2024 Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 30 Days (Jah Jah Boyd)

Written by T.J. Inman

It is August and that means football will be played this month. With just 30 days left until kickoff of the 2024 season we look at incoming freshman defensive back Jah Jah Boyd.

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 180 pounds

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA (Roman Catholic High School)

Class/Position: Freshman/Defensive Back

Defensive back Jah Jah Boyd was the highest-ranked recruit in James Madison University football history when he committed to the Dukes in July of 2023. When Curt Cignetti and his staff departed Virginia for Bloomington, Boyd decommitted shortly after. The Indiana Hoosiers offered the Philadelphia native and Pittsburgh swooped in two days later. Jah Jah Boyd visited the Hoosiers on December 8 and went to see Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt Panthers the next weekend. Just three days after his visit to Pitt, Jah Jah Boyd committed to Indiana. He finished ranked as a three-star prospect on 247Sports but he was a four-star player according to ESPN. He originally chose James Madison over offers from Penn State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and others.

Jah Jah Boyd starred at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, playing all three phases of the game as a returner, wide receiver and defensive back. He was named the Philadelphia Catholic League Most Valuable Player as a senior and he was first-team All-Catholic League as both a wide receiver and as a defensive back. That is incredibly impressive. 

Boyd is only 5’10” and he weighed 170 pounds in high school, making him undersized for an outside corner or receiver in the Big Ten. That means the two options would be slot receiver or nickel corner/safety. Defensive coordinator uses a “rover” in his defense and Boyd has the athleticism, speed and explosiveness plus the ball skills to fit that role perfectly. He is slated to begin his collegiate career in the hybrid corner/safety position. IU hit the portal hard for secondary help and they brought in multiple players that will play right away: Shawn Asbury, D’Angelo Ponds, DJ Warnell, Terry Jones and Cedarius Doss. Those players add to returners like Amare Ferrell, Jamari Sharpe, Josh Sanguinetti, Nic Toomer and Jamier Johnson.

It is possible Boyd is used as a kick and punt returner but it’s unlikely IU would burn his redshirt for that role unless he was far and away the best option. The most likely scenario is that Boyd sees some action in early-season games and then redshirts with an eye on physically developing for the 2025 campaign when multiple veterans will be out of eligibility and there will be significant competition for those snaps.

The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues each and every day so be sure to check back often for the latest profile piece!