IU football is on the verge of assembling back-to-back (2027 and 2026) high school recruiting classes ranked right around No. 30 nationally.
From a historical perspective, that’s bordering on as good as it gets for the Hoosiers, just short of the all-time best in 2022.
But the class of 2028 — rising high school juniors — will be interesting to watch from an Indiana perspective.
It is the first group whose recruitments were not already well down a path as the Hoosiers shocked the college football world with a 16-0 national championship run. They’ve had a clean look at consecutive College Football Playoff appearances by IU before getting too far into serious recruiting considerations.
So could the 2028 class end up being Indiana’s best ever? The Hoosiers are off to a good start. They have already landed one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, 4-star Lukas Prock.
But it’s far too early to start making bold predictions. The 2026 season will influence things, as will head coach Curt Cignetti’s willingness to pay top dollar for high school players.
What’s not too early? Taking a look at some of the players who will emerge as key prospects for Indiana in the months to come as they begin scheduling gameday visits this fall.
On3 national analyst Steve Wiltfong did just that in a recent edition of his podcast. Here’s who he named as some of IU’s early top targets in 2028:
(Rankings according to the Rivals industry average)
Grant Bowen: A 6-foot-4, 220-pound 4-star athlete from Elmhurst, Illinois (Immaculate Conception H.S.). Bowen is the No. 1 overall athlete in the nation and the No. 37 overall player in the 2028 class.
Carter Barrett: A 6-foot-6, 310-pound 4-star offensive lineman from Des Moines, Iowa (Dowling Catholic). Barrett is the No. 9 overall interior offensive lineman and the No. 119 overall player in the 2028 class.
Xander Edwards: A 6-foot-1, 205-pound 4-star running back from Jacksonville, Florida (The Bolles School). Edwards is the No. 6 overall running back and No. 111 overall player in the 2028 class.
Maddox Weil: A 5-foot-10 and 170-pound 4-star wide receiver from Fort Wayne, Indiana (Northrop H.S.) Weil is the No. 37 overall receiver and the No. 254 overall player in the 2028 class.
Theo Schott: A 6-foot-4 and 218-pound 4-star tight end from Zionsville, Indiana (Zionsville H.S.). Schott is the No. 9 overall tight end and the No. 227 overall player in the 2028 class.
Desmond Christian: A 6-foot and 168-pound 3-star wide receiver from Plantation, Florida (Cypress Bay H.S.). Christian is the No. 56 overall wide receiver and the No. 369 overall player in the 2028 class.
Bennett Conyers: A 6-foot-3 and 215-pound 3-star tight end from Nashville, Tennessee (Montgomery Bell Academy). Conyers is the No. 28 tight end and the No. 635 overall player in the 2028 class.
Carson Adkins: A 6-foot-6 and 290-pound 3-star offensive lineman from Newark, Ohio (Licking Valley H.S.). Adkins is the No. 35 overall offensive tackle, and No. 330 overall player in the 2028 class.
Collin Burris: A 6-foot-5 and 293-pound 3-star offensive lineman from Marysville, Ohio (Marysville H.S.). Burris is the No. 56 overall offensive tackle and No. 703 overall player in the 2028 class.
For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.
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