Bill Lynch and the Indiana University football team landed one of the biggest commitments IU has seen in some time when
Darius Willis committed to the Hoosiers back in December. Willis, who is 6’0”, 215 lbs, starred at running back for Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis. The ultra-productive Willis was one of the top in-state recruits, amassing 1,728 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns and being named runner-up for the state Mr. Football award.
Willis left many of his opponents in the dust at Franklin Central
IUplanet got a chance to talk to Darius today about his recruitment and coming to play next season.
About his recruitment late last year, he cited several factors that really drew him in to IU. “It’s close to home, it’s a great school, a great business school. It just felt a lot different than any other place that I had visited,” he said about making his decision. “My mom was a big [factor in my decision], the program was right, and the school, it speaks for itself.”
He also had good things to say about Coach Lynch and the rest of the coaching staff, including Billy Lynch, one of his main recruiters. “They’re great coaches, they’re funny, and they know what they’re doing.”
Willis is particularly excited about the opportunities that the Kelley School of Business offers, saying that he plans to study business management. “IU is known for a great business school and great professors, so that will be fun,” he said. He plans to get a head-start by taking classes later this summer.
Coming into an IU program that relied on currently suspended quarterback Kellen Lewis for much of its running attack, Willis should play a major role in the improvement of the Hoosier ground game alongside veterans Bryan Payton and Marcus Thigpen, as well as incoming recruits like
Shane Covington.
When asked about how he might fit in with the growing stable of runners, particularly Payton and Thigpen, Willis said, “I think it’ll be fun, really. Nowadays you need a lot of running backs. We’ll be one for another, and it’ll be a good 1-2-3 punch.”
Despite the high expectations, however, Willis remains humble about his outstanding talent and determined to earn his spot in the backfield. He said that the speculation and analysis didn’t really get to him much. “I just know I’ve got to go out there and do my job. I really don’t think much about what other people say, I just go out there and do it for the team,” he said.
When asked to describe his game, he kept it plain and simple: “I work hard every play, sacrifice, and I leave everything on the field.”Although it was difficult to get him to talk about some of his strengths on the field (you don’t just get 28 touchdowns in a season by being average!), he did mention speed and power as some of his favorable attributes. On the other hand, he cited footwork as something that he needed to focus on improving before the season started.
Willis also stated that he was very optimistic about the upcoming season, despite some key losses on both sides of the ball. “We just need to stay positive, don’t hit no bumps,” he said. “It could be a better season than last year, and we can do that by working hard day-in night-out, doing the right things, just taking care of the little things that matter.”
If that attitude prevails during practice and game-time this season, expect continued improvement and even more success from Willis and the Hoosier program this season.
Many thanks to Darius Willis for this interview!
More Indiana Football
Buy your IU football season tickets here!
Linear Mode
