Countdown to Kickoff: 12 Days (Jayme Thompson and Zander Diamont)

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Written by: Lydia Knoll (@lydddknoll)

#12

There are now 12 days remaining until the Indiana Hoosiers kick-off the 2016 season in Miami against the Florida International Golden Panthers. Join us each day for each part of our 100-day countdown to the opener! We are posting two players for day 12, husky Jayme Thompson and quarterback Zander Diamont. 

Jayme Thompson (Redshirt Junior)

-Height: 6’2”
-Weight: 191 pounds
-Hometown: Toledo, OH
-Position: Defensive Back

Now at his third college for football, Thompson comes to Indiana from Iowa Western Community College. While at Iowa, he helped the Reivers to a 10-2 record and a victory in the 2015 Graphic Edge Bowl. Thompson recorded 81 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups in 2014, the year that Iowa Western went to the national championship game. Before attending Iowa Western however, Thompson redshirted his freshman year at Ohio State University. According to 247Sports, Thompson was ranked the second best  junior college safety and Rivals ranked him the 44th best junior college prospect before Indiana picked him up.

As far as the 2016 season goes, the starter at husky is debatable. Thompson was penciled in to the starting husky position heading into fall, but has been hampered with turf toe. He should be ready to go for the opener, but has missed most of camp and has to fight off advances from Zeke Walker, Ben Bach, and Marcelino Ball.

Zander Diamont (Junior)

-Height: 6’1”
-Weight: 174 pounds
-Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
-Position: Quarterback

A lot has been said about the upcoming Hoosier quarterbacks, Diamont included. His freshman year, Diamont finished the season for Nate Sudfeld who was injured in the Iowa game. That year, with six starts, Diamont recorded 515 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. Coming into his sophomore year, Sudfeld returned and Diamont found himself in a backup role. However, Diamont caught the attention of Hoosier Nation once again in the Ohio State game when he was put in for Sudfeld, and the whispers of his return to quarterback haven’t stopped since. In that Ohio State debut, Diamont recorded the longest rush ever by an Indiana quarterback with 79 yards, capped off with a touchdown. He also started in the game against Penn State, finishing his sophomore season with 166 passing yards and 138 rushing yards. 

The fight for starting quarterback has likely been determined with Richard Lagow as the winner. Close behind him comes Danny Cameron, redshirt sophomore, who appeared in one game last season. Diamont falls in the ranks right behind, or arguably right in line with Cameron. Although Diamont is quick and likes to run the ball, his size is a factor to be cautious of. If Diamont is to see the field this season, he must be wary of the risks and intend to protect himself from future injuries like the ones that held him back last year. 

Share any comments or memories about Jayme and Zander in the comments section (or on the message boards) and be sure to come back to Hoosier Huddle each day during our countdown!