The Indiana Hoosiers face arguably their last major regular season hurdle in No. 20 USC on Saturday. This Big Ten Conference showdown certainly carries College Football Playoff implications. But also serves as a great chance for coach Curt Cignetti and his staff to win over a top 10 quarterback prospect visiting Bloomington on a recruiting trip.
Especially with another renowned quarterback guru on the other side in USC coach Lincoln Riley.
Here’s who Indiana can aim to win over during his recruiting visit.
Prospect Also is No. 1 in His State
Rivals recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong rolled out the starting list of recruiting targets who’ll take in the showdown. Arguably, the biggest name to show up representing the 2029 graduating class is four-star quarterback Hunter McLaughlin. The same rising standout from Archbishop Moeller High, who ranks No. 1 in the state of Indiana for his graduating class per Rivals.
“I’m very excited to get back to Indiana this weekend for the USC game!” McLaughlin said to Wiltfong. “They have had some really close games the last few weeks. I’m excited to see how the team responds to another big time opponent.”
The 6-foot-3 McLaughlin adds that he believes Cignetti will have a great game plan for the Trojans. But adds who he can’t wait to interact with as well.
“I’m also looking forward to spending time with Coach [Tino] Sunseri and Coach [Reed] Relosky,” McLaughlin said, referencing the two quarterback coaches for the Hoosiers. “I really connect with them and love how close they are with their quarterbacks. Plus how they coach them.”
Indiana is making him feel like a wanted priority this early in the recruiting game.
“Everyone at IU has been great and it is definitely a place I could see myself playing at one day,” he said.
Indiana Also Hosting High-Profile QB
Except this one is already verbally committed to the defending national champions.
“Indiana’s prized 2028 quarterback commit Lukas Prock will be back on campus,” Wiltfong writes. “The Hun School standout is having a fantastic junior season: ranking second nationally with 4,152 passing yards and 35 touchdowns.”
Indiana landed him back in July and claimed the victory over some heavyweights: Ohio State, Notre Dame and Penn State among others. But unlike McLaughlin, Prock isn’t an in-state recruit.
Prock stars for one of the state of Massachusetts’ top powerhouses. The Hun School QB ranks as the state’s third-overall prospect per Rivals and ESPN. Indiana also won over the nation’s fourth-best overall quarterback prospect for the class of 2028. So Prock joins McLaughlin as early QB prospects taking in Memorial Stadium.
These QBs could see IU roll with a two-passer look against USC. Early season starter Josh Hoover is dealing with a shoulder/arm ailment on his throwing side. Grant Wilson took over during the Minnesota contest and hit 9-of-17 for 156 yards and tossed one touchdown in the 23-16 victory.
What’s at Stake Between Indiana vs. USC
IU controls its own destiny into getting back inside Lucas Oil Field for the Big Ten title game. A possible matchup with current unbeaten UCLA could be in the works there come Dec. 5.
But USC catapulted back into both the Big Ten and CFP race thanks to stunning No. 2 Ohio State on Halloween. The Trojans beating the Hoosiers certainly will boost their own chances to play at Indy and sneak into the 12-team playoff field.
If Indiana loses, IU still has a chance to make it into the playoff with a 10-2 mark. But will need some external factors to play into its favor. Notably with seeing some two-loss SEC teams add a third defeat before that conference plays their championship game during the same December weekend.
Top 10 Quarterback Prospect ‘Excited’ for Visit to Indiana Versus USC