*Image: Photo: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images*

Written by Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

Hoosier Huddle will be ranking the position groups of every team on Indiana’s schedule. Today we will take a look at defensive backs. The Big Ten is home to some of the best secondary units in the country, and the Hoosiers will face some the toughest of the crop. The Hoosiers will miss Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin out of the West division therefore they will not be included in our rankings.

(1) Michigan

Michigan has consistently fielded a stout defense under the tenure of Jim Harbaugh and 2019 will be no exception. The Wolverines lose two starters from last year’s excellent secondary, one to the NFL draft (CB David Long). In 2018, Michigan ranked second in the nation with just 141 passing yards per game allowed. Michigan has recruited extremely well recently, and their roster is in good position to fill any voids in 2019. Junior cornerback Ambry Thomas, a former top recruit, is poised to have a breakout season anchoring Michigan’s secondary alongside his high school teammate Lavert Hill. The Wolverines are projected to have one of the best defensive backfields in the entire country, ranked 4th in the country according to Phil Steele.

(2) Ohio State

Ohio State has long had one of the best secondaries in the country, with 33 defensive backs drafted in the NFL since 1997. Last year cornerback Kendall Sheffield was drafted in the fourth round. Aside from his departure, the Buckeyes secondary has plenty of depth with seven players with starting experience returning to the team. Last year, a young Ohio State secondary held its own, ranking 42nd in defensive passing efficiency according to NCAA.com. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Shaun Wade led the Buckeyes last year with three interceptions. Wade and senior CB Damon Arnette will anchor OSU’s secondary. This unit projects to be one of the ten best in the country and a close second behind Michigan for the best secondary in the Big Ten.

(3) Penn State

Penn State has recruited with force under head coach James Franklin and it’s helped the Nittany Lions sustain one of the better defenses in the country. Last year, Penn State’s passing defense was among the best in the nation, ranking 15th in passing yards allowed per game and 8th in passing efficiency, per NCAA.com. Amani Oruwariye was drafted by the Detroit Lions and the Nittany Lions will have to replace one other starter to graduation. Otherwise, Penn State returns six starting defensive backs and look to be one of the best in the nation. Big things will be expected of this group. Among the returnees, Lamont Wade, a former four-star recruit, will be a player to watch on Penn State’s vaunted defense. Phil Steele ranks Nittany Lions DB’s ninth in the country and third overall in the Big Ten.

(4) Michigan State

Michigan State’s defense has presented great challenges for the Hoosiers in recent memory. The Spartans saw two players, safety Khari Willis and cornerback Justin Layne, have their names called on NFL draft day. This season, sophomore safety Xavier Henderson will likely step into a starting role and have a chance to shine. Henderson looks to build on a true freshman season where he played in every game on defense and excelled on special teams. Michigan State has young talent ready to step up and their pass defense should again rank as one of the top-25 in the nation. The Hoosiers could surprise the Spartans with an offense more geared toward attacking downfield. Beyond these four teams (Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State), the pass defenses Indiana will face will become less formidable.

(5) Nebraska

Nebraska struggled for the first half of last season, giving up big plays and a ton of points. The Cornhuskers tightened things up and looked like a much better team the final few games last year. 2019 projects to be a much different picture for Nebraska. Second year head coach Scott Frost appears to have some momentum going in Lincoln. Senior defensive back Lamar Jackson hopes to become a leader of the defense. Jackson, along with Deontai Williams tied for the team lead in interceptions last year with two. The Cornhuskers have recruited well and shape up to be a challenging road test for Indiana.

(6) Maryland

Maryland lost perhaps their best player to the NFL last season when the Green Bay Packers selected Darnell Savage Jr. in the first round. Despite this loss, the Terrapins will nevertheless have a solid secondary in 2019. Although Maryland has had mediocre results since joining the Big Ten, one positive about the team is their impressive level of team speed. The Terrapins recruit fast players on both sides of the ball, which inevitably helps in the secondary. Senior defensive back Antoine Brooks could be a standout player for Maryland. Last year, he was fifth on the team in tackles, recorded an interception and three pass breakups. Indiana will need to take advantage of their big wide receivers when they matchup against Maryland.

(7) Northwestern

The Hoosiers have played Northwestern just once in the last seven years, a 24-14 loss in 2016. Northwestern has had competitive defenses during head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s reign in Evanston. Cornerback Cam Ruiz is primed to take a leadership role on next year’s Northwestern defense. Fellow cornerback JR Pace, now a junior, led the team last season with four interceptions. Alongside Ruiz and Pace, the Wildcats return most of their defensive backs in 2019 and should have a steady pass defense. When Northwestern comes to town, IU will have to use home field to their advantage.

(8) Purdue

Purdue gave up a ton of passing yards last season, ranking 124th in the nation in passing yards allowed. However, the Boilermakers ranked 83rd in defensive passing efficiency, indicating a better performance than yardage assumes. Redshirt sophomore Kenneth Major led the team in interceptions last year with three. He will look to make an even larger impact in his second year. As head coach Jeff Brohm enters his third year, .500 ball will no longer be the expectation for Purdue.

(9) Ball State

Last year the Hoosiers beat Ball State handily. This year, IU will play the Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium to kick off the season. The Ball State secondary was certainly the strength of their defense last year and 2019 should be no different. The Cardinals return most of their production at safety and cornerback from a group who ranked 12th in the nation last year in defensive passing explosiveness (limiting big plays). Safety Bryce Cosby has recorded two interceptions in each of his first two seasons. He will be counted on to make big plays next season. Junior CB Antonio Phillips also notched two interceptions last year as he steps into a bigger role. The Hoosiers will need to take advantage of their size and athleticism at wide receiver when they face off against the Cardinals secondary.

(10) Rutgers

Rutgers has become a punchline since joining the Big Ten and one reason for that has been a passing defense that persistently surrenders big plays. Despite ranking 19th in the country in passing yards allowed per game, Rutgers ranked 45th in defensive passing efficiency. A big reason the Scarlet Knights managed to rank in the top-50 was thanks to safety Saquan Hampton and cornerback Blessuan Austin, both players were taken in the NFL draft this spring. Rutgers will have a tall task replacing those two players and rounding out the rest of their secondary rotation. Cornerback Damon Hayes will be called on to fill a leadership role as a senior after a productive junior campaign.

(11) Eastern Illinois

The lone FCS team on Indiana’s schedule, Eastern Illinois, should provide the Hoosiers with a comfortable challenge as a lead up to the Ohio State game in early September. Coming off a 3-8 season, Eastern Illinois is expected to improve in 2019, although their secondary is not projected to pose problems for Indiana.

(12) Connecticut

*Photo: Steve Conner / Associated Press*

Connecticut’s pass defense was absolutely dreadful last season. The Huskies ranked near the bottom in the nation in passing yards surrendered per game (125th). According to NCAA.com’s database, Connecticut ranked dead last in defensive passing efficiency, significantly behind the next-to-last team. Sophomore cornerback Oneil Robinson looks to turn things around for the Huskies defense. Last year, Robinson led the team with two interceptions as a true freshman. The UConn football program has struggled mightily over the last decade, and fortunately for Indiana, this trend is likely to continue next year.

Do you have your own thoughts on the ranking? Please share them in the comments section.

The Huddle

2019 Opponent Unit Ranking: Defensive Backs