Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 42 Days (Marcelino Ball)

Written By Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

Countdown to Kickoff: #42 – Marcelino Ball

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 218 pounds

Hometown: Roswell, GA (Roswell)

Class/Position: RS Sophomore/Husky

Marcelino Ball was an undersized three-star recruit coming out of Roswell High School in Georgia. Ball chose to play football for the Hoosiers after a productive senior season. He was ranked among the top-100 safeties in the country by Scout. Once Ball got to call Bloomington his home, he packed on some muscle and had an amazing freshman season. Ball finished third on the team in tackles with 75. He had two interceptions, eight pass deflections, and 4.5 tackles for a loss. He earned honorable mention for All-Big Ten, 247Sports True Freshman All-American honors, and IU’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year Award. Ball proved to be a Swiss Army knife on defense playing the husky position.

Listed at 6-foot, 218-pounds, Marcelino Ball packs a serious punch for his relatively small size for the position. Unfortunately, Ball suffered a season-ending injury last year. On a positive note, Ball was granted a medical redshirt and still has three years of eligibility left. IU desperately missed Ball’s services last year on the field. He can fill so many roles both in pass protection and run defense.

Ball will almost certainly be starting at the Husky position in 2018 for the Hoosier defense. Indiana’s defense has a lot of question marks, and Ball is one of them considering he missed time last year. He showed enough flashes during his freshman year for IU fans to get excited about Ball’s future.

Marcelino Ball has tremendous athletic gifts and a physical build shaped to dominate the Big Ten for years to come. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ball playing in the NFL someday. For now, Hoosier fans just need him to make plays and make stops. With some added experience under Tom Allen’s defense and a healthy offseason, Marcelino Ball is primed to have an outstanding 2018 season.

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