Indiana flips 2025 LB Paul Nelson from Cincinnati
Cincinnati Princeton three-star linebacker Paul Nelson has flipped his commitment from Cincinnati to Indiana, he announced on Tuesday evening.
Nelson was pledged to the hometown Bearcats since June 9, but is now the latest from the Buckeye State to jump in the mix with Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers in Bloomington.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is the No. 921 overall prospect and No. 98 LB in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 36 player in Ohio.
The Hoosiers’ last three commitments have all come from the state of Ohio and have all come within the last 48 hours. Cincinnati Winton Woods three-star athlete Seaonta Stewart joined the fold on Monday and Findlay offensive tackle Baylor Wilkin announced his pledge to IU shortly after Nelson on Tuesday.
In total, Cignetti’s pledge list now features 21 commitments and ranks No. 49 in the nation and No. 15 in the Big Ten, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
More on the Hoosiers’ 2025 class
As Cignetti and the new IU staff look to ring in a new era of football in Bloomington, recruits from the Midwest and the South continue to join the fold. As of July 8, 11 different states are represented in the class.
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Baltimore Calvert Hall four-star safety Byron Baldwin remains the lone four-star commit in the mix and is a top-20 player at his position this cycle. He pledged on April 17 and is also the No. 5 player in Maryland.
“Their coaching staff and I get to the opportunity to play Big Ten Football is the reason I picked them,” Baldwin told On3’s Steve Wiltfong in April. “They knew how to win at JMU and the message being sent to me that stuck out was that they believe they are going to get it done at IU. I want to be a part of that change at Indiana.”
Clearwater (Fla.) Calvary Christian three-star running back Sean Cuono is the No. 50 RB in the nation. Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star corner Jaylen Bell is in the mix as one of four listed defensive backs pledged.
Other top commits in the class include Columbia (Tenn.) Central three-star defensive lineman Jhrevious Hall, Saint Louis Christian Brothers three-star EDGE Triston Abram, Indianapolis Lawrence North three-star wide receiver Davion Chandler, Norfolk (Va.) Maury three-star WR LeBron Bond and Nashville Pearl-Cohn three-star DL Kyler Garcia.