Few states can match the defensive muscle the 2021 MaxPreps Preseason Indiana All-State Football Team can flex. Led by a dominant defensive line, the Hoosier State is home to some of the country's top prospects and players.
Westfield senior running back Micah Hauser.
Photo by Sean Barney/Graphic by Ryan Escobar
FIRST TEAM OFFENSEQB: Brady Allen, Gibson Southern (Fort Branch) | 6-5 | 195 | Sr.Purdue commit is a Top 20 quarterback prospect nationally. IFCA Top 50 All-State last year. Enters senior season with 7,665 passing yards, 91 passing TDs and 19 interceptions. Has also rushed for 11 TDs.
QB: Tayven Jackson, Center Grove (Greenwood) | 6-4 | 195 | Sr.Tennessee commit threw for 1,756 yards and accounted for 23 TDs last season in leading the Trojans to the Class 6A state title. Top 15 quarterback prospect nationally. Holds 34 offers.
RB: Micah Hauser, Westfield | 5-11 | 180 | Sr.Ran for 941 yards and 11 TDs last year en route to earning IFCA Top 50 All-State honors and helping the Shamrocks finish 6A state runner-up. Doubles as a standout safety (207 career tackles). Has 2,284 career all-purpose yards and 22 TDs.
RB: Lavarion Logan, Merrillville | 5-11 | 205 | Sr.IFCA Class 6A Junior All-State selection last year after rushing for 1,492 yards and 23 TDs.
WR: Omar Cooper, Lawrence North (Indianapolis) | 6-1 | 185 | Sr.Indiana commit is the state’s top receiving prospect. IFCA Top 50 All-State last year after catching 38 passes for 1,101 yards and 14 TDs. Had 53 receptions for 1.024 yards and 13 TDs as a sophomore.
WR: Nathan Anderson, Homestead (Fort Wayne) | 6-0 | 170 | Sr.IFCA Class 6A Junior All-State selection last year. Three-star prospect owns 15 offers, including Army, Navy, and several MAC schools. Committed to Western Michigan.
TE: Jeffrey Simmons, Fishers | 6-6 | 203 | Sr.Miami (Ohio) commit is one of the state’s Top 20 prospects overall. IFCA Class 6A Junior All-State selection last year after catching 26 passes for 350 yards and five TDs. Holds eight offers, including Indiana, Rutgers and Cincinnati.
OL: Joey Tanona, Zionsville | 6-5 | 295 | Sr.Notre Dame commit is a Top 20 tackle prospect nationally and the state’s No. 4 prospect regardless of position. IFCA Top 50 All-State and MaxPreps first team All-State last year.
OL: Demon Moore, Fort Wayne Snider | 6-5 | 315 | Sr.Indiana commit is one of the country’s Top 30 interior lineman prospects. MaxPreps first team All-State last year.
OL: Landen Livingston, Leo | 6-4 | 280 | Sr.Top 20 interior linemen prospect nationally has committed to West Virginia. IFCA Top 50 All-State last year.
State’s top overall prospect is a Top 10 tackle nationally. Holds 63 offers. Committed to Kentucky. IFCA Class 3A Junior All-State selection last year.
OL: Ashton Craig, Lawrenceburg | 6-5 | 283 | Sr.Notre Dame commit is one of the state’s Top 10 prospects overall. IFCA Class 3A Junior All-State selection last year. Holds 25 offers, including Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern and Florida State.
K: Ben Fronk, New Prairie (New Carlisle) | 6-3 | 170 | Sr.IFCA Class 4A Junior All-State selection last year after hitting 3-of-5 field goals with a long of 56 yards. Also averaged 35.4 yards as a punter and had 36 tackles and four interceptions as a safety.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB: Maximus Webster, Westfield | 6-2 | 225 | Sr.Ball State commit was an IFCA Class 6A Junior All-State selection last year.
RB: Peyton Guerzini, Castle (Newburgh) | 5-11 | 185 | Jr.IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State selection last year as a sophomore after rushing for 1,526 yards and 15 TDs.
RB: Colin Price, Zionsville | 6-1 | 190 | Sr.IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State selection last year after rushing for 1,394 yards and 10 TDs.
WR: Brody Glenn, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers | 6-2 | 180 | Sr.Led Indiana in receiving yards last season with 1,265 and 16 touchdowns on 65 receptions for the 2A runner-up. IFCA Class 2A Junior All-State selection and second team MaxPreps All-State last year.
TE: Tyler Dostin, Danville | 6-6 | 235 | Sr.Kent State commit is a three-star prospect. IFCA Class 3A Junior All-State selection last year.
TE: Max Sullivan, Whiteland | 6-6 | 235 | Sr.Three-star prospect has committed to Ball State. IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State selection last year.
OL: Hunter Whitenack, New Prairie (New Castle) | 6-7 | 290 | Sr.Illinois commit is among the state’s Top 15 overall prospects. IFCA Class 4A Junior All-State selection last year.
OL: Keylan Davis, Ben Davis (Indianapolis) | 6-4 | 270 | Sr.One of the state’s Top 20 prospects overall. Uncommitted. Holds eight offers, including Indiana, Purdue, West Virginia, Kentucky and Cincinnati. IFCA Class 6A Junior All-State selection last year.
OL: Cooper Koers, Cathedral (Indianapolis) | 6-6 | 265 | Sr.Three-star prospect has committed to Princeton. IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State selection last year. Holds 14 offers, including Air Force, Memphis, Toledo, Tulane and Ball State.
OL: Max Williams, Lebanon | 6-6 | 290 | Sr.IFCA Class 4A Junior All-State selection last year. Holds offers from Indiana State and Columbia. Uncommitted.
AP: Cael Vanderbush, Plainfield | 6-6 | 200 | Sr.IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State selection last year at receiver. Projects to tight end in college. Owns offers from Air Force and Western Michigan.
K: Cooper Wolka, Brownstown Central | 6-1 | 215 | Sr.IFCA Class 3A Junior All-State selection last year.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Caden Curry, Center Grove (Greenwood) | 6-5 | 250 | Sr.State’s No. 3 prospect regardless of position and a Top 20 defensive line prospect nationally. Uncommitted. Holds 26 offers, including Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Clemson. IFCA Top 50 All-State and MaxPreps first team All-State
last year after helping the Trojans win 6A title with 60 tackles, 21.5 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks.
DL: Popeye Williams, Westfield | 6-3 | 230 | Sr.State’s top edge prospect and Louisville commit was named IFCA Top 50 All-State last year after helping the Shamrocks to a 6A state runner-up finish with 44 tackles, 10 TFL and five sacks. Holds 19 offers, including Alabama, Penn State, Wisconsin and Tennessee.
DL: Kenneth Grant, Merrillville | 6-4 | 334 | Sr.One of the state’s Top 10 overall prospects. Holds 15 offers, including Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Uncommitted. IFCA Class 6A Junior All-State selection last year.
LB: Domanick Moon, Fort Wayne Snider | 6-2 | 218 | Sr.Purdue commit is the state’s top linebacker prospect. IFCA Top 50 All-State last year.
LB: Jeff Utzinger, Cathedral (Indianapolis) | 6-2 | 205 | Sr.All-City Defensive Player of the Year in Indianapolis and second team MaxPreps All-State last year. Uncommitted. Holds four offers (Akron, Ball State, Eastern Michigan and Eastern Kentucky).
LB: Dasan McCullough, Bloomington South | 6-5 | 220 | Sr.Indiana commit and state's No. 2 overall prospect was named the 2020 MaxPreps Kansas Player of the Year after racking up 75 tackles, four interceptions and four forced fumbles at Blue Valley North (Overland, Kan.). Transferred after his father, Deland McCullough, took a job as the associate head coach and running backs coach at Indiana University. Originally committed to Ohio State. Holds 43 offers.
DB: Kalen Carroll, Center Grove (Greenwood) | 6-1 | 170 | Sr.Cincinnati commit is the state’s top cornerback prospect. Second team MaxPreps All-State last year.
Indiana commit is the state’s No. 2 overall junior prospect. Also owns offers, from Michigan, Utah, Penn State, Florida and Arkansas.
AP: Drayk Bowen, Andrean (Merrillville) | 6-2 | 215 | Jr.Country’s top junior linebacker prospect holds 25 offers, including Notre Dame, Clemson, LSU, Michigan, Texas A&M, Oregon and Texas. IFCA Class 2A Junior All-State selection and second team MaxPreps All-State last year after registering 80 tackles, 13 TFL, five sacks, one interception, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a blocked field goal. Scored six touchdowns on offense.
One of the country's top kicking prospects was recently named to the second team preseason MaxPreps 2021 All-American Team. Five-star kicking prospect won the Kohl's Midwest Spring Showcase punting competition to earn a spot int he 2022 Under Armour All-American Game.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Isaiah Street, Brownsburg | 6-5 | 225 | Sr.Western Michigan commit is among the state’s Top 25 overall prospects. Iowa State, Ball State and Eastern Michigan have also offered.
DL: Kiel Eldridge, Heritage (Monroeville) | 6-5 | 230 | Sr.Toledo commit is one of the state’s Top 20 prospects overall. Arizona State, Cincinnati and Purdue among his seven offers.
DL: James Schott, Center Grove (Greenwood) | 6-4 | 215 | Sr.Miami (Ohio) commit is one of the state’s Top 20 prospects overall. Holds eight offers, including Michigan State, Marshall and Ohio.
DL: DJ Allen, Leo | 6-7 | 225 | Sr.One of the state’s Top 15 prospects overall has committed to Rutgers. Holds 21 offers, including Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, Michigan State and Nebraska.
LB: Zaven Koltookian, Concord (Elkhart) | 6-4.5 | 210 | Sr.One of the state’s Top 25 overall prospects. Uncommitted. IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State selection last year. Holds offer from Eastern Michigan.
LB: Danny Royster, Lawrence North (Indianapolis) | 6-4 | 210 | Sr.Three-star prospect has committed to Ball State.
DB: Rowan Zolman, East Noble (Kendallville) | 6-5 | 210 | Sr.IFCA Class 4A Junior All-State selection last year. Uncommitted. Holds eight offers, including Air Force, Army and several MAC schools.
DB: Dillon Moore, Ben Davis (Indianapolis) | 6-2 | 190 | Sr.Western Michigan commit is one of the state’s Top 25 overall prospects. Three-year starter has career totals of 84 tackles, seven TFL, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
DB: Soloman Williams, Carmel | 5-11 | 180 | Sr.State’s No. 2 safety prospect holds offers from Memphis, Princeton and Penn.
DB: Dillon Thieneman, Westfield | 6-0 | 190 | Jr.IFCA Class 6A Junior All-State selection last year as a sophomore. Holds offers from Purdue and Marshall.
AP: Mariere Omonode, West Lafayette | 6-1 | 260 | Sr.IFCA Class 3A Junior All-State selection last year after registering 67 tackles, 23 TFL, 11 sacks and three forced fumbles. Uncommitted. Holds 20 offers, including Air Force, Navy, Coastal Carolina, Marshall and Appalachian State.
P: AJ Vinatieri, Zionsville | 6-0 | 178 | Sr.Son of former Patriots and Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri is one of the country's top prospects. Owns scholarship offers from Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Illinois and PWO (preferred walk-on) offers from Michigan, Florida, Indiana and Miami (Florida).
