Hubert Caliste Jr. wasn’t planning to play high school football.
He played while growing up, among other sports. But in middle school, he ditched the gridiron to focus on the hardwood. Caliste had fallen in love with basketball while playing AAU, and stuck with that.
Caliste went on to play basketball for St. Augustine High in New Orleans as a freshman and sophomore, but the school’s football coaches continually asked if he’d join their team. He finally went out for the team as a junior last fall, and he settled in quickly.
Caliste played quarterback growing up, but St. Augustine already had its gunslingers when he joined the team. So the 6-foot-4, 235-pound junior lined up at tight end. He knew he’d be a good pass-catcher because he excelled at a toned-down version of football at lunch.
“At recess, we’d play a game called walkball. It’s like 2-on-2 — two receivers, two DBs. But you can’t run, you have to walk,” Caliste said. “And I was really good at walkball, catching the ball and stuff. So I kind of knew going out there I was going to play tight end.”
Caliste thrived at tight end, and quickly drew FBS interest. He committed to IU on Tuesday, choosing the Hoosiers over offers from Nebraska, Georgia Tech, and Florida State, among others.
The rising senior is confident — he never had any doubts about his ability, even after some time away from organized football. And with his size and pass-catching ability, he’s an imposing presence at tight end.
But no matter where he lined up, Caliste felt he’d shine. And that’s the mentality he’s bringing to Bloomington.
“I’ve got confidence and swagger. I feel like whatever I do, I’ll be good at anything. Even before I went out there, I felt like I was going to be good at the next level,” Caliste said. “I feel like (IU is) going to get a person that’s all-in, a great teammate, all about the team. And as a player, I’m a dog.”
The New Orleans native didn’t watch much football growing up. But he’s become a Kansas City Chiefs fan as he got older, and he’s particularly enjoyed watching Travis Kelce since he started playing the same position.
Caliste likes that he’s involved in several different aspects of the offense at tight end. He likened it to playing quarterback, in that he has to be aware of a lot of different positions’ responsibilities.
“To me, I think tight end is one of the best positions on the field and one of the hardest. They kind of do it all. They’re in the blocking game, they’re in the passing game,” Caliste said. “You’ve got to know the O-line calls and also the receiving calls, and you have stuff set up for the tight end too. So it’s kind of like a little bit of everything.”
Caliste took an official visit in Bloomington last weekend, and came away impressed by IU’s campus and the football program’s facilities.
But what really sold Caliste on the Hoosiers was the people within the program. Rising sophomore running back Jaylin Lucas hosted Caliste on the visit, and the two shared a bond as Louisiana natives.
And more than anything else, the values head coach Tom Allen and tight ends coach Kevin Wright emphasized really spoke to him. The relationships Caliste felt with the IU coaches swung his decision.
“Coach Wright is a really cool guy. He’s real smooth. Coach Wright and coach Allen, both of them, they’re big on family. I just like how they care about you as a person, really like outside of football. They want you to be a better man,” Caliste said. “Saying that they care about me as a person outside of football, it meant a lot to me.”
For highlights and more background on Caliste, GO HERE:
IU football recruiting: Hoosiers pick up commitment from 2024 tight end Hubert Caliste
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