Talent and Depth at Corner Could Turn IU's Secondary into a No-Fly Zone

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Just a few years ago Indiana’s secondary was ranked 97th in the nation in yards given up through the air, as the secondary featured a mix of veterans and youngsters trying to prove themselves. College football has been and always will be an upperclassmen’s game. Those young players who struggled in 2014? Well, they’ve gotten much better as coach Brandon Shelby and a new defensive scheme has turned a weakness into strength.

Indiana returns one of the best cover corners in the Big Ten with Rashard Fant and plenty of talented depth behind him, including some incoming freshman who could find their way onto the field in 2017.

Potential Starters

Rashard Fant

Fant is the headliner of the group. He came in as a highly touted four-star recruit out of Georgia and is now living up to that rating. Fant has become Indiana’s best cover corner and he started to show what he was capable toward the end of the 2015 season when he capped off a solid season (52 tackles and 22 pass breakups) with his first career interception in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Last season Fant broke out. While having 19 fewer tackles in 2016 than 2015 (that’s a really good thing), Fant was often matched up against the opponent’s best receiver and he started to turn some of those pass breakups into interceptions as he finished 2016 with three.

Heading into 2017, Fant is the NCAA’s active leader and Indiana’s all-time leader in passes defended with 48. The next logical step in Fant’s college career is to become the best corner in the Big Ten. He has the tools to do so as he possesses elite speed, great feet and improving hands. His leadership skills speak for themselves and if Fant can continue to turn more pass deflections into interceptions he could end up on some All-America lists. However, teams could shy away from Fant and try and pick on another corner, which would lead to lower numbers.

Andre Brown Jr.

Brown played in nine games as a true freshman (eight starts), but has had two seasons cut short due to injury. He was granted a medical redshirt in 2016 and is back healthy in 2017 battling it out with A’Shon Riggins for the starting spot opposite Fant.

In his limited playing time Brown has shown he can play at the Big Ten level recording 35 tackles and four pass breakups as a true freshman including a game saver in a one point win over Southern Illinois. He has a good frame at six-foot and 195 pounds to be able to take on blockers in the run game as well.

If Brown can stay healthy, he’ll see a lot of playing time and could wrestle away the starting spot from A’Shon Riggins. There is no such thing as having too much quality depth at the corner position.

 A’Shon Riggins

Riggins was really, really good last year and earned BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman honors for his play in 12 games. Riggins made 37 tackles, two coming for loss, picked off a pass and broke up nine others. He showed that he can be used on the blitz and is tremendous in pass coverage.

This season, Riggins has been banged up in camp, which has opened the door for Brown to impress coaches. The reason I have listed the true sophomore as a starter is because he can come back and take back his position. Even if Brown does beat him out, Riggins will still see plenty of time. Tom Allen and the other defensive coaches are trying to make it a point to cut down the number of early game snaps the first team defenders have to take.

Key Depth

Tyler Green

Green is now a junior and his career thus far has been filled with ups and downs. He started in two games and played in eight in his freshman year when he made 16 tackles. He did not record a pass breakup though and showed he had a lot to prove if he wanted to see more of the field in 2016.

His sophomore campaign didn’t get off to the start that Green or IU fans wanted to see as he was relegated to the bench after being burned for a long pass against FIU. However, Green showed guts and made the most of his chances and earned a start in the Foster Farms Bowl in place of an injured A’Shon Riggins. In total, Green appeared in 10 games and made 10 tackles while breaking up two passes.

This season, Green has the chance to be a weapon off the bench. His height, six-foot-three, gives him an attribute that no other Hoosier corner has. He can be used to matchup in the red zone and against the opponent’s taller receivers. If Green can continue his development as an adequate corner, the IU defense will have four players who can run out against any opponent.

Raheem Layne

Layne is one of the two corners that the Hoosiers brought in as part of the 2017 recruiting class. In high school Layne was a first-team All-Area selection while playing at Sebastian River (FL). He made 57 tackles, intercepted two passes and didn’t allow a touchdown on his side of the field all year.

Layne has a chance to be really good for IU and his speed and stride length make him a dangerous playmaker in the defensive backfield. Hopefully, the Hoosiers can get through the 2017 season injury free and Layne could red shirt, but he is having a good first fall camp and has played his way into contention. Don’t be surprised if you see Layne on special teams as a gunner or returning kicks.

Sleeper

LaDamion Hunt

Hunt is the other corner the Hoosiers brought in as part of the 2017 recruiting class and much like Layne he could be playing his way onto the field this season. Hunt, out of Carrollton, Georgia, has a nose for the ball. As a seniors, Hunt picked off three passes, forced two fumbles while recovering another. That is the kind of production that Tom Allen is looking for is his defensive players.

Hunt has had an outstanding fall camp and having him be the fifth corner in the rotation would be big for an IU defense that wants to have fresh defenders on the field.

2017 Outlook

The Hoosiers come into 2017 in great shape at corner and probably has the most depth there in a long time. Fant is as good as it gets in the Big Ten while Brown and Riggins are quality corners who won’t be victimized if opponents want to stay away from Fant. Tyler Green has shown flashes and can become a great player off the bench if he continues his upward trajectory.

The two freshman, Layne and Hunt, can become contributors if need. Allen has said he would like to redshirt freshman whenever he has the opportunity, but these two could be too good to leave off the field.

Coupled with the talent at the safety and husky positions, Indiana’s secondary is probably the best that they have ever had and gives the pass rush and linebackers more time to get to the quarterback.

Other Positional Previews

Offensive Line

Safeties