Darian DeVries is looking to make a big splash on the recruiting trail. DeVries has heavily leaned on the transfer portal over the course of his first two offseasons in Bloomington, but it's clear that he has plenty of focus on high school recruiting as well. He has landed several promising recruiting wins, but hasn't been able to land that signature commit that catapults Indiana back among the big boys.
Indiana's 2026 recruiting class looks extremely promising, as Vaughn Karvala, Prince Alexander-Moody, and Trevor Manhertz all made strong first impressions during the FISU American Games this summer. DeVries already has a commitment in the 2027 recruiting cycle in the form of 4-star guard Chase Branham, who is ranked as the No. 28 overall player and No. 5 shooting guard in the country according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
Looking ahead, DeVries and his staff have several strong opportunities to make a major recruiting splash. Indiana already has an official visit lined up for 5-star center Darius Wabbington on September 5. Owning a 6'11" 245-pound frame, Wabbington is ranked as the No. 2 center and No. 14 overall player in the nation for the 2027 class according to Rivals. Indiana is among his list of finalists, along with Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisville, and Texas.
Over the weekend, DeVries and the Hoosiers secured another official visit for another 5-star prospect––this time in the 2028 class.
2028 5-star PG Brady Pettigrew schedules official visit to Indiana
According to 247Sports national analyst Dushawn London, Indiana is set to host 5-star recruit Brady Pettigrew for a visit from September 18-20. Pettigrew is a 6'3" 170-pound point guard hailing from Bolingbrook, IL, and averaged over 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game as a sophomore at Bolingbrook High School. He played travel ball for Bradley Beal Elite on the Nike EYBL Circuit, and his 24.4 points per game were the second-most among all players in the 2028 class.
Pettigrew is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2028 recruiting cycle. He is heralded as the No. 1 overall player in the state of Illinois, as well as the No. 2 point guard and No. 14 overall player in the country by 247Sports.
His visit to IU in September won't be the first time that he makes his way to Bloomington. He took an unofficial visit to Indiana during the spring. His return for an official visit in the fall signals that DeVries has the Hoosiers moving things in the right direction during Pettigrew's recruitment process.
The competition is fierce for Pettigrew's services. His visit to Indiana in September is one of nine official visits he has slated for the fall. Other visits on his calendar include Michigan on September 12, Florida on September 25, Illinois on October 2, North Carolina on October 9, Kentucky on October 23, BYU on October 30, and Ohio State on November 6. With so many other teams in the mix, DeVries has a chance to make a serious statement by emerging from the pack in Pettigrew's recruitment.
While it's certainly exciting to have an official visit lined up, it will likely be a while before Pettigrew makes any sort of commitment decision. With nine visits on his calendar, he is likely to spend the fall evaluating where those teams stand before narrowing his list of contenders down. DeVries is undoubtedly hoping to make him the first 5-star commit during his tenure.
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