Curt Cignetti building recruiting momentum with IU football. Here's how 2025 class looks.
Upon his arrival in Bloomington, Curt Cignetti overhauled IU football's recruiting department. And so far, the Hoosiers are starting to see the fruits of their labor with 10 commitments in a 2025 recruiting class ranked in the top-40 by On3.com.
After spending "90%" of his time on the transfer portal in his first months on the job, Cignetti has been able to turn his attention to the 2025 class. His pitch to potential recruits? "It's pretty simple: I win. Google me."
Here's a closer look at IU's early 2025 recruiting haul:
INDIANA FOOTBALL 2025 COMMITS
Players listed alphabetically. All rankings via On3.com.
S Byron Baldwin
Height/Weight: 5-11/170
School: Calvert Hall College (Baltimore, Md.)
Rankings: 4 stars, No. 30 at position, No. 334 in nation, No. 8 in Maryland
Baldwin is the highest-rated of IU's 2025 class. He's posted 114 total tackles, six pass breakups and four interceptions over the past two seasons. He picked IU over Minnesota, Rutgers, Syracuse and Wisconsin.
“I loved everything about Indiana,” Baldwin told 247Sports.com. “I flew in that morning and I got to practice a little late, but I got to see most of the practice and I saw the intensity they had. I watched Coach Ola (Adams) working with the players and how he reacted to the good plays and how he reacted to the bad plays... I really believe in (Curt Cignetti's) vision because he came there from JMU where he was really successful. His mindset and his drive is just different right now because he's really got something to prove now that he is at a Power 5 school. That’s how I want to come… I want to come different and I want to come hard and I really want to go full speed into it and prove everybody wrong.”
CB Jaylen Bell
Height/Weight: 5-10/160
School: Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 65 at position, No. 657 in nation, No. 67 in Georgia
Once an LSU commit, Bell had 46 total tackles and one interception his junior year. Had offers from Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M and more.
Bell committed to LSU back in 2022. “After being committed for two years and now with a new defensive staff coming in I didn’t feel as much communication and felt like this could be a good time to reevaluate my situation and learn more about other universities,” he told USA TODAY Sports. "It was a very tough decision but I understand that this is a business. My brother is a college football coach (Tre' Ball coaches at Akron) so we are aware that this is a necessary step in the process. At the end of the day, I want to go where I feel the love 100%.”
WR LeBron Bond
Height/Weight: 5-9/155
School: Maury (Norfolk, Va.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 124 in position, No. 772 in nation, No. 23 in Virginia
Another state champion on this list, Bond chose IU over offers from Maryland, Old Dominion, Syracuse and East Carolina.
"On film you see him creating a lot of separation with his route running ability, he can catch the football in traffic and he can also take the top off," said On3.com's recruiting guru Steve Wiltfong. 'Big plays after the catch and in the return game as well."
Longtime recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said this about Bond: "... exceptional speed, burst, hands, route running and balance balance. Over 1,300 yards in receptions. Runs a 10.7 100m. Dynamic and explosive offensive player with game breaking ability."
RB Sean Cuono
Height/Weight: 5-11/180
School: Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 48 at position, No. 598 in nation, No. 73 in Florida
He rushed for 1,024 yards as a junior, averaging 7.1 yards per carry with eight touchdowns. The year before, Cuono rushed for 1,786 yards (8.0 per) with 256 receiving yards and 27 total touchdowns.
“The relationship I have with the coaches stood out to me,” Cuono told 247Sports. “I also have a history of family members going to IU.”
Cuono chose the Hoosiers over offers from Auburn, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
DL Jhrevious Hall
Height/Weight: 6-2/270
School: Columbia Central (Columbia, Tenn.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 69 at position, No. 785 in nation, No. 27 in Tennessee
No. 6 on The Tennessean's list of top-20 Nashville-area defensive linemen, Hall was consistently in the opponent's backfield with 40 tackles for a loss (82 total tackles) and 13 sacks. He had four forced fumbles and a defensive TD. The three-star athlete also had offers from Tennessee, Auburn, Louisville, Ole Miss, Missouri, Duke and Georgia Tech.
OT Matt Marek
Height/Weight: 6-4/280
School: Carl Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 67 at position, No. 1,036 in nation, No. 28 in Illinois
The first commitment in the 2025 class, Marek pledged to the Hoosiers on Jan. 31.
Here' a scouting report via Prep RedZone Illinois: "Marek is one of if not the best pass blocking left tackles in the class. At 6-4, the Indiana commit uses his length, hands and footwork to not allow defenders to get past him. Good athlete that is very comfortable in space vs. edge rushers. Drives in the run game and locks on to his man and rides him into the ground."
CBS Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming had this to say about Marek: "... one of the top offensive lineman in the Midwest. Possesses all the tools. Great feet, strong punch, nasty disposition and plays hard until the whistle. Great technique. Can play tackle or guard."
CB Chris McCorkle
Height/Weight: 6-1/173
School: Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, Fla.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 48 at position, No. 497 in nation, No. 66 in Florida
McCorkle had a hand or two in both the scoring play and the final play of Class 1 Suburban state championship game. Per the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, McCorkle caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 53 seconds left in regulation and then recorded an interception in the opposite end zone to set off a wild celebration for a program that had not won a football championship in 51 years.
“He’s a dog. I love that kid,” senior linebacker George Leibold said of McCorkle. “That kid is special. If you don’t know the name Chris McCorkle, you do now.”
IOL Evan Parker
Height/Weight: 6-4/305
School: Carmel (Carmel, Ind.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 82 at position, No. 971 in nation, No. 21 in Indiana
A Class 6A Junior All-State selection by the Indiana Football Coaches Association, Parker was originally offered by IU when Tom Allen was coach in September. Parker had a connection with Indiana offensive line coach Bob Bostad, who was retained by Curt Cignetti from the previous staff. Parker, who projects as an interior offensive lineman in college, had been receiving interest from other Power Five programs, including Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State and Purdue.
“I honestly probably could have waited and got more offers, but IU checks all the boxes in my head,” Parker told IndyStar's Kyle Neddenriep. “I was really impressed with everything I saw. It exceeded my standards for a program and I thought if I knew where I wanted to go, the sooner I commit the better. That way I can get to know the staff better and create relationships.”
S Garrett Reese
Height/Weight: 6-2/172
School: Nazareth Academy (Elmhurst, Ill.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 80 at position, No. 1,059 in nation, No. 30 in Illinois
A two-time state champion with Nazareth Academy, Reese picked IU over offers from Arizona State, Cal, Cincinnati and a host of MAC schools. A track standout, too, he qualified for the state meet in the triple jump
"I'm really excited to get out there for sure. It's been a dream of mine to play in the Big Ten. Indiana is a perfect fit for me," he told Shaw Local News.
CBS Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said of Reese: "Shows big time ability at wide receiver and free safety. Exceptional ball skills with a 38 inch vertical. Strong hands and big time speed. Great range on defense and runs precise routes on offense."
TE Blake Thiry
Height/Weight: 6-4/215
School: Prairie Du Chien (Prairie Du Chien, Wisc.)
Rankings: 3 stars, No. 67 at position, No. 1,096 in nation, No. 13 in Wisconsin
Thiry is the type of multi-sport athlete coaches like to mold. He qualified for wrestling state meet three times and competed at this spring's state track meet in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, triple jump and long jump, medaling in all four events and breaking the school record in the triple jump.
An all-state pick and conference player of the year as a junior, he rushed for 1,184 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns and caught 35 passes for 620 yards and six more TDs.
“They knew how to win at JMU and the message being sent to me that stuck out was that they believe they are going to get it done at IU," Thiry told On3.com. "I want to be a part of that change at Indiana.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football's 2025 recruiting commits under Curt Cignetti
