Illinois State landed Trenton Hatfield, and he is excited to get started. The Muncie Central quarterback finished the 2015 season with 1,550 yards through the air, as well as 398 yards rushing. He looks poised for a breakout year in 2016.
“I have worked very, very hard over the past two years and I’ve dedicated myself to becoming the best QB I can be,” Hatfield tells IndyScout. “Also my performance at the combines, showcases and camps has shown that I am as good as any quarterback out there.”
His jump into the recruiting spotlight came when he smashed The Best of the Midwest combine. Shortly thereafter he landed his first offer from Illinois State, and it didn’t take long for him to make his decision.
“They had everything a high school football player would want in a school,” Hatfield said. “They have a very successful tradition. The coaching staff is amazing and they have been together for awhile. The facilities are amazing and a new indoor facility will be completed by my freshman year. … Academics are great too. It feels like I’ve played for the coaches for a couple (of) years already; that’s how they’ve treated me and my family.”
Hatfield says the ISU staff develops relationships outside of football, a factor that he was impressed with. He cited the town’s embracing of its football team as another quality factor. But for now, he aid he is focused on putting everything into his senior season.
“We have a chance to do something special at Muncie Central that has not been done since Ryan Kerrigan played,” Hatfield said. “My teammates have worked really hard in the offseason. The receivers and I have been throwing since football ended two to three times a week before school at 6 a.m. I’m really excited to see what great things my teammates will do this season.”
For recruiting advice for underclassmen, Hatifield said it has been a process that he has wanted and dreamed of. He said it can be both good and bad – good because of goals to play college football, but stressful and overwhelming at times.
“You make sure you focus on what you can control and that is it,” Hatfield said. “You cannot and should not focus on getting more offers or how big the offers are. If you are given the opportunity to play college football, you should consider yourself part of an elite group of high school football players. I consider myself very blessed.”
Well, that was fast.
On the same day he received an offer from Ball State, Heritage Christian OL Jake McKenzie committed to the Cardinals. McKenzie (#75 in picture) tells IndyScout that Ball State was his #1 choice.
“Since I got the offer, I don’t see a point in waiting for other offers, when it feels like the right choice for me,” McKenzie said. “I feel very honored that Ball State thinks I am the right fit for them.”
“I feel that Ball State is being led in the right direction under Coach (Mike) Neu and his staff. I think they are on the right track, with the right people in place to win games. I am blessed and thankful that they want to include me in their program.”
McKenzie’s only other offer was from Indiana State.
North Central LB Walter Haire committed to Bowling Green State on Tuesday. The 6’3″ 225 linebacker described his recruiting process as “stressful and competitive” and decided BGSU had the most to offer.
“I chose Bowling Green because it was a great fit it (and) reminds me of my high school team now,” Haire tells IndyScout. “How the players get to know each other and everything and it seems like home.”
Haire, who only had one other offer (Toledo), is blessed with size and range. He is Bowling Green’s second verbal commit from Indiana. Avon defensive lineman C.J. Hunt is also committed to the Falcons.
Fort Wayne Homestead quarterback Drew Keszei committed to Ohio University last night, and he tells IndyScout that the Bobcats are the right fit for him.
“It gives me a great opportunity to play early and I really love the school,” Keszei said. “I’m very excited to win games!”
In an interview in March, Keszei told IndyScout that he was looking for a school that had upperclassmen quarterbacks so that he could play sooner. Current Ohio quarterback Derrius Vick is entering his senior season. Ohio and Ball State were some of the first teams interested in Keszei in January.
Keszei also had offers from Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Illinois State.
The 2017 Indiana recruiting class will be graduating some strong men in the trenches next May, who will no doubt make an impact on college teams in the near future. Add Lebanon OL Luke Terrill and Heritage Christian DL Jake McKenzie to the list.
Terrill shined at a recent camp. His hard work paid off on Tuesday when he received his first offer from Illinois State.
“Receiving an offer is an awesome feeling,” Terill tells IndyScout. “I am honored that they believe in me to help their team. I want to bring my best to the next level.”
McKenzie, a 6’4” 245 defensive end from Heritage Christian, is a stout run defender with the size college coaches covet. His first offer came from Indiana State and more should follow. Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Miami-Ohio, Toledo, NIU and Air Force are among the programs interested in him.
“I am feeling extremely blessed and thankful for all the people in my life who have helped me reach this point in my life,” McKenzie tells IndyScout. “I also have an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and feeling that hard work is finally paying off.”
Terrill said he has been in touch with several MAC schools and has been drawing interest from Purdue, Illinois and Indiana.
DJ Johnson got an offer from Bowling Green State last week and he figures to get more in the near future.
“I feel great” Johnson told IndyScout after the offer. “My hard work is beginning to pay off and I’m making my mother very proud.”
Johnson, a 6’1” 160 defensive back from Indianapolis North Central, is a 2018 player. He will be at camps at Ball State, Purdue, and Louisville, and will also attend a Minnesota satellite camp.
No one in the state has bigger shoes to fill than Cameron Misner.
The 2018 quarterback for Avon will take control of an offense that graduated arguably the top quarterback in the nation – Brandon Peters.
But Peters didn’t leave Misner empty-handed.
“Brandon was a great mentor to me,” Misner tells IndyScout. “He taught me a lot of things that would’ve been hard to learn from someone who wasn’t as high profile and talented as he was.”
Misner “got a few snaps in blowouts” in 2015. But he said “that doesn’t show exactly how fast the game is, especially at the 6A level.”
Still, Misner has had a busy offseason. He thew at camps at Bowling Green and Michigan. He also threw at Purdue on Sunday and is slated to go to Miami-Ohio this week. Illinois and Indiana are on his schedule, too. Despite losing a bunch of great receivers on offense, Misner remains confident in his supporting cast. That returning group includes a top running back and Indiana commit Bryant Fitzgerald, as well as Bowling Green State commit CJ Hunt.
“I’m really excited for next year,” Misner said. “I have a talented team around me that will make my job a lot easier.”
Fiske, a 6’3″ 235 DL, won MVP at Indiana State’s camp last week.
Birthday: January 18th, 2000
What is your greatest memory so far as a high school player?
Our comeback win against our rival Laporte on homecoming night.
What motivates you to play the game?
Really just my love for the game, stepping out on that field with your brothers about to go to war. There’s nothing like it.
Do you have any family members who have played?
My dad and my uncle both played football up to high school in Ohio.
Have you had any recruiting attention lately?
Indiana University, Indiana State University, Eastern Kentucky University and a few Division II schools have came to my school to visit me. Also, during my freshman year I went on a visit to Marian University.
What are you looking for in a school?
In a college I look for a school that is going to help me academically for my life after football because you are never guaranteed another down of football and you need a back up plan. But also, I look for a college that is very serious about their football.
Ryder Burchett raised a few eyebrows at yesterday’s Michigan satellite camp at Bishop Chatard. He was the fastest of all the offensive line participants. He also won three out of four one-on-ones. On tape, the 6’4” 265-pound Burchett, who starts at left tackle for the Woodmen, exhibits a sudden first step and quickly works to the second level. At the camp, Burchett said he learned a great deal from the Michigan staff: “I learned how to pass set better, better zone blocking technique, and footwork.”
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