Shortly after ending the "curse" over the weekend with a win over Ball State, Kevin Wilson and his staff began handing out scholarship offers to 2018 recruits.

Bailey is an outside linebacker from Texas and is listed as a four-star prospect by 247sports. He is listed as the 16th best OLB in the 2018 class. Bailey has offers from SMU and Texas-San Antonio.

Okonji, meanwhile, is listed as the 13th-best strongside defensive end in the 2018 class. As a three-star recruit out of Georgia, Okonji has offers from Michigan State, Cincinnati, Charlotte and Boston College.

Catching Up With 2017 Recruits

The Class of 2017, which is shaping up to be a defense-focused class, has begun their seasons across the country with some standout performers.

Bryant Fitzgerald out of Avon has had a big year defensively. Listed as an athlete, Fitzgerald has lined up on both sides of the ball, scoring two rushing touchdowns against Plainfield in a win.

However, Fitzgerald has shined brightest on defense where he is second on the team in tackles while also having an interception, which he returned 94 yards for a touchdown.

At Ben Davis, defensive tackle LeShaun Minor is dominating defensive lines, racking up five sacks in four games this season while forcing a fumble and breaking up two passes.

Tight end Peyton Hendershot out of Tri-West has helped his team start 3-1 on the year. Hendershot has 19 receptions for 265 yards, both second-best on the team, with a team-leading four touchdowns.

The Hoosiers still are targeting a handful of guys in the 2017 class with one of the top targets being R.J. Potts, a four-star safety out of Fishers. And while he’s projected as a safety at the next level, Potts can play safety, cornerback, nickelback and linebacker on defense.

Potts most recently received an offer from Nebraska in early August, but the current Crystal Ball has IU with a 50% chance of landing him.

That being said, Nebraska will get the first shot at Potts as his first official visit will come this month to the Cornhuskers.

Some other names to keep an eye on are Eddie Lewis (WR, New Jersey), Kurt Rafdal (TE, Indiana), Langston Frederick (CB, Texas), Ahman Ross (S, Florida), Trace Christian (RB, Florida), Malik Davis (RB, Florida) and Whop Philyor (WR, Florida). All are considered to be “warm” on the Hoosiers at the very least.