Hoosiers Now

Indiana Football Offers 3 Midwest High School Recruits: What It Means

Indiana offered three high school recruits from the Midwest on Thursday, including one whose dad played in the NFL.
Jared Shlensky|
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti stands with his hands on his hips during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti stands with his hands on his hips during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana has dominated the transfer portal over the last two years, but now that the portal is officially closed, Curt Cignetti and has staff have turned their focus to the high school landscape. And on Thursday, IU offered three recruits, one of which is from Northwest Indiana and two from Illinois.

Grant Bowen, Athlete (Immaculate Conception Catholic High School)

Of the three recruits featured in this piece, Grant Bowen is arguably the one with the most potential, and definitely the most versatile.

Bowen just finished his sophomore season at Immaculate Conception Catholic High School in Elmhurst, Ill., and led the Knights to the IHSA Class 3A Quarterfinals.

Bowen plays linebacker, wide receiver and tight end in high school and put up monster numbers on both offense and defense.

Defensively, Bowen finished with 55 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. On offense, Bowen led the Knights with 34 receptions, 731 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

Bowen could potentially play both ways in college, but I see him playing primarily defense in college, like his father. Bowen's father, Matt, played his college ball at Iowa and played safety for seven seasons in the NFL.

Grant, who stands 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, is a little bit bigger than his dad and could potentially play either inside or outside linebacker in college. Bowen's backpedal immediately stands out on tape and so does his leaping ability. Those aren't traits you necessarily look for in a linebacker, which is what makes him so unique.

Bowen has nearly 20 scholarship offers and should definitely be a top priority for the Hoosiers.

Corderro Bennett, Wide Receiver (Hammond Morton High School)

Corderro Bennett is a big receiver at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds. The northern Indiana native can jump, and he has excellent hands. Bennett posted a three-touchdown performance for the Potters to close out the regular season and is garnering more and more national attention by the day.

Bennett has nine total scholarship offers, including two out of the SEC in Auburn and Kentucky and two more from the Big Ten in Illinois and Purdue.

Soren Fifer, Offensive Lineman (Morton High School)

Soren Fifer was the anchor of the Morton offensive line, and college teams are taking notice. That includes the reigning national champion Hoosiers, who offered him a scholarship Thursday.

The 6-foot-7, 295-pound junior is a three-star recruit who led Morton to a 7-4 record and the second round of the IHSA playoffs. Fifer plays left tackle and takes advantage of his long arms in both the running and passing game.

Fifer is best in pass protection and has the feet, balance and size to play left tackle for a top program. However, IU has its work cut out. Fifer has 9 offers, including four more out of the Big Ten in Illinois, Iowa, Oregon and Northwestern.

And don't forget to buy the SI Indiana National Championship Cover.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

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