IU commit now soft

When junior college cornerback Andre Kates committed to Indiana in early May he was a big boost to the Hoosiers' recruiting class.

Now it might be all Indiana can do to hold onto the 6-foot, 195-pound prospect.

Kates transferred to Brooklyn (N.Y.) ASA College not long ago and apparently the move is one he is happy he made.

"Right now at my new school we have a trimester schedule so I'm just focusing on classes," Kates said.

"My coach, Dennis Orlando, has been on my tail about academics and performing on the field. Also, my strength coach John Bolt really pushes me in the weight room and on the field.

"The school I'm at now feels like a home to me. I'm very comfortable with all the coaches. I want to be able to push my teammates because I've already played the (teams) on our schedule. This new school, ASA, is just starting to compete in the Northeast football conference and I think I can help out a lot."

That's probably a pretty safe bet, as Kates earned first team all-conference honors last year.

What has recruiting looked like lately?

"Man, I've got a bunch of new offers," Kates explained. "I don't even know which ones have come in since the last time I talked to somebody about it. I've got Oklahoma State now. UCLA is one of the most recent (offers). I've had Miami and a lot of others."

Kates said he has been keeping in touch with some schools through e-mail lately.

"Also, I spoke with coach Dan Mullen from Mississippi State this morning. He told me he is very interested and that's a school I am definitely looking into."

What does all this mean for the Hoosiers? Is Kates still on board or has he decommitted?

"It's a soft commitment," he said. "I'm still committed but it's soft. I talked to coach (Joe) Palcic (from Indiana) on maybe Wednesday. I still like them a lot.

"Probably my biggest thing is feeling comfortable with the coaches. I've got to stay in contact with them and make sure I feel good about all of them. That's the biggest thing for me and my decision."

When asked which schools have done the best job of making him feel comfortable thus far he mentioned Memphis, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, along with Indiana.