2017 Spring Practice Preview: Cornerbacks
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Indiana will rely on Rashard Fant to lock down opponents' top receivers Image: Cam Koenig HoosierHuddle.com
Written By Alex Compton
Hoosier Huddle is getting ready for the first spring practices of the Tom Allen era by previewing each position. Our focus today is on a position group that dramatically improved in their first year in a new scheme and is returning virtually every contributing player from a season ago: the corners.
THE DEPARTED
At this time, there are no major contributors from IU’s 2016 group of corners that are expected to be absent from the 2017 roster. IU had no seniors in this group and no one has publicly announced any intention to leave the program with eligibility remaining. The returning developing talent, combined with the addition of a couple of very impressive newcomers, makes this as good a group of corners we’ve seen in a long time in Bloomington.
THE SURE-FIRE STARTERS
IU returns both of the players that started nearly every game last season, and they will likely enter the season 1 & 2 again in 2017.
Rashard Fant – (5’10”/175/RS SR)– You could reasonably make the case for Rashard Fant being the Big Ten’s best cornerback. He has led the conference in pass breakups the last two seasons, and is the NCAA’s active leader and IU’s all-time leader in passes defensed with 48. Fant was a second team All-B1G selection last season after having three interceptions and 17 pass breakups, and his decision to return for a fifth year in Bloomington is HUGE for IU’s chances at a great season in 2017. Fant is such a luxury, because you can just throw him on a side of the field and not have to worry about giving him safety help over the top. He is one of the nation’s elite, and will look to lock up more receivers this season.
A’Shon Riggins – (6’0”/190/SO)– A’Shon Riggins really turned heads as a true freshman last season. A starter in 8 games, Riggins finished second on the team with nine pass breakups and added a pick against Ohio State in the second half. He definitely made some freshman mistakes, but his ability to play man coverage and help with tackling in the run game makes him the probable starter opposite of Fant heading into the season. Riggins’ biggest challenge will be to replicate the physicality he showed (37 tackles, 35 solos) early last year throughout the entire 2017 campaign.
RETURNING DEPTH
Tyler Green – (6’3”/190/JR)– After a disappointing true freshman campaign, the one-time Ohio State commit flashed signs of greatness during his sophomore season in 2016. A long, rangy corner, Green played in 11 games and started in the Foster Farms Bowl against Utah. In that game, he had seven tackles (five solos) and a forced fumble. He got better and better as the year went on, and he will either be a super sub or beat out Riggins for the second starting spot in 2017. Expect big things from Tyler Green this year.
Ben Bach – (6’1”/197/RS-SR)– Bach saw his playing time decrease during the 2016 season thanks to the emergence of the aforementioned A’Shon Riggins. He ended up starting the first four games at corner and appeared in 11 games total. Bach, a former walk-on, was given a scholarship during preseason camp and totaled five tackles on the season. He’s a versatile player because of his size and it’s very possible he sees spot duty as a valuable depth piece at both cornerback and Husky in addition to his important duties on special teams.
Andre Brown Jr. – (6’0”/195/RS SO)– Brown Jr. is probably the most interesting guy to watch out of the group this year, because he hasn’t been on the field since 2015. As a true freshman that year, Brown Jr. played in 9 games, starting 8. He missed the back part of that year due to injury, and missed all of last year after redshirting due to an injury as well. He was productive when he played, totaling 35 tackles, four pass breakups, and a forced fumble as true freshman in the Big Ten. He is a physical playmaker, and you may remember his game-saving breakup against Southern Illinois on a two-point conversion back in 2015. If Brown Jr. can stay healthy, he will see some snaps.
Wesley Green – (5’11”/183/JR)– Wesley Green is the highest rated recruit currently on Indiana’s roster, but he can’t seem to get on the field. After not playing as a freshman at South Carolina, the #120 overall player in the 2015 recruiting class transferred to IU and took a while to get acclimated. He was suspended briefly upon arriving at IU, and Head Coach Tom Allen announced on Thursday morning that he is now suspended indefinitely. He only played in two games last year, so his lack of experience coupled with his disciplinary issues make him a total question mark for 2017.
Fall Reinforcements
Raheem Layne and Ladamion Hunt are essentially rated equally as they begin their careers at IU. The three-stars from Florida and Georgia respectively check in at #157 and #154 at corner according to 247Sports. Layne is the better athlete and could see time returning kicks or punts in 2017, but Hunt is much longer and has a big-time nose for the football. Layne was a former Minnesota commit that flipped, and Hunt was one of IU’s oldest commits in the class. One of them is likely to redshirt, while the other could see spot snaps to provide valuable depth. Both will be good players down the road, but they should immediately be welcome additions to camp this summer.
Things We Will Be Watching For
PROVIDING RUN SUPPORT
As great as the improvement on defense was last season under Tom Allen, mobile quarterbacks killed the Hoosiers on the ground all year. The challenge in a 4-2-5 scheme is limiting big runs to the outside, and that was apparent last year. The cornerback group is filled with solid cover guys, but they will need to be able to collapse down into the box and stop the run much more effectively in 2017. The physicality is there, but there just needs to more emphasis put on solid tackling fundamentals and block shedding in camp this spring and over the summer. Riggins and Brown Jr. are more physical guys that have seen success in stopping the run, while Fant and Tyler Green are more suited for coverage. Tom Allen could conceivably mix and match guys to match personnel groupings that the offense throws out there, but we will have to see how it plays out during camp.
HOW DOES THE DEPTH PLAY OUT?
Fant, Riggins, and Tyler Green are your known commodities heading in to 2017. They all have played in primetime and have performed well when their numbers have been called. After those three though, IU will likely need at least two guys to step up and prove they are ready to handle some snaps. If Andre Brown Jr. is healthy and can shake off the rust, maybe he is a guy that sees the field. Maybe Ben Bach gets snaps because he is a very experienced guy and you know what you’re going to get from him every game. Can Wesley Green finally get on the field and make an impact? Do either of the freshman stand out? Do they both? Beyond the top three, there are plenty of questions, and it will be interesting to see which guys round out the depth chart as we head in to 2017.
Thank you for reading our all of our position previews as we head in to spring ball for the first time under Tom Allen. Check back on the site frequently as spring ball starts for the most in-depth, most frequent, and most reliable Indiana Football coverage out there. Also be sure to follow our team so you’re the first to know about all things IUFB in the spring!
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