5 Versatile Central Indiana 2026 Recruits On The Verge Of Stardom

<p>We're heading to Central Indiana today to look at 5 recruits who are right on that verge of blowing up. The talent these 5 have is incredible, and they are examples as to why Indiana is one of the best rising football states in the country.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='533146' first='Daecion' last='Echols'] - Muncie Central - LB - 6'2" 215lbs</h2>   <p>Echols is a fantastic athlete who can truly move around just about anywhere you could draw up. His size is unmatched, yet is still growing into his frame. He's got lengthy strides and long arms as well. He's very interesting simply because of his size and range he can cover. If they stick him in the backend, you've got a 6'2" safety with great range. Keep him at LB and you've got a thick, big, and strong LB to build around for years to come. Wherever he was this past fall, it didn't matter to him, he was making the play. He's explosive and twitchy while being able to bend and run. Last year, there were even times they put him at 7 or 9 tech and let him go after the QB. He's handled everything they've thrown at him and you can only expect them to rely on him more over the next few years. Last year alone, all on Varsity, Echols put up 71 tackles with 43 being solo, 11 TFLs, 3 sacks, and recovered a pair of fumbles. A truly remarkable season from a young player who really seems to be hitting his stride. Echols is a guy you don't want to be late to the party on.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@1Daeci</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='205681' first='Carsen' last='Eloms'] - Fishers - WR - 5'11" 160lbs</h2>   <p>Eloms is an upcoming play-maker who is going to cause stress to defensive coordinators sooner rather than later. He's quick, shifty, and is just good with the ball in his hands. He was returning kicks last year and from my count, had 2 house calls and was a shoelace tackle away from a 3rd. While it wasn't on Varsity, to show that level of versatility is going to be huge for his future. In the receiving game, Eloms has incredible hands. He's able to make ridiculous catches look fairly easy at times. He's probably a bit too good at winning under-thrown balls. When he gets a QB who he can't outrun, his production could easily skyrocket. There have been times he cooked his DB and gotten multiple yards of separation just to be under-thrown. While his route tree isn't perfect, you can tell he spends time working on it and working on cuts. He's still a bit raw, but he's young, and looks good for where he is. As the development and reps come for Eloms, he could easily become one of the better WRs in the region.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@CarsenEloms</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='770670' first='Andrew' last='Sloan'] - Heritage Christian - WR - 5'10" 150lbs</h2>   <p>Sloan has flashed and shown potential in quite a few different areas which has to have the coaching staff excited. He's listed at 5'10," but certainly seems longer than that. If not, I anticipate he will be soon. However, no matter what happens, it's a good idea to get the ball in his hands or thrown his direction. There are plays where it feels like he's got a magnet on his glove with some of the contested catches he's able to bring down. He's really quick and has long strides as well as the ability to shake off defenders. He's got fairly good vision with the ball in his hand and I assume part of that is his Point Guard basketball background coming through. A lot of times, Point Guards need to anticipate and see passing lanes that others can't, so it can often be a trait that helps them thrive on a football field as well. He has the speed to take the top off of a defense as well as the ability to create near the LOS. Sloan is a perfect example of a guy to get familiar with before there's a list of schools wanting to get him on campus.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Andrew_Sloan1</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='560097' first='Corey' last='Andrews'] - Linton Stockton - ATH - 6'2" 205lbs</h2>   <p>Andrews is a game changing player who made his presence known throughout the entire state right away last year. He played last year at North Daviess, but will be playing at Linton Stockton next year. Last season with North Daviess, he was everything you'd hope a young player to be. He's explosive on the defensive side of the ball and just knows how to get in the backfield to make the play. So much so, it got the point there were double teams looking for him when he was in the second level. He's able to wrap up in the open field and run down any ball carrier that slips past the line, but with Andrews that doesn't happen to often. Last season, he put up a 71 tackles, but an incredible 14 TFLs and 8 Sacks. He was the state leader for defensive players in the 2026 class in those areas as well. On top of everything he did defensively last year for them, he also worked in at RB as well as doing some punting. A punt long of 64-yards while pinning multiple punts back inside the 20 on top of leading the state in Sacks is just an example of the raw athleticism this young man has. Andrews isn't going to be under the radar very much longer, and deservedly so.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@Corey_Andrews07</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='770671' first='Alexander' last='Hamm'] - Noblesville - LB/RB - 5'11" 200lbs</h2>   <p>Hamm is coming off of a season in which his development throughout the year was incredible. His first few games showed he knew how to get to where he needed to be, but a lack of confidence in doing so. He quickly figured out that what he was seeing and doing, was the right thing more often than not. As his confidence grew, his range grew. He was flying around the backend of the defense and hustling from 1 sideline to the other. He was hitting with force not hesitating before making said decision. He's explosive when coming off of the edge and was able to get home in a few instances this year, including once on Special Teams during a punt attempt. Hamm really began to flourish in the running game seeing things out in the second level. Shedding blocks, keeping his hips square, and coming downhill to make the tackle with a good angle became his theme before too long. I like Hamm, I really do. I feel like he needed to have the season he did. To see that he can have moments of hesitation and then over come it while being right, can only boost his confidence, which is exactly what it did. Hamm is a guy I can see coming out and earning a role on Varsity in 1 fashion or another this fall.</p>   <p>Twitter: <strong>@AlexHamm2026</strong></p>

We're heading to Central Indiana today to look at 5 recruits who are right on that verge of blowing up. The talent these 5 have is incredible, and they are examples as to why Indiana is one of the best rising football states in the country.