BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football landed a verbal commitment from Center Grove offensive lineman C.J. Scifres on Saturday.
It was part of a busy recruiting week that saw the Hoosiers land five commitments and jump to No. 31 in the On3 industry rankings with 15 commits in the 2026 class.
Scifres posted his decision on social media after taking an official visit over the weekend. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound offensive lineman is a three-star recruit, per 247 Sports, and not rated by On3.
The Hoosiers have landed pledges from four in-state prospects this cycle — a list that also includes Decatur Central defensive back Kasmir Hicks, Crown Point defensive end Trevor Gibbs and Franklin Community defensive lineman Blake Smythe — and three offensive linemen.
Indiana football flips Kevontay Hugan from Louisville
The highest-ranked recruit IU landed was three-star defensive lineman Kevontay Hugan. The Florida native is the No. 379 recruit in the class, per On3’s industry rankings.
Hugan committed to Louisville in March, but flipped his pledge after an official visit to Bloomington this month. His list of offers includes Baylor, Illinois, Maryland, Miami, Missouri, Penn State and USC.
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The defender had 118 total tackles (76 solo) with 18 sacks for Booker High School last season.
Hugan is the fifth IU commit this cycle ranked among the top 500 recruits, per On3. Four-star safety Byron Baldwin was the only signee in last year’s class ranked in the top 500.
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Indiana also landed commitments from a trio of three-star prospects: linebacker Ja’Dyn Williams, tight end PJ MacFarlane and wide receiver Kortez Rupert. Each had more than 20 scholarship offers.
The commitments from Williams and MacFarlane continued coach Curt Cignetti’s staff success in Ohio. Williams attends Washington High School in Massillon, which is 20 miles outside of Canton, and MacFarlane goes to Lakota East in the suburbs of Cincinnati.
Williams took official visits to Virginia and Boston College before making a decision, while MacFarlane visited Missouri and Northwestern.
Rupert showed off his big play ability for East St. Louis High School (Illinois) last season with 24 catches for 660 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s the No. 975 ranked recruit in the 2026 class and No. 160-ranked receiver, per On3.
He’s the first receiver commitment for the Hoosiers in this cycle.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Center Grove offensive lineman among 5 commitments to Indiana football this week
Reporting by Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times / Indianapolis Star
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