Filled With Veterans and Youth, Indiana's Safeties Could Take the Defense to the Next Level
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Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
If you have been following our site throughout the offseason, you’ll know we have made no attempt to hide how good we think IU’s secondary has a chance to be in 2017. The Hoosiers return every contributor from last year and add a few potentially impactful newcomers to form a group that could be the best we’ve seen in Bloomington for my lifetime (for your reference, I turn 30 in September). Today’s position preview focuses on a part of that secondary: the safeties.
The Starters
Jonathan Crawford
The junior from Largo, Florida is a playmaking dynamo that has been a standout from the moment he put on his IU uniform for the first time. He has started all 26 career games and is the current leader on the team in interceptions (seven) and fumble recoveries (four). He had 71 tackles in 2016 and seven pass breakups in addition to his seven takeaways. Three of those came against the Purdue Boilermakers and the Hoosiers may very well have lost to their rivals without his contributions. Crawford was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection last season and he enters this season a favorite to land on an All-Big Ten team in 2017. His ability to make plays as a rangy free safety is indispensable to this defense and if he continues to progress well, he has a future in the NFL.
Tony Fields
Another Sunshine State product, Tony Fields has turned into a steady force at the back of the Hoosiers defense. Although many IU fans will not have realized this, Fields has played in 28 career games and he started all 13 games in 2016. That kind of experience is very hard to find and he is a veteran presence that is more than capable of contributing in multiple ways. In 2016, Fields had 70 tackles (53 solo), two interceptions and seven pass breakups. He’s not quite the playmaker Crawford is but the two form one of the best duos in the conference.
Marcelino Ball
When Tom Allen took over as Indiana’s new defensive coordinator prior to the 2016 season, he brought his 4-2-5 defense with him. The five-man secondary requires some unique personnel and Allen knew he needed a physical hybrid player capable of manning the Husky position. This meant he needed to bring in a player that could be physically imposing against the run while being agile enough to be of use in pass coverage. Marcelino Ball was aggressively pursued by the new staff and he committed and signed with the Hoosiers on National Signing Day. The late addition to the class proved to be a coup as Ball quickly ingrained himself in the lineup. He’s incredibly well-built despite being very young for a sophomore and he plays with the kind of physical abandon that is desperately needed from his position. Ball was third on the team in tackles with 75 and he added eight pass breakups in his 12 starts. He was named a Freshman All-American and was placed on the honorable mention All-Big Ten team. More playing experience should bring a bit more discipline in pass coverage (he was lost a few times in 2016) and he’s certainly one of my favorites to watch on this defense.
Key Depth
Chase Dutra-
Having a fifth-year senior with loads of experience come off the bench to provide depth at multiple positions is a rare luxury but it’s one the Hoosiers have with Chase Dutra. After battling multiple injuries earlier in his career, the senior from Brownsburg has evolved into a “super sub” that can provide help at multiple positions, provide veteran leadership and contribute on special teams. He played in ten games last season and had 46 tackles, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble and a blocked punt. He was a two-time special teams player of the week and he will undoubtedly play a big role on IU’s coverage units in 2017. He’ll likely see the most time as the backup to Tony Fields but he could see playing time at any of the safety positions, particularly if guys like Bryant Fitzgerald and Juwan Burgess can contribute as quickly as we think they can.
Ben Bach-
Another fifth year senior, Ben Bach provides more veteran depth to this group. He started the first four games of the 2016 season before giving way to both Marcelino Ball and A’Shon Riggins. Bach can play the Husky position against pass-happy teams or he could provide depth at either corner spot plus special teams. He’s not a major impact player but it’s nice to have experienced and reliable options to turn to if needed and that’s exactly what Bach is.
Bryant Fitzgerald-
The first of two highly-coveted additions to the safety unit, Bryant Fitzgerald comes to Bloomington from Avon after a terrific high school career at Avon High School. He was a member of the all-state team and a four-star recruit by some recruiting services. Fitzgerald is a 6’0”, 205 pound thumper that is known as a hard hitter in the mold of Marcelino Ball. He’s not as physically imposing as Ball but that’s a very high bar to clear and he’s built more than well enough to contribute. He’s expected to play during the 2017 season and I think he’ll probably back up both Marcelino Ball and Tony Fields.
Juwan Burgess-
Juwan Burgess was a shocking addition to this year’s recruiting class after he switched his commitment from USC (yes, the University of Southern California) to Indiana to join high school teammates Thomas Allen and Whop Philyor in Bloomington. He was a top 300 national recruit after a standout career at Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. Burgess is built in the mold of fellow Florida high school product Jonathan Crawford and he’s expected to develop into the same kind of playmaking free safety Crawford currently is. Burgess is a great athlete that may end up returning kicks for the Hoosiers (although that seems unlikely right now) along with backing up Crawford and eventually moving into the starting lineup whenever Crawford exits Bloomington. The present of the unit is really strong and it seems the future is in good hands with the addition of Burgess and Fitzgerald.
Khalil Bryant-
The 5’10” sophomore from Jacksonville appeared in 11 games during his true freshman season, making three tackles. He’s best suited as a backup to Tony Fields as he doesn’t quite have the length or range to be a real effective free safety. He appears to be behind a couple of guys but he’s still very young and could develop for the future while fighting to contribute on special teams. He’ll battle throughout the season for playing time with guys like Ben Bach, Chase Dutra and Bryant Fitzgerald.
Zeke Walker-
At 6’2” and nearly 220 pounds, Walker is a big safety that is the ideal build for the Husky position. He’s clearly behind Marcelino Ball but the battle for playing time with Bryant Fitzgerald will be fierce. The redshirt junior played in all 13 games in 2016, posting ten tackles (seven of them solo) with one tackle for a loss and a blocked punt against Rutgers. Walker is a terrific athlete and a heavy hitter that could play a big role against run-heavy or pro-style offenses like Wisconsin or Michigan State and the option attack of Georgia Southern. Pass coverage has not been a strength of Walker’s game and that holds him back from extensive action anywhere but Husky.
Jayme Thompson-Thompson came to IU with sky-high expectations. The one-time Ohio State player has battled injuries since being on campus in Bloomington,but has been fully participating in fall camp. If Thompson can get up to speed and stay healthy in 2017, he makes an already deep secondary even deeper. This is his final season at IU, so the hope is Thompson can live up to the expectations and become a contributor on both defense and on special teams,
Call me a homer or a drinker of the “kool-aid” if you wish but there’s no way around it, the Indiana Hoosiers have one of the best and deepest group of safeties in the Big Ten. All the pieces are in place for the back-end of the defense to have a really strong season and put a couple of players on All-Big Ten teams and they look well-stocked for the future with a good influx of youth that can get a little bit of action in 2017 without being relied upon extensively. Stay tuned to Hoosier Huddle as we continue to roll towards the 2017 season!