Putting pen to paper, the University of Indianapolis football program announced their recruiting class for National Signing Day 2023 on Feb. 1, according to UIndy Athletics. UIndy Football Head Coach Chris Keevers said he is excited about this incoming class and what they can bring to the program.
“Every class, the number one thing you want to do is find UIndy fits [players that fit the program]; you’ve got to find people that fit our school and fit our program…,” Keevers said. “We want great students and great players and great people…. We brought in a bunch of UIndy fits and we brought in a bunch of guys that are really good students and good people [that] should make our football team better.”
The Greyhounds are welcoming 54 new players who will suit up this coming fall for the 2023 season, according to UIndy Athletics. This includes players on offense, defense and special teams. UIndy Football Offensive Coordinator Brad Wilson said that many of the players are coming from good programs.
“We’ve got a bunch of quality human beings that are coming into the program,” Wilson said. “A lot of them played multiple sports, which I think is valuable, some explosive players in that class to add to our offense. The transition from high school to college is always a challenge but getting guys from quality programs that can come in here and compete [is important]. [I] really like how the class ended up.”
In addition to the new recruits bringing their talents to the program, the team hopes to continue to build its culture, according to Keevers and Wilson.
“For our kids that we attract to our program and bring into our program, they have to have a mentality of, ‘We’re going to come in and we’re going to work’… and [an] understanding [of] our culture from a workman standpoint [involves] working on the details and making sure we’re working together…,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of work that goes into it but you got to enjoy the time, the four or five years that you’re on campus. We have a strong program coming back; we feel really good about the kids returning. So it’s all about adding new people [players] to that culture and continuing for that to grow.”
With the new players coming into the program, the hope is they can learn from this Greyhound football culture, according to Keevers. For the next class, he said the recruiting has already started and will kick into high gear after the spring ball game.
“We started [recruiting] on Monday; it’s an evaluation period that really gets going after spring ball,” Keevers said. “We go out in April and hit schools and watch tape[s] and start making lists of guys we want to recruit. Then, we go during the summer, and then we hit camps. We all go out to camps all over the Midwest and watch kids and find players.”
Along with the announcements of the new recruiting class, the spring ball game has been confirmed for April 22 at Key Stadium, according to UIndy Athletics. Keevers said it’s an opportunity for the team to improve.
“[The spring ball game] is a chance to make our team better and our team [to] develop and get closer,” Keevers said. “It’s [a] really good time to improve. We have fun with [it].”
Wilson said he sees a major opportunity to improve the two weeks before the spring ball game in practices, runs and lifting. The spring ball game will be held at 1 p.m. at Key Stadium with an alumni tailgate beforehand. Keevers said the game is an opportunity for the players to enjoy playing together along with fans and come out and enjoy watching the game, too.
