With four weeks until the 2024 high school football season kicks off, a handful of Indiana senior football players have gotten their commitments out of the way.
Indiana Preps talked to these commits, who all said it was important to get the decision out of the way so they could focus on the upcoming season and help push their respective teams to a date at Lucas Oil Stadium Thanksgiving weekend for the state championships.
Westfield standout Gabe Aramboles recently committed to Ball State, while Bloomington South kicker Bryce Taylor is staying at home, committing to Indiana, Columbia City’s Stratton Fuller is headed to Army, Warren Central’s Tyrone Burrus Jr. is headed to Louisville, and fellow teammate Isaiah Rollins is headed to Miami (OH).
Westfield’s Gabe Aramboles commits to Ball State
Absolute relief.
That is how Westfield athlete Gabe Aramboles summed up his feelings after recently announcing his commitment to Ball State.
The Class of ’25 prospect, who was a Freshman Adidas All-American, said he found the right fit in the Cardinals.
“It feels really good. I can finally stop worrying about trying to find the right fit because they provided that for me. What set them apart is at every visit I went on, they always harped on developing incoming high school athletes,” Aramboles told Indiana Preps.
He admits the Cardinals were the only school he wanted to play for.
“Ball State was always my number one option to be honest. Something in my heart just told me that it would end up being home for me, and that they would provide me with the chance of development right out of high school,” Aramboles admitted.
Aramboles added the fact that former Westfield standout Maximus Webster is at Ball State played a role in his decision, as well as BSU’s coaching staff.
“The coaching staff especially showed lots of love to me and my family. Building that relationship with me and my family definitely set them apart from others,” Aramboles said.
With the season inching closer daily, Aramboles said making a decision before the season wasn’t a top priority, but admits it helps him focus solely on success with the Shamrocks.
“I felt that I would set myself up for a record breaking season if I got it done sooner than later,” Aramboles said.
Aramboles was recruited to play running back with the Cardinals and said he has no concerns about making the jump to the MAC.
“Of course not. I am excited to be able to go to the next level. I’ve been dreaming about this all the time. I’ve always loved competing and I just feel as if this school is going to satisfy my hunger for competition. I don’t doubt it will be hard, but going through tough times and adversity is what builds character and is what will build me to be the man I am going to become,” Aramboles said.
Bloomington South’s Taylor staying close to home
After emerging as one of the top high school kickers in the state and nation, Bloomington South’s Bryce Taylor will be staying very close to home as he recently committed to Indiana University.
“It honestly feels amazing. My decision to commit early may seem like an odd choice to some, but I knew that playing for Coach Cignetti and the Hoosiers was my dream. I am also really excited to continue to build a great relationship with the guys in the special teams room and the rest of the staff,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who also drew attention from the likes of Ohio State, Notre Dame, Toledo and Miami (OH), said he was intrigued by the new culture Cignetti is trying to build in his first season at the helm.
“Being a part of what Coach Cig is building is definitely amazing. He’s already making a lot of changes and he’s showing success through his great recruiting class. Along with that, I’ve been to a few of their practices and they are all very high level. Guys are flying around and the intensity is off the charts,” Taylor said.
As one of the top specialists, Taylor admits there can be some pressure, but he takes it all in stride.
“I like to think that I am extremely good at handling the pressure. My play elevates under those circumstances, which was one of the things the coaches at Indiana were really impressed with. They weren’t just looking for a guy that could put the ball through the uprights. They were looking for a guy who could excel in the moment and come out on top,” he said.
As for goals this season, Taylor said he and his Bloomington South teammates have high goals, but, as an individual, he is focused solely on getting better.
“I want to continue to get better as a combo guy. Being extremely consistent in all sides of the kicking game will really help me get on the field early at Indiana,” Taylor said.
Columbia City’s Fuller settles on Army
Columbia City wide receiver/defensive back Stratton Fuller will be the first to admit, he was not looking to attend a service academy, but all that changed after visiting West Point and being offered by Army.
“What set them apart is how amazing the whole place is. On my visit, it blew me away. Their staff is awesome and the facilities are all Power 4 level. There’s so much to like there. Previous to the offer, I didn’t plan on going to a service academy,” Fuller said.
When Army offered, the Black Knights immediately became the only school Fuller wanted to be a part of at the next level.
“Army was the number one school towards the end. It was important to me to make my decision before the season so I didn’t have to worry about any recruiting problems during the season and potential for injury,” said Fuller, who opted for Army over Ohio University.
The Black Knights recruited Fuller for wide receiver, and he said he is slightly concerned about the school aspect at the next level.
“Army is a high academic place and that may take some time to adjust. Also physically, I need to get bigger in order to take hits running the ball,” he said.
Pair of Warren Central standouts cement future
For Tyrone Burrus Jr. and Isaiah Rollins, the opportunity to play at the next level is something the two Warren Central standouts have looked forward to since they first began playing football.
For Burrus, who plays edge for the Warriors, his college choice is Louisville.
“Louisville has a winning culture and being coached by Coach Hagen, who has proven to be one of the best defensive line coaches, I just had to get on board,” Burrus said.
He selected the Cardinals over Indiana and Illinois, and he admitted the timing was important.
“It was something I wanted to do so I could get focused on my season and focused on making it to state,” said Burrus, who was recruited to play the seven technique.
For Rollins, who is an athlete for the Warriors, he found a home at Miami (OH) and said he opted for the defending MAC champs due to them making him a priority.
“What set Miami apart is that they are so defensive back focused. With me just now starting to play defensive back, I feel like I needed a program that can help me grow into a future NFL defensive back,” Rollins said.
Getting the decision out of the way before Warren Central kicked off the season wasn’t necessarily of the utmost importance to Rollins.
“It feels great to see that all of the tough battles and training I went through wasn’t just for nothing. With my recruitment being different than others, I am happy, but there is still room for improvement. I am humble but hungry. I just felt like I wasn’t in a rush to do it, but now that I am committed, I feel like I can just focus on finishing my high school career and going out with a bang,” said Rollins, who selected Miami over Bucknell and Bryant University.