From Florida to Bloomington, Part 1: The Relationships
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Recruiting is the lifeblood of every college football program. For those schools at the top of the food chain, they want to get the best players to stay there. And for a program like Indiana that’s trying to get there — and trying real hard — it’s critical to make inroads any way possible.
Nothing can replace hard work, though, and that’s been happening at Indiana. They’ve had their two best recruiting classes in school history the past two seasons under Tom Allen, and they hope it’s a trend that continues.
They’ve had that success by tapping into a Florida pipeline for talent. Everyone tries to do that, but no one in the Big Ten is having the same success down in Florida that IU has. There are now a whopping 25 kids from Florida on Indiana’s roster, and many of them are making a huge impact in trying to help turn this program around. By comparison, there are 27 kids from Indiana, just two more.
That’s how much Florida matters.
“We treat Florida like it’s in-state. That’s how important it is to us,’’ Allen said in an exclusive interview about recruiting last week. “We have six full-time guys recruiting down there, and I’m the seventh, just like we do in Indiana. There are so many players down there, and it’s just a numbers game.
"Those Florida kids, they love football, love to work, and they want to be on the field. We obviously have strong ties there, too, and we want to continue to grow on that.
Allen is an Indiana native (New Castle), but he’s also spent a lot of time in Florida. He coached high school football there for five years (1992-96) and made dozens of friends in the coaching profession all around the state. He returned in 2015 when he was hired by Willie Taggart to be the defensive coordinator at the University of South Florida in Tampa in 2015 prior to coming to Indiana the following year.
“When I came back to Tampa in 2015 to be the defensive coordinator at South Florida, it was like a big happy homecoming for me because a lot of my friends were still coaching in Tampa, Clearwater, Lakeland, Orlando,’’ Allen said. “I spent a lot of years down there and really loved it, and it was great to be back in Tampa, but when I came here to Indiana the next year, I maintained all of those relationships.’’
It’s those relationships that are making all this work for Indiana.
And those relationships cannot be underestimated.
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Florida coaches praise what Indiana does
When dozens of schools are fighting for the same kids, it’s absolutely critical to develop solid relationships with high school coaches in Florida, and their players too, of course. Indiana’s done that, and many prominent high school coaches in the Sunshine State say so.
“I’ve really enjoyed working the the Indiana staff, all of them,’’ said Clearwater Academy coach Jesse Chinchar, who has two players at IU now — freshman defensive tackle Sio Nofoagatoto’a and freshman linebacker D.K. Bonhomme — with a third on the way next year, and maybe more from his stable of a dozen Division I recruits this year.. “They’re quality people, for one, and when they say something, they always back it up.
“I never have to worry about my kids up there. They call me with updates all the time, and I never have to call them. I’ve had a few other coaches who keep asking me why I keep sending all these kids to Indiana, but I tell him it’s the kids, not me. My kids have loved everything about Indiana so far, and why not? They’re doing everything right.’’
Chinchar finds himself complimenting Indiana’s staff often. They’re just doing things different — and better — than a lot of other schools, he says. That’s why they’ve been starting to beat Florida State and Miami and Florida for the occasional coveted Florida recruit.
“Here’s a perfect example,’’ Chinchar said. “A while ago, a Power 5 school — a prominent Power 5 school — was recruiting one of our defensive linemen. They were all over him for months. When they asked about his weight, I guess the number was too high, so they never texted him or called him again. Not once. Completely ghosted him. Wouldn’t even return texts or calls.
“Who does that? That’s no way to build relationships. I kept thinking to myself, ‘Indiana’s coaches would never do that.’ And let me tell you, kids talk. Our kids have loved their Indiana experiences, and they talk about it. They talk about the bad stuff that other schools have done, too. And that’s why I’m sure that Indiana pipeline will continue here.’’
And it’s not just football on the field. Indiana’s coaches have proven that they care about the personal side of these kids, too. Tampa Bay Tech coach Jayson Roberts, who coached Indiana players Michael Penix Jr. and Jonathan King in high school, shared that personal side.
“When Jonathan was here, he went through some family tragedies that were very hard on him, and he suffered academically,’’ Roberts said. “When (IU defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Mark Hagen) would call, it was always about, ‘How’s he doing? Is he getting that project done? Is he caught up on his homework? They had a plan to help him, and they followed up on it every step of the way. And Jonathan put in the work, too, and he got everything done to be eligible.’’
It’s simply what Indiana does, and there’s no deviating from it. That’s the relationship-building that matters, and continue to produce results.
“It’s all about putting in the time and building relationships with the players and coaches down there,’’ said Indiana running backs coach Mike Hart, who recruits Pinellas County (Clearwater and St. Petersburg area). “And once they are here, it’s all about treating them well and making them feel at home. Happy kids here helps us go get more kids. That’s how it’s worked, and we plan on continuing to make that happen.
Those things matter to coaches and players. They notice.
Parents notice, too. And that’s really important.
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Indiana coach Tom Allen with his two dozen players with Florida ties. (Courtesy Indiana University Athletics.
Being relentless, and being aggressive
The recruitment of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is the perfect example of utilizing those relationships, working relentlessly and showing everyone involved how important that kid is to the coaching staff.
Penix, one the the top quarterbacks in Florida in 2017, had been committed to Tennessee for several months. But the night former Tennessee coach Butch Jones was fired, Tampa Bay Tech’s Roberts remembers his phone ringing just a few minutes after the news broke.
“It was coach (Nick) Sheridan at Indiana. He was checking in,’’ Roberts said. “Michael had already said that he was going to honor his commitment to Tennessee, but Coach Sheridan wanted us to know that Indiana was still very interested if Michael changed his mind. They wanted to be there. They were the first to call, and they kept calling. They were in from the beginning and never left.’’
When Penix and Tennessee finally parted ways, Indiana pounced. They brought Michael and his mother Takisha up mid-week for an official visit — his father, Michael Penix Sr. had to stay behind because of work — just to expedite the process. The visit was a smashing success for all involved.
"We weren't even to the airport yet, and he was already telling me how much he loved Indiana,'' Penix's mother, Takisha Penix, said. "I told him, 'let's at least get home and talk about it.''
And when Indiana came to Riverview, Fla., for the in-home visit, all 10 IU coaches showed up, something unheard of right before National Signing Day, when staffs are usually scattered all over securing last-minute commitments.
“I guess it’s just the mom in me, but when I saw all 10 coaches walk in for Michael’s in-home visit, I was really impressed. But my first thought was, “I don’t have enough food! I was expecting maybe two or three coaches, and I was shocked when they all kept coming through the door.'' — Takisha Penix
“But right there, that told us how much Michael meant to him. Michael already liked Indiana, and I did too, after our visit. But that display really sealed the deal.''
One thing stood out, Michael Penix Sr., said.
“The other schools at the end, they wanted Michael to be A quarterback. Indiana him to be THE quarterback,’’ he said. “That was a big difference. It was to Michael, and it was to us, too.’’
A few days later, Penix committed and arrived on campus a few weeks later in January 2018.
Indiana had gotten their man.
And they did it the right way.
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Tom Allen's Florida ties have helped Indiana become a big-time player there in recruiting.
Players are often the best recruiters
It’s not just Indiana’s coaches who are great recruiters of Florida kids. The current players are very involved as well.
“There’s no question the current players help a lot with recruiting others. When someone comes up for a visit, the other Florida players are always around talking to them and answering all their questions,'' Allen said. "It means a lot to the recruits, but it also means a lot to their parents, too, and that’s really big. They can know their son is going to be comfortable.
"And they all look after each other, which is really something to watch. That bond is definitely there. And when the players say things to the recruits, a lot of times that means more than the coaches saying it.''
It means a lot to the parents too, that they aren’t leaving their kids all alone so far away from home.
“It was something I really noticed when we were there on Michael’s visit,’’ his mother said. “We knew a few of the players who were already there, and you could tell Michael liked that. I did, too. It’s very obvious that all the Florida kids really stick together and take care of each other. I know I really like that.’’
The increases in overall talent have paid dividends back at home too. In the past two years, IU’s recruiting classes have gone from No. 62 in 2016 to No, 49 in 2017 to No. 36 and eighth in the Big Ten in 2019.
Last year, Indiana recruited three 4-star recruits for the first time in a year since 2013, and only the second time ever, according to the 247Sports composite that ranks classes back to 1999. All three kids were from Indiana, including Avon running back Sampson James, who picked IU after decommiting from Ohio State. Beau Robbins (Carmel) and Cameron Williams (Andrean) also had plenty of Big Ten offers before picking the Hoosiers.
“I’ve always said that it starts at home, and we’ve done well here in Indiana, too,’’ Allen said. “There’s no question the numbers are better in Indiana than they were when I was at Ben Davis (1998-2006) And it’s continuing to grow.
“More kids are playing year-round here, in different ways, and that helps take the place of spring practice in those other states. It’s gotten better here, but that makes it more competitive, too. Being from here, I take a lot of pride in the growth of football in Indiana. I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing some much talent here in the state now.’’
Allen admits that the improvement in overall recruiting, especially in Florida, is making it easier to increase the talent everywhere. Recruiting wins keep leading to bigger recruiting wins.
“I think it all works hand in hand,’’ he said. “It’s obvious that they like what we are doing here, and the direction we’re going. They want to be a part of something special here. It’s coming, and they see it.’’
Indiana cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby concurs.
“The way Tom feels about family, I get that, and I feel that way, too. That’s what makes this group special. We just had the two best recruiting classes in IU history, and I think that’s why,’’ said Shelby, who recruits South Florida hard for the Hoosiers. “The kids feel the love, and they want to be here and be a part of that, part of what we are building. We’re building a great foundation here, and it’s all based on things that really matter a lot to me personally, too.
“Kids can go other places and look around, and maybe they see bigger stuff, or newer stuff, but it’s all just stuff. We’ve made it about the people, and it’s working. The things we say and do, we do it. ‘’
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When son says yes to father
The biggest and most personal pipeline has been at Plant High School in Tampa. Four players are from there, wide receiver Whop Philyor, defensive back Juwan Burgess, linebacker Micah McFadden, and linebacker Thomas Allen.
Tom Allen and Thomas Allen are father and son.
His favorite recruit. And his favorite coach.
"Sometimes he's coach, and sometimes he's Dad,'' Thomas said. "This is the greatest experience I'll ever have with him being there on the sideline and seeing him every day, because I didn't have that before.
"He never really got to me play much in high school, maybe eight games total my entire career. For him to be there for everything now is great. The best thing is game day, because all the family is there.''
And they have a rule about not bringing football home. His mother Tracy laid down that one.
"My mom said "I'm done.' We've both done better at ending all the football talk at the dinner table,'' Thomas said. "During the season, he and I just go out to dinner on Thursday night. We started that last year at it was really good. Sometimes my girlfriend will come, and my mom, too, and it's really nice. That really helped me — and him too — to just hang out. It's really fun.''
Now that's a relationship.
Indiana linebacker Thomas Allen (left) is the son of head coach Tom Allen.
The complete 'Florida Pipeline' series
Part 1, The Relationships: Indiana coaches have signed 25 players from Florida by making the state a go-to destination. CLICK HERE
Part 2, The Quarterback: How Michael Penix Jr., became a recruiting priority, and how Indiana got their man. CLICK HERE
Part 3: The Hurricane: Going through the pain of a major hurricane was made easier by being surrounded by so many Florida friends. CLICK HERE
Part 4: The Perception: The perception from Florida families and high school coaches is that Indiana is doing all the right things in recruiting Florida, and the results are obvious. CLICK HERE
