When Coach Wilson came, IU football was awful. Lousy culture, not much talent, and what talent existed seemed to lack the mental approach to make the program good. Recruiting was simply signing a bunch of "guys". You signed who you could get and the teams just weren't competitive with better teams.
To OSU, MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the better conference teams, IU was a break in the schedule. IU was a bye week. The number of BCS level players on the roster was negligible.
Coach Wilson had to upgrade recruiting from getting "who we could get" to what it is now. And they are trying to take it to even higher levels. IU's recruiting has come miles from what it's been. But it hasn't "arrived". IF OSU was signing IU's recruits, half of Columbus would be leaping off buildings. BUT.. IU is now starting to put BCS level athletes on the field. Particularly on defense. They are moving from getting everyone's sacrificial lamb week in and week out to the point where they can compete for much of the game with OSU and Michigan and other top schools. They may not yet win, but those days are coming.
There was a time when a recruit could come in and play immediately at IU. But with improved recruiting, experience, and depth, it will be harder for kids to just show up and play automatically. They will have to grow into playing time. As IU gets better, Elite kids may get time early, but they are going to be fewer than before.
IU's going to have somewhere around 15 scholarships to give this next season. And they aren't going to just give them to "just guys" anymore. And those kids are going to have to be pretty good to get time on the field in their careers.
And that's a good thing.
To OSU, MSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, and the better conference teams, IU was a break in the schedule. IU was a bye week. The number of BCS level players on the roster was negligible.
Coach Wilson had to upgrade recruiting from getting "who we could get" to what it is now. And they are trying to take it to even higher levels. IU's recruiting has come miles from what it's been. But it hasn't "arrived". IF OSU was signing IU's recruits, half of Columbus would be leaping off buildings. BUT.. IU is now starting to put BCS level athletes on the field. Particularly on defense. They are moving from getting everyone's sacrificial lamb week in and week out to the point where they can compete for much of the game with OSU and Michigan and other top schools. They may not yet win, but those days are coming.
There was a time when a recruit could come in and play immediately at IU. But with improved recruiting, experience, and depth, it will be harder for kids to just show up and play automatically. They will have to grow into playing time. As IU gets better, Elite kids may get time early, but they are going to be fewer than before.
IU's going to have somewhere around 15 scholarships to give this next season. And they aren't going to just give them to "just guys" anymore. And those kids are going to have to be pretty good to get time on the field in their careers.
And that's a good thing.
