Indiana Hoosiers Football

Declan McMahon, the eldest son of Shane McMahon and grandson of WWE chairman Vince McMahon, announced his commitment to play football for Indiana University on Wednesday.

McMahon played running back for Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. His father took to Twitter to express his joy:

McMahon also received scholarship offers from East Carolina and Fordham, per his Twitter account. He earned an offer from the Hoosiers after taking a trip to Bloomington in March.

McMahon is unranked by 247Sports. His Hudl profile lists him at 6'0" and 192 pounds. He also saw time at quarterback during his senior season.

The Hoosiers' 2022 recruiting class is ranked 26th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten by 247Sports. The 21-man group is headlined by four 4-star recruits. Indiana is coming off a 2-10 season in 2021, its first losing record in three years.

McMahon's commitment comes on the heels of a big weekend for his family, as the two-night WrestleMania 38 took place in Dallas on Saturday and Sunday.

One of the most memorable moments of the biggest show of the year came on Night 2, when Vince McMahon challenged Pat McAfee to a match. McAfee had just defeated Austin Theory after an impressive showing, but he was pinned by McMahon after Theory attacked him.

However, McMahon didn't get the last laugh as he was visited by his old friend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. After offering a beer to his former boss, Austin delivered a stunner to the 76-year-old.

Indiana football coach Tom Allen has turned a breakout 2020 season into a new seven-year contract worth $4.9 million per year.

The school announced the news Monday. Allen, who previously made $3.9 million per year, is under contract through the 2027 season.

Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement:

"Tom Allen has proven himself to be not only the right person for our student-athletes and our program, but one of the best football coaches in the country. The enthusiasm and outlook for our program is at an all-time high, and the future of Indiana Football is in great hands. I look forward to Tom leading our program for many years to come."

Allen was named the Big Ten's Coach of the Year by both media and coaches, leading the Hoosiers to a 6-2 record and a trip to the Outback Bowl.

Indiana peaked at No. 7 and ranked 12th in the final Associated Press poll, the school's highest finish since 1967.

Allen served as the Hoosiers' defensive coordinator in 2016 but moved into the lead role when head coach Kevin Wilson resigned before that season's bowl game. He took over a program that didn't have a winning season in the previous eight years and last posted an eight-win season in 1993.

After going 5-7 in each of his first two years, Allen led Indiana to an 8-5 record in 2019 and a trip to the Gator Bowl.

The 2020 squad was even better with a 6-1 mark in the regular season, the only blemish a seven-point loss to Ohio State. A 26-20 loss to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl ended the season on a sour note, but there should be high expectations in 2021 if starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. returns to full strength after tearing his ACL in November.

The 50-year-old Allen is set to make $4.3 million in 2021, and his salary will increase by $200,000 in each year of his deal, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. His contract will also extend by one year for each bowl appearance.

Numerous images of Indiana's Outback Bowl jerseys without any Big Ten logos or references appeared on social media Friday:

In response, Indiana head coach Tom Allen released a statement regarding the jerseys, noting that the team decided to prominently feature its mantra, LEO, which stands for "Love Each Other."

As Matthew Glenesk and Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star noted, there was speculation that Indiana was upset with the conference because of the Big Ten's decision to eliminate its minimum game requirement for its conference championship game, which allowed Ohio State to represent the East division instead of the Hoosiers.

That ultimately left Indiana out in the cold regarding a potential New Year's Six bowl game. The two championship game participants, Ohio State and Northwestern, are both in New Year's Six bowls.

Northwestern beat Auburn 35-19. Ohio State is facing Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, which is one of the two College Football Playoff Semifinals.

Indiana will play Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl on Saturday. The 6-1 Hoosiers' only loss was a 42-35 defeat to OSU.

Another Big Ten rivalry game may fall by the wayside this weekend. 

Indiana announced Tuesday it has paused team activities "due to an increase in COVID-19 cases within the program." The Hoosiers have yet to make a decision regarding their game against Purdue on Saturday.

"The health and safety of our students, coaches and staff is paramount," athletic director Scott Dolson said. "In consultation with our medical experts, we decided this is the appropriate decision at this time. We will continue to assess the situation moving forward."

Michigan announced earlier in the day it canceled its matchup with Ohio State due to increased COVID-19 cases and contact tracing.

That means Indiana is potentially on its way to the Big Ten championship. Ohio State has only played five games, one short of the number required to compete for a conference title. If the Buckeyes can't qualify, then the second-place Hoosiers would get the nod despite having lost to OSU on Nov. 21.

Whether Indiana has the numbers to play in the Big Ten title game could become a question, though.

Any player who tests positive for COVID-19 has to miss a minimum of 21 days under the conference's health and safety protocols. If the Hoosiers were unable to take on Purdue, they might struggle to avoid having the same thing happening for a second week against Northwestern.

The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach spoke to a Big Ten athletic director who entertained the idea of rearranging the schedule so that the teams that can play have the opportunity to compete this weekend. That would eliminate any issues regarding Ohio State's status for the conference championship.

But Michigan is already off the table, Indiana might be the next to go, and Purdue canceled Tuesday's practice as a precaution to await COVID-19 testing results. The Buckeyes are running out of options within the Big Ten to reach that important sixth game.

Debbie Rucker, the mother of Indiana freshman offensive lineman Brady Feeney, provided a harrowing update on her son's health after he tested positive for COVID-19. 

Sam Blum of the Dallas Morning News shared the Facebook post:

Rucker explained "this virus hit my son very hard compared to most of his teammates." She said he went to the emergency room with breathing problems and is now "dealing with possible heart issues."

Rucker pleaded for others to take COVID-19 seriously and take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus, including wearing a mask and social distancing, adding "football does not really matter when your child's health is in jeopardy."

Tom Brew of Sports Illustrated noted the Indiana athletic department has not provided specific names of players who tested positive for COVID-19 but has released overall numbers of positive test results approximately every week.

The most recent update said 33 of 480 tests came back positive.

Indiana paused voluntary workouts for a week but has since resumed them for those healthy enough to participate.

Rucker did not blame Indiana for her son's condition, saying "his university has done everything right by shutting down workouts and retesting the whole team." 

Feeney arrived at Indiana as a 3-star recruit as part of the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Former Indiana football player Chris Beaty was one of two men shot and killed in Indianapolis this past weekend, according to David Lindquist and Justin L. Mack of the Indy Star.

"Beaty suffered multiple gunshot wounds in a shooting reported shortly before midnight on Saturday at Talbott and Vermont streets" and was pronounced dead at the scene, per Lindquist and Mack.

Dorian Murrell, 18, was also shot and killed in a separate incident. Police in Indianapolis have made an arrest in connection to one of the shootings, though it was not indicated "which shooting the suspect was involved in."

The 38-year-old Beaty had played defensive line for the Hoosiers from 2000 to 2003.

As Zach Osterman of the Indy Star noted, Beaty remained involved in the football program well after graduation and built a "strong relationship" with current head coach Tom Allen.

He had already been a local hero dating back to high school, helping Cathedral High School in Indianapolis win three state titles.

Beaty returned to Indianapolis after college and was managing night clubs while also founding the company Worldwide Masks, which created masks to help during the coronavirus pandemic.

His impact was felt in social media posts from a variety of local personalities:

Indianapolis was placed under curfew beginning at 8 p.m. local time after violence over the weekend.

The city was one of dozens in the United States with protests this week after the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after since-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Chavin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen suspended tight end Peyton Hendershot for an indefinite period of time after he was arrested for allegedly entering an ex-girlfriend's apartment without permission and grabbing and shoving her.

The Associated Press reported the news Monday, noting Hendershot is facing a felony charge of residential entry and misdemeanor charges of domestic battery, criminal mischief and criminal conversion.

"(Allen) will continue to evaluate the situation pending further developments," a statement released by the team read in part.

This comes after Jon Blau and Laura Lane of the Herald-Times (h/t ESPN) reported the tight end was arrested Saturday and also allegedly took his ex-girlfriend's cell phone.

Police said Hendershot accused the woman of infidelity.

According to Scott Horner of IndyStar, "formal charges are expected later this week."

Hendershot appeared in 13 games as a sophomore last season and was second on the team in receiving yards, hauling in 52 receptions for 622 yards and four touchdowns for the Hoosiers.

Indiana Hoosiers tight end Peyton Hendershot was arrested Saturday and is facing a felony residential charge and multiple misdemeanor charges.

Jon Blau and Laura Lane of the Herald-Times (h/t ESPN) reported the news. The report cited a release from police that said Hendershot entered his ex-girlfriend's apartment without permission, grabbed her neck, shoved her and stole her cell phone.

The misdemeanor charges are domestic battery, criminal mischief and criminal conversion.

"Indiana University Athletics is aware of the arrest of redshirt sophomore Peyton Hendershot," a school spokesperson said in a statement. "IU Athletics will continue to gather facts, cooperate with and monitor the legal and administrative processes, and take further action as the evolving situation warrants."

The police said Hendershot accused his ex-girlfriend of infidelity.

The tight end appeared in 13 games for the Hoosiers during the 2019 season as a sophomore and was expected to be one of the team's biggest offensive contributors in 2020.

The Indiana Hoosiers have agreed to a seven-year contract extension with head coach Tom Allen following an 8-4 regular season, a deal that includes an average annual salary of $3.9 million.

The 49-year-old Allen addressed his new contract in a statement on the team's official website:

"I am humbled and thankful that President [Michael A.] McRobbie and Mr. [Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred] Glass continue to believe in our staff and the winning culture that we are creating. I love our staff and appreciate their tireless efforts as we continue to build this program into a winner the right way. Thank you to Indiana University, our fans, the Bloomington community and all of Hoosier Nation for their support. I am so appreciative of the young men who represent IU in such a first-class manner.

"We have a tremendous group of players. I am proud to be their head coach, and I am 100 percent committed to their success on the field, in the classroom and in life. It's no secret Indiana University is a special place to me. I was born a Hoosier, raised a Hoosier, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to remain a Hoosier for a long, long time to come."

Allen replaced Kevin Wilson ahead of the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl. After dropping that postseason contest in his head coaching debut, Allen went 5-7 in 2017 and 2018.

Indiana started the 2019 season at 7-2 before losing two of its final three games.

Three of the four losses (No. 1 Ohio State, No. 10 Penn State, No. 14 Michigan) have come against teams ranked in the Top 14 of the latest College Football Playoff rankings. Of course, the Hoosiers face the daunting task of having to go up against the Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans on an annual basis in the Big Ten East.

Glass added the following of Allen:

"When I hired Tom to be our head football coach, I said I was doing so because he is a leader of men who is demanding without being demeaning, and a proven, successful coach on a national scale with deep Indiana ties who cares about his players, and they care back. In his three seasons, he has proven to be all of that and more, which is why I believe the future of Indiana football is in great hands."

Allen and the Hoosiers are headed to a bowl game for just the fourth time since 1994. The date and opponent for their postseason game is to be determined.