Sam Simpson Becomes First Member of 2026 Indiana Football Recruiting Class

The Indiana football program recently picked up a commitment from offensive lineman Sam Simpson, who also had offers from Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas.

Samuel Simpson is an offensive lineman from River Falls High School in Wisconsin. | photo via @SamSimpson2026 on X

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana has landed the first member of its 2026 high school recruiting class.

Sam Simpson, an offensive lineman from Wisconsin, recently announced his commitment to Indiana.

LETS GO! @CCignettiIU @Coach_Bostad @IndianaFootball @CoachScherz @CoachMHaskins #WIN26 #IUFB pic.twitter.com/1aF9VGtfBv

— Samuel "Sam" Simpson (@SamSimpson2026) February 1, 2025

Simpson is a 6-foot-4, 295-pound offensive lineman currently in his junior year at River Falls High School in Wisconsin. He's considered a three-star recruit, the No. 48 interior offensive lineman and the second-ranked player in Wisconsin among class of 2026 recruits.

Simpson was named to the 2024 WFCA large school all-state team, as well as the 2024 Big Rivers Conference first-team offense.

Indiana offensive line coach Bob Bostad visited Simpson on Jan. 29, and he announced a scholarship offer on Jan. 31 during his visit to Bloomington. He also held offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois and Kansas.

Simpson is the first member of Indiana's 2026 recruiting class, but the Hoosiers' 2025 recruiting class included three offensive linemen: Baylor Wilkin, Matt Marek and Evan Parker. Indiana also landed three offensive lineman in the transfer portal in recent weeks: Pat Coogan, Kahlil Benson and Zen Michalski.

Bostad will be in his third season as Indiana's offensive line coach in 2025, following recent stints at Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Bucanneers and Tennessee Titans.

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