After four years on the West Coast, Jovan Swann is coming home.
Last week, Swann, formerly a defensive end at Stanford, decided to use his final season of college athletic ability to be part of the Indiana University football program.
The 6-foot-2, 271-pound Swann, a former All-State player at Center Grove, chose the Hoosiers over Purdue, Illinois and Iowa.
Swann, who finished the 2019 season with a career-high 32 tackles, including eight for loss, entered the transfer portal in December. He will be eligible to play this fall after he earns his degree from Stanford this week.
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Jovan Swann becomes the second member of his family to wear the cream and crimson. His brother, Mario, a former Center Grove defensive back, was part of the IU program during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
“It just so happens it was the last school I was able unofficially visit,” Jovan Swann said. “It really interested me that (Indiana) plays a base 4-3 defense similar to what I did in high school. That sparked my interest, for sure, and I had a good 45-minute talk with coach (Tom) Allen in his office.
“I knew all along that IU was the right school for me. My family and I are excited.”
Swann was listed by Scout.com as the nation’s 34th-best defensive tackle prospect coming out of high school. As a senior, he helped lead the Trojans to an undefeated season that ended with a 28-16 victory over Penn in the Class 6A state championship game.
He ultimately chose to continue his academic and athletic pursuits at Stanford. Indiana was one of Swann’s other finalists at the time.
The Cardinal redshirted Swann for the 2016 season, but he saw the field a year later and made 25 tackles.
He twice earned Pac-12 All-Academic notice.
This past season, Swann was named a recipient of the Frank Rehm Award, given annually to the outstanding players in Stanford’s game against rival Cal. He finished with five tackles, two sacks and a blocked kick in his team’s 24-20 loss to the Bears.
Swann, who earned a degree in human biology at Stanford, is expected to be admitted into Indiana’s prestigious Kelley School of Business, where he will pursue an online MBA.
On the gridiron, he’ll wear the same No. 51 at Indiana that he wore at Stanford.
Swann is expected to play a vital role for the Hoosiers’ defense, run by coordinator Kane Wommack and first-year line coach Kevin Peoples.
And though nothing is certain due to the current COVID-19 crisis, Indiana is scheduled to open its season at Wisconsin on Sept. 4. The team is then home for games against Western Kentucky and Ball State, giving Swann the opportunity to play in his home state for the first time since Stanford’s loss at Notre Dame in September 2018.
“I always have the mentality of taking in my surroundings. I’m very excited to give my all to Indiana before I declare for the NFL draft,” Swann said. “It’s about never being satisfied. I can always do more and am very excited about what IU can offer.”
