they have done for me and my family ever since I was a child,” Daeh McCullough wrote in a graphic posted on his Twitter page.

“Second, I want to thank the staff for showing nothing but love to me along with my whole family as well.

“After praying and long talks with my family, I have decided to decommit from Indiana University.

“I’ll always love Hoosier Nation and wish nothing but the best for the University.”

Daeh committed to Indiana last April following his father’s hiring by Tom Allen.  His commitment was soon followed by his brothers Dasan, a class of 2022 linebacker, and Deland II, a transfer defensive back from Miami (Ohio).  Both Dasan and Deland II are still on the Indiana roster on the IU Athletics website.

When the elder Deland left for Notre Dame, there was speculation his sons would follow, but all three announced in February they intended to stay with Indiana.

At the time he committed to IU, Daeh was the highest-rated recruit in the history of the program.  Currently he is ranked No. 177 nationally and the No. 14 safety according to the 247Sports Composite.

The decision by Daeh does not come as a complete surprise.

In recent weeks he took visits to other programs, and earlier this week news broke he was moving from Bloomington to South Bend.

Last spring Daeh picked IU over a long list of suitors that included Arizona State, Arkansas, Boston College, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi State, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Utah.

But now that he has joined his father in South Bend, Notre Dame has to be regarded as the clear favorite.  Cincinnati is another program he recently visited.

Daeh is the second decommit in Indiana’s 2023 class.  Last year Georgia linebacker Denzel Moore also had a change of heart.

Indiana currently has just two verbal commits in its 2023 class — in-state tight end Sam West, and Florida offensive lineman William Larkins.

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