Indiana just didn’t get players like this.
So when Jerimy Finch transferred from Florida following the 2007, it created a considerable buzz in and around the IU football program.
Coming off a 7-6 season and Insight Bowl appearance, Indiana appeared to be a program on the rise, and the addition of Finch only added to the heightened expectations.
It was a return of sorts by Finch to IU. He originally committed to Terry Hoeppner’s Hoosiers before flipping at the last minute to Florida.
Finch, Sr. appeared in three games at linebacker for the defending national champion Gators in 2007 before suffering a broken leg vs. Tennessee that ended his season. He collected seven total tackles (four solo) that season, and was one of three true freshmen to record an interception.
There were flashes of brilliance. In one of college football’s biggest rivalry games, Finch picked off his pass against Tennessee and added three tackles in the Gators’ victory.
He attended Warren Central High School, where he was rated the No. 1 safety in the nation by Rivals.com and the top player in the Hoosier state by Rivals.com and Scout.com. As a senior, he helped lead Warren Central to its fourth consecutive Class 5A state title, the first high school football team to accomplish that feat in the state of Indiana.
With all of the accolades, hopes were understandably high when it came to the potential impact a player like Finch could have on a program like IU.
But he played in just five games as a sophomore for IU in 2008 with six tackles.
He played in seven games in 2009 with zero tackles. He did make a pair of fumble recoveries in the team’s win over Western Michigan. Again, another flash of brilliance.
But then he was gone. Finch did not return to the program for the 2010 season, and his name has barely been heard since, save for the occasional “what happened” or “what could have been.”
And then on Friday, came this Tweet:
I'm Blessed to announce that after a great conversation with @CoachWrightIU I received my 3rd D1 scholarship offer @IUBloomington @mikekirschner1 @cdc372 @LauerFBU @FBUAllAmerican @DBROWN57_ pic.twitter.com/qmMgP8xixa
— Jerimy Finch Jr (@FinchJJ_11) May 5, 2023
That’s class of 2026 (freshman) Jerimy Finch, Jr., from Warren Central H.S. in Indianapolis, same as his father.
Finch, Jr. describes himself as a 6-foot-4, 240 pound defensive lineman. IU was his third offer, along with Marshall and Western Michigan.
Clearly there’s a lot of talent here, just like his father.
The story continues.
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