Indiana Connections at Notre Dame Force RB Commit Sedrick Irvin Jr. to Look Elsewhere

When working backs coach Deland McCullough left Indiana for a similar job at Notre Dame, he was capable of take prized recruit Gi’Bran Payne from Cincinnati together with him a number of weeks later. That ripple impact has pressured one other high working again recruit — Sedrick Payne Jr., the son of former Michigan State legend Sedrick Payne Jr. — to decommit from the Irish and search for a brand new faculty.

Irvin, the No. 21-ranked working again within the class of 2023, performs for Columbus Excessive Faculty in Miami, Fla. His father Sedrick Sr. ran for 3,500-plus yards and 35 touchdowns at Michigan State within the late Nineteen Nineties, and he is cousins with NFL Corridor of Fame broad receiver Michael Irvin. 

Irvin Jr. has a number of provides already — together with Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Michigan State, Michigan, Stanford and Oregon — however they’re additionally nonetheless sad with how issues performed out at Notre Dame.

Irvin’s father talked with Sports activities Illustrated’s John Garcia, and he is under no circumstances proud of McCullough and new Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.

“I acquired a textual content from the recruiting coordinator to inform me if I can discuss to him and the working backs coach,” Irvin Sr. says. “I knew what it was already about. They acquired a brand new working backs coach [Deland McCullough], who didn’t recruit Sed when he was at Indiana. He had guys he was already recruiting and he additionally introduced a child that was dedicated to Indiana [Gi’Bran Payne] to Notre Dame. He acquired him to de-commit.

“Whenever you try this, I already knew one thing was up.”

• To learn the whole Sports activities Illustrated story, CLICK HERE

McCullough spent only one season on Tom Allen’s workers at Indiana as an affiliate head coach and working backs coach. He returned to Bloomington after teaching the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs working backs for 3 years, and it was a giant deal when he returned. He additionally coached at Indiana from 2011 to 2016.

A pleasant perk of McCullough’s return was that each one three of his older sons dedicated to Indiana. In a way, it was a homecoming for the McCullough household as a result of his sons Deland Jr., Dasan and Daeh all grew up across the Indiana program. 

Deland Jr. began his school soccer profession at Miami of Ohio, however he transferred to Indiana earlier than the 2021 season. Dasan is the top-ranked recruit in Indiana soccer historical past, and at 6-foot-5, he has performed defensive again, linebacker and defensive finish all through his highschool profession. Daeh, a four-star defensive again, performed alongside Dasan at Bloomington South Excessive Faculty final season.

In a single brief yr, McCullough helped the Hoosiers land their finest recruiting class at school historical past, which included Payne, who’s the No. 22 working again within the class of 2022, and he was the No. 1-ranked working again within the state of Ohio. 

However after a 2-10 season at Indiana, McCullough left Bloomington to educate working backs at Notre Dame. Deland Jr. and Dasan will play for the Hoosiers in 2022, however Daeh not too long ago reopened his recruitment. 

Associated tales on Indiana soccer

• TRANSFER FOCUS ON RUNNING BACKS: With Indiana’s high 4 working backs from 2021 gone, Tom Allen hit the switch portal to herald Shaun Shivers from Auburn and Josh Henderson from North Carolina. And with a brand new working backs coach, a featured function is up for grabs. CLICK HERE
• MEET THE COACHES, CRAIG JOHNSON: Craig Johnson brings almost 20 years of NFL teaching expertise to Bloomington as he replaces Deland McCullough as Indiana’s affiliate head coach and working backs coach. He inherits a backfield that has seen huge adjustments by way of the switch portal, creating competitors and alternative within the backfield. CLICK HERE
• SHIVERS COMMITS TO IU: Indiana’s depleted working backs room acquired some assistance on Saturday when former Auburn again Shaun Shivers dedicated to the Hoosiers. He may have one yr of eligibility in Bloomington. CLICK HERE