Hoosiers CB Rashard Fant Embraces Leadership Role
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Rashard Fant became the Hoosiers number 1 corner in his redshirt sophomore season. Image: IUHoosiers.com
Written By T.J. Inman (@TJHossierHuddle)
Rashard Fant arrived at IU after a very successful high school career in Fairburn, Georgia. Fant was a four-star recruit that was expected to eventually be a starter in IU’s secondary. However, he was only 5’9” and many questioned whether or not his 160-pound frame would be able to add enough size to deal with the demands of high D1 football and B1G receivers. An ESPN recruiting analyst wrote about Fant in February of 2013: “Fant’s biggest detriment is likely his lack of ideal stature and height….overall, we really like Fant’s tools, but are concerned with the measurables.” Fant redshirted as a freshman in the fall of 2013 and went to work on proving those doubters wrong.
Fant knew his height likely wasn’t going to change but he could control his weight and strength. He worked in the weight room and with the IU coaches to develop his body and gain muscle mass. By the time the 2014 season kicked off, Fant had added 10-15 pounds and he was ready to contribute on the field. Fant quickly worked himself into meaningful playing time behind veterans Michael Hunter and Tim Bennett. He played in all 12 games of his redshirt freshman season and was tied for second among all B1G freshmen in pass break ups (PBUs). In total, he garnered 23 tackles, 21 solos with five pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Heading into 2015, Fant was expected to be a starter alongside the veteran Michael Hunter but Hunter opted to transfer to Oklahoma State for his senior season, leaving Fant as the “veteran” on an extremely young secondary. He excelled on the field, leading the B1G (and finishing second in the country) with 22 pass breakups. Despite his comparatively small size, he was second on the team in solo tackles (48) and finally captured his first interception in the bowl game against Duke. However, the secondary struggled as a whole and the Hoosiers eventually decided to let defensive coordinator Brian Knorr go and replaced him with Tom Allen. Fant was very good as an individual but he knows he needs to improve as a leader if 2016 is to be any better for the IU defense.
“Obviously, I’m not the guy that likes to talk or speak that much, I’d rather just go out there and play.” Fant told Hoosier Huddle. “Now, having to talk a little more and show the guys the way, just be there for them when they do good, and when they struggle a little bit just let them know that they got it and encourage them and show them the way. Also, teaching things that I’ve learned from guys that came before me just keep doing those things.”
Fant’s position coach, Brandon Shelby, has seen a lot of improvement in the Georgia-native’s game, both on and off the field.
“He’s (Fant’s) come a long way. He came in as an undersized corner as far as weight, gained about 15-20 pounds, still needs to get a little bigger. He’s done a great job of taking the lead in our corner room,” Shelby told Hoosier Huddle.
Fant will be the leader of a group of talented, but young, defensive backs playing in a new 4-2-5 defensive formation and under a new defensive coordinator in Tom Allen. Guys like Tyler Green, Andre Brown Jr., Wesley Green, Arthur Jones (among others) and incoming freshman corner A’Shon Riggins will all be looking to Fant for guidance and direction as they adapt to the new system. Being a better leader isn’t the only thing on Fant’s mind as he prepares for the 2016 season though. As he continues his evolution from undersized prospect into shutdown corner, he wants to improve on something his new defensive coordinator emphasizes above most things: generating takeaways.
“I’m trusting my technique and being confident and going out there and playing hard every play. Staying focused, playing within the system knowing that those plays are going to come. Eventually, turning those deflections into picks for my teammates and my team.”
Getting takeaways was more than just a talking point for Tom Allen and his defense throughout spring practice and we saw the hard work and focus begin to pay off at the Spring Game as the Hoosier defense forced three “takeaways” during the scrimmage. Brandon Shelby shared his thoughts on how Fant can play his part by getting more interceptions after only snagging one of the team’s twelve 2015 interceptions.
“Number one, believe your reads. You gotta be prepared through the week to get the confidence on Saturdays. When he gets his confidence, he’ll know what that team like to do, and that’s how he’ll get interceptions. Hopefully throughout spring, summer and fall camp, we can get that trust up and maybe get that interception rate up,” Shelby said.
It’s a near certainty that Rashard Fant will take the field as a starting defensive back when the Hoosiers kickoff the season in Miami on September 1. If his growth as a player up to this point is any indication, Fant will take another step forward in 2016 and go from “good player” to an “All-B1G caliber corner”. If he can find a way to continue his development while also being a strong leader for the young cornerbacks, IU’s secondary could take a big leap in Tom Allen’s first season as defensive coordinator.