Indiana scores its first five-star football pledge with Monshun Sales
Five-star Indianapolis receiver Monshun Sales picked Indiana over Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and Texas, according to CBS Sports and 247Sports.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Indiana just landed the biggest recruiting prize its football program has ever had: Monshun Sales, a five-star wide receiver from Indianapolis, committed to the Hoosiers on Friday, according to CBS Sports and 247Sports.
Sales, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound standout at Lawrence North, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 13 overall player in the 2027 class and the top wide receiver in the country. The outlet lists him as the No. 1 player in Indiana as well.
The commitment gives coach Curt Cignetti a headline grabber in Bloomington, and it came against a finalist group loaded with national powers. CBS Sports reported that Sales chose Indiana over Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and Texas.
According to CBS Sports, Sales is the first five-star commitment in Indiana football history and the highest-rated recruit the Hoosiers have landed based on the 247Sports Composite. His composite rating is listed at 0.9958, ahead of former Indiana top recruits including linebacker Dasan McCullough, defensive lineman Stephen Williams and running back Sampson James.
A local star stays home
Sales brings major production with the rankings. As a junior, he had 37 receptions for 794 yards and nine touchdowns, according to CBS Sports. That works out to more than 21 yards per catch.
He also played on defense at Lawrence North, where CBS Sports reported he logged 56 tackles at safety.
The pledge follows a recruiting swing that kept Indiana in the race despite heavy outside pressure. CBS Sports reported that Sales visited Indiana in late April, then took June visits to his other finalists before settling on the Hoosiers.
Sales had made clear during the process that Indiana’s staff had his attention. In April, he told 247Sports he loved Cignetti and described the coach as someone focused on winning and working.
“He is a guy who is ready to win and is ready to work,” Sales told 247Sports. “He is not going to come in and bulls--t you. He is there for one job. He is there to win, and he's not going to let nothing stop him from doing that.”
Indiana’s 2027 class gets a headliner
Sales now becomes the biggest name in Indiana’s 2027 recruiting group. According to 247Sports, the Hoosiers have 17 commitments in that class.
The class also includes Branden Sharpe, a Top247 wide receiver from Brownsburg, Indiana, according to CBS Sports. 247Sports ranks Indiana’s 2027 class No. 30 nationally and No. 11 in the Big Ten.
The timing adds another jolt to Indiana’s rise under Cignetti. CBS Sports reported that the commitment came about six months after Indiana finished an unbeaten season by winning the College Football Playoff National Championship.
247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins also offered a lofty evaluation of Sales, calling him “one of the biggest freak shows in the country” because of his size and athletic profile.
For Indiana, the recruiting win is historic on paper and local on the map. The Hoosiers did not have to leave Indianapolis to find the player 247Sports ranks as the nation’s top receiver.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.