Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 28 Days (A'Shon Riggins)

By David Sugarman (@David_Sugarman2)

#28

Ladies and gents, boys and girls there are just 28 days between us and Indiana Football. Wow that felt good to say. Anyway, today we take a look at an important player in Indiana’s secondary in A’Shon Riggins.

A'Shon Riggins (Sophomore)

Height: 6’0’’

Weight: 183 pounds

Hometown: Hamilton, Ohio

Position: Defensive back

Indiana’s defense took a big step forward in 2016 and one of the storylines for 2017 will be proving it was more than a blip on the radar. The Hoosiers lost three starters from last year’s squad and recently announced T.J. Simmons will not be returning after being granted a medical hardship, but Indiana does return nine starters. One of the starters they lost was Hamilton, Ohio native and one of the Hoosiers’ best linebackers in recent memory, Marcus Oliver. Indiana lost nobody from a strong secondary though and one of the players Hoosier fans should be excited about going forward is another Hamilton product, A’Shon Riggins.

Riggins made a big impact as a true freshman and dipped his toes in a lot of different categories. Riggins played in all but one game last season and made eight starts. He made 37 tackles, had one sack, picked off one pass, broke up nine passes and forced a fumble. Riggins showed great versatility and it didn’t go unnoticed in house or around the conference. The former number two ranked cornerback in Ohio was named the IU defensive player of the week twice and at the end of the season earned himself BTN.com All-Freshman team honorable mention.

Riggins is part of a very talented secondary and is in the position of being both important in the now as well as prime for a bigger role in the seasons to come. Rashard Fant is considered by many to be the best cornerback in the Big Ten, but is a fifth year senior. After this season Riggins, Marcelino Ball and possibly Jonathan Crawford if he decides to wait another year to test the NFL waters, will be the elder statesman on this defense. Riggins is a special talent and is just scratching the surface of his potential. Look for him to take a step up as a sophomore and be a centerpiece in 2018.

Please share any comments or thoughts in the comments section or in our message board. The countdown continues each and every day so make sure to check Hoosier Huddle daily as we churn towards the 2017 season!