Terry Hoeppner said that when he was hired in late December, his goal was to take the Hoosiers to the Rose Bowl.

Based on his first recruiting class, Hoeppner may be holding the same goal for many, many years. By most accounts, Indiana's recruiting class was at or near the bottom of the Big Ten.

Hoeppner's first class includes includes five receivers, five running backs, three tight ends, three linebackers, two defensive backs, one kicker, two defensive linemen and two players described simply as athletes.

There were no quarterbacks or offensive linemen taken. "We ended up not taking a quarterback," Hoeppner told the Indianapolis Star. "We've got some guys here on the team that we feel pretty good about, and I'm very particular when it comes to that position. I wasn't going to just take a guy at quarterback and say we had to get a quarterback.

"We don't have any offensive linemen as such right now in this class, but we offered two juniors today. We have good numbers at offensive line right now, but you can't play without those guys. And we may look at making some position changes before the start of spring practice, too."

The two stars of the class appear to be Florida RB Demetrius McCray and Virginia RB Bryan Payton. Those signings appeared especially important since BenJarvus Green-Ellis asked out of the program so he could transfer to a southern school -- reportedly Georgia.

Hoeppner was gracious about the request and let Green-Ellis go, but he got a call from the running back on signing day saying he wanted to come back to Indiana.

"Ironically, he's called and asked if he could come back, and to tell you the truth, I don't know what the whole deal is," Hoeppner said.

With or without Green-Ellis, the Hoosiers still have a long way to go to become competitive in the Big Ten.

RB Demetrius McCray, Brandon, Fla. -- He could give the Indiana program the explosiveness that the offense needs. McCray has the kind of speed that the Hoosiers have been looking for and likes to get to the outside.

RB Bryan Payton, Fort Wayne, Ind. -- The Indiana native was a high school star in Virginia, but decided to come back home to play his college ball. Payton is a versatile back who can run between the tackles or take it to the outside.

WR Andrew Means, Avon Lake, Ohio -- With Courtney Roby moving on to the next level, the Hoosiers are looking for a go-to wide receiver. It could be Means, who has the size and strength Hoeppner wanted. Means checks in at 6-0 and 200 pounds and could be a major factor going across the middle.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I just looked at it as a win-win situation. Coach DiNardo seemed like a good guy, but coach Hoeppner's style really fits my game. He likes to pass the ball and I'm a wide receiver. I think there's a good chance I could play right away as a freshman in some four-wide receiver sets." -- WR Andrew Means on his decision to sign with Indiana even after the Hoosiers fired Gerry DiNardo and hired Terry Hoeppner.

GLANCE AT 2005: The Hoosiers have been bottom feeders in the Big Ten for a decade. They haven't had a winning record since Bill Mallory's 1995 team had a 6-5 record. Terry Hoeppner needs to try to get the situation turned around and much of his groundwork will be done in spring practice. If he can get his players to buy in, the Hoosiers have a chance to be a more competitive team.

PRO POTENTIAL: FS Will Meyers -- He was the key to the Hoosiers' secondary play -- along with Herana-Daze Jones -- and is very quick to the ball and a solid athlete. He has a chance to be drafted on the second day or taken as a free agent.

WR Courtney Roby -- While he's not a speed merchant, Roby has the ability to contribute in the NFL. He had a great week at the Senior Bowl where he showed he could be a fine route runner with good hands. Roby appears to be a possible third-round pick.

ROSTER REPORT: Hoeppner should have a relatively healthy team when it heads to spring practice this year.