Hoosier Huddle is breaking down each position group prior spring ball and today, we look at a deep position group with a star in the making leading the way: defensive back.

“Defensive back” is a catch-all term that applies to multiple positions on the field: cornerback, safety and in IU’s case, Husky. As a result, going into detail on every player would be information overload. We’ll go position by position and dive into detailed descriptions on where things stand heading into spring.

Cornerback

Tiawan Mullen is the no-doubt starter but there are four players behind them that will be battling for playing time. This is a talented group but there is no clear-cut second starter at this time. IU adds Lem Watley-Neely and Christopher Keys in the summer. I don’t expect either of them to have the impact Tiawan Mullen did in 2019 but they both have the talent to get into the rotation.

-#3 – Tiawan Mullen – Sophomore –

Prior to the 2019 season, there was hype around this Florida native. Mullen was expected to be a contributor and perhaps a difference-maker that developed into a starting corner later in his career. Tiawan Mullen surpassed all expectations and was a revelation as a true freshman. He led the Big Ten in pass breakups with 13 of them and was Indiana’s best defensive player in multiple games. Mullen earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and was named to The Athletic Freshman All-American and 247Sports Freshman All-American teams. Ideally, Mullen would be able to turn a few of those breakups into interceptions so improving his ball skills might be a priority this spring. Primarily though, he’ll be looking to continue establishing himself as a true shutdown corner.

-#2 – Reese Taylor – Junior –

After transitioning from a dual-role to a full-time cornerback role, Reese Taylor began to get comfortable towards the end of the season and he started to have an impact on the field. On October 19, Taylor intercepted an overthrown pass in the final minute to seal IU’s 34-28 victory at Maryland. He then started the final game of the regular season against Purdue. We know Taylor is athletic. This spring will be about developing consistency in coverage as he tries to grab the starting spot across from Mullen.

-#17 – Raheem Layne – Senior –

The lone senior in this position group, Layne had 30 tackles (tops for corners in 2019) and started the first give games before falling down to a rotation player. Layne is a bigger corner, something that is beneficial for this group, but it feels like he has been passed by Reese Taylor and Jaylin Williams and we know he’s behind Mullen. This is an important spring for Layne to show his worth before fall camp. At worst, he’ll be a part of the rotation and a great offseason could see him back in the starting lineup.

-#23 – Jaylin Williams – Junior –

Raheem Layne started the first five games of the season. Jaylin Williams took his place and started seven of the final eight. He posted 19 tackles with one interception and three pass breakups and was generally solid on coverage. Williams doesn’t have the size Layne offers but he’s quicker and I believe the ceiling for his production is higher than Layne’s. Again, that second starting cornerback spot is open and Williams is a contender for it that needs a strong spring.

-#13 – Larry Tracy – Redshirt Freshman –

Tracy, a redshirt freshman from Indianapolis, played in only one game in 2019 so the 2020 season will essentially be his first. I like Tracy’s size and he has the frame to be a physical corner. Mullen is the only corner that I feel has locked himself into a starting position. Tracy seems likely to be fifth in the rotation but there’s an opportunity in front of him to earn more.

I really like the potential of the safety group but the Hoosiers need more from this position in 2020 if they are to reach their ceiling as a team. A number of very different types of players will try to stake their claim in spring practices. The Hoosiers only added one safety in the 2019 class but that one guy (Bryson Bonds) has a real chance to be a factor before too long.

Safety

-#5 – Juwan Burgess – Redshirt Junior –

Juwan Burgess had what could best be described as a successful 2019 season. He started seven games at strong safety and played in all 13 contests. The redshirt junior had 29 tackles with two pass breakups and he added two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Burgess has not been great in coverage but he is a solid tackler and has the ability to make plays (see the key fumble recoveries at Maryland and at Nebraska). Burgess is a strong candidate to start at strong safety and he will certainly be in the rotation.

- #19 – Josh Sanguinetti – Redshirt Freshman –

The redshirt freshman from Florida was a late addition to the 2019 recruiting class. He appeared in the wins over Eastern Illinois and Connecticut and then redshirted the season. Sanguinetti has good length and athleticism and was a first-team all-state selection in Florida. Unfortunately, Sanguinetti is going to be limited during the spring as he recovers from an injury.

-#21 – Noah Pierre – Redshirt Sophomore –

Pierre redshirted the 2018 season and didn’t see the field much early in 2019 as a redshirt freshman. However, he started to gain some traction and ended up appearing in ten games. Pierre is a physical tackler that needs to show some progress this spring to move up ahead of more established veterans.

-#27 – Devon Matthews – Junior –

“Monster” Matthews posted 37 tackles with two pass break-ups as he started six games and appeared in all 13 contests. During the bowl game against Tennessee, Matthews had a pair of pass break-ups. Matthews is a physical safety and he will be a major factor in the competition for playing time at this position.

-#30 – Jordan Jusevitch – Redshirt Sophomore –

A native of Lowell, Indiana, Jusevitch was a finalist for the 2017 Indiana Mr. Football award but he has played very sparingly thus far in his IU career. He redshirted the 2018 season and then appeared briefly in only three contests in 2019. This is a big spring for Jusevitch and he needs to show the staff that he deserves a spot in the rotation at safety or as a contributor on special teams.

-#31 – Bryant Fitzgerald – Redshirt Junior –

After a terrific redshirt freshman season in 2018, Bryant Fitzgerald was expected to compete for All-Big Ten honors in 2019. However, things never quite seemed to click for IU’s starting free safety. He was fine but the impact wasn’t felt the same way it was in 2018. Fitzgerald recorded 27 tackles with three pass breakups in five starts at free safety. Fitzgerald has shown the potential to be much better and much more consistent and I think it is tremendously important for IU’s defense that Fitzgerald reaches his 2018 level again.

Husky

#9 – Marcelino Ball – Redshirt Senior –

The most experienced player in the Indiana secondary, or on IU’s defense as a whole, is back for his final campaign. I’ll be honest, after a stellar freshman season in 2016, my expectations for Marcelino Ball were through the roof. However, he has not reach the peaks of that season since his season-ending injury in early 2017. Last season, he had 47 tackles with two sacks and six quarterback hurries. That’s pretty good. The bad news? His season was marred by a couple of untimely penalties and poor pass coverage. I think the best Marcelino Ball is one that puts him in either obvious run situations or uses him to pressure the quarterback. Finding his best role is going to be a need for this defense to reach its potential.

#22 – Jamar Johnson – Junior –

A junior from Sarasota, Florida, Jamar Johnson had an impactful sophomore season. He had 25 tackles with three sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two pass breakups as he played in all 13 contests and started one game at the husky position. Johnson’s two biggest plays came at the end of the season as he intercepted a pass in the end zone against Purdue and intercepted a pass against Tennessee and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown in the Gator Bowl. Johnson was a safety during freshman season but moved to husky before his sophomore campaign in the spring of 2019. With a year of experience under his belt, it will be very interesting to see if he can unseat Marcelino Ball at the position. This is a position battle to watch.

Walk-Ons

The walk-ons are difficult to place into position groups but I am going to mention each of them here. Joseph Daniels received a bit of playing time as a redshirt freshman and has a chance to earn some special teams snaps moving forward. Gabe Cohen, Dekaleb Thomas, Nicholas Grieser, Jeremy Boyd and Samuel Slusher round out the walk-ons. Slusher appeared in 11 games on special teams last season while the others played sparingly.

The Huddle

Spring Practice 2020 Position Preview – Defensive Backs

Cornerback

Safety

Husky

Walk-Ons

Hoosier Huddle