5 Dynamic 2026 Indiana Recruits To Know Before Everyone Else

<p>We're taking a look at 5 recruits in the 2026 class that are going to be really good players in the very near future. All 5 of these young men have either already made their presence felt or are set to do so this upcoming fall which is why you should get to know them today before everyone else does!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='212324' first='Dylan' last='Bowen'] - Hanover Central - DB/QB - 5'11" 150lbs</h2>   <p>Bowen had an absolutely phenomenal season for any aged player, especially a freshman. He came in and right away not only earned a Varsity starting spot, but then proved to the coaches that it was the right decision. Roaming the backend and controlling the air traffic, he proved to be a massive addition to the program. He's a fantastic athlete and very explosive when coming downhill. He reads, reacts, and loves to hit. He'll lower his shoulder with the intention to level the receiver. Bowen seems to have seemingly unlimited range and can open up and run with ease. He's such a good athlete that they started having him return kicks to see how he'd handle it. Last but not least on the football field, they had him running some QB runs. Like a Taysom Hill type player and it worked. He's such a good athlete with good vision that he's able to be a ball carrier with a direct snap. I said on the football field, because Bowen is also a good baseball player, which is why he's got a good arm and can rotate in at QB. Bowen caught me off guard, in a positive way. I loved his tape, I love his versatility, he's still young, and a very good athlete. He's got such a bright future if he's able to stick with it and continue to develop the right way.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Dylan_Bowen00</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='768397' first='Legend' last='Relue'] - Northrop - RB</h2>   <p>Relue is going to be a very fun name to watch this upcoming season. He's a dynamic back who lit it up for their JV squad last year and got some varsity reps because of it. While I wasn't able to find his H/W anywhere, and unable to message him, he's not a small back. He seems lengthy and has long strides. He's got great speed which allows him to get the corner and be gone quite often. His best game of the season last year was a 150-yard and 2 TD performance where he was making defenders look silly. If he doesn't take the starting RB job, he's at a minimum going to have a role and be on the field. He does a lot of things well, is a genuinely good athlete, and is on a team that'll need some people to step up. A tough conference makes it an uphill climb for Northrop, but they've got some talent to really explode as a team. Relue is another piece for them to build around for the next few years and he should give that team some life on the ground.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Legend_Relue</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='768395' first='Tairiq' last='Okocha'] - Lawrence Central - WR/DB - 5'10" 150lbs</h2>   <p>Okocha is a speedy athlete who is hard to cover when he's on offense. He's got the speed to run by just about anyone and a really wide catch radius. He's made some grabs in the back of the end-zone you'd only think a bigger WR could bring down. He's also continued his development playing 7 on 7 this winter where he's proved to be the same problem there as he is with pads on. What makes Okocha so dangerous is his initial burst. The way he's able to burst, twitch, and make some cuts that other guys can't is just different. He's not the biggest WR nor does he have the most amount of reps, but his talent is obvious which is why he won't need many to showcase what he can do. He's incredibly shifty and can make you miss in a phone booth which is why it's so hard to imagine he doesn't have some sort of Varsity role this year. Even getting him in Jet-sweeps and the Screen game could be huge for their offense. I'm a big fan of Okocha moving forward and think he's someone who can really develop into a star.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Tairiq_Okocha</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='768394' first='Atticus' last='Finley'] - Lawrence Central - DB - 5'8" 150lbs</h2>   <p>Finley is going to be a very steady piece for Fishers backend probably starting this fall. He's got some Varsity action to test his feet and he's always handled everything thrown at him with ease. He's a good athlete who doesn't feel like strains much when trying to get up to speed. He just seems to glide around the football field. I truthfully didn't know what to anticipate, but that's why you turn on the tape. Sometimes guys can really surprise you, and that was the case with Finley. Elite range and the ability to hit and follow through. While there are times he could take a better angle, it was his first year playing High School ball and he always had the athleticism to make up for it. So, as the reps come and he gets a better feel for the angles to take, it's only going to help him be a more complete and confident Safety. He's also comfortable sitting back in Zone and reading the QB's eyes to make a play on the ball. He's able to break up passes and pick balls as well if the opportunity is there. Finley has a lot of the intangibles you want from a guy to be securing your last line of defense, which makes him an easy bet to breakout target sooner than later.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@AtticusFinley21</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='768393' first='Brody' last='Aeschliman'] - Zionsville - LB - 5'10" 170lbs</h2>   <p>Aeschliman really developed throughout the season and the confidence on his tape week by week began to show. Who he was Week 1 is not who he was Week 9. He was a young player who just needed reps, as like most players. His Week 1 showed hesitation and a lack of trusting what he was seeing. Later in the season, he was the guy penetrating the backfield and creating TFLs. He was anticipating and cutting off ball carriers while making the tackle in the open field. I'm not sure what changed or when for him, but it's great to see. If he continues that growth while developing in the weight room, he could end up just forcing his way on the Varsity field this fall. If not, he's going to have another good year on JV. He's able to be physical at the point of attack and has strung more than one play East/West to cut off positive yardage. He's also been able to drop back and play some soft zone coverages. However, he's been most impactful near the LOS and right in the box. Overall, Aeschliman's right where he should be in terms of his development who could come out this fall and earn a Varsity role.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@BrodyAesch</strong></p>

We're taking a look at 5 recruits in the 2026 class that are going to be really good players in the very near future. All 5 of these young men have either already made their presence felt or are set to do so this upcoming fall which is why you should get to know them today before everyone else does!