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The Indiana Daily Student

sports football

IU football position previews: Secondary

Freshman Jonathan Crawford attempts to make a tackle during the game against Florida International on Saturday, September 12 at Memorial Stadium.

The IU secondary was bad last season — the worst in the Big Ten.

It allowed the most passing yards per game (313.8) in the conference by 23.3 yards, and no regular starter was older than a sophomore.

But junior safety Chase Dutra believes the Hoosier secondary will be one of the best in the Big Ten in 2016.

“A lot of people will disagree with us because of last year’s stats and everything,” Dutra said, “but I think with how much our young guys played last year — with (Jonathan Crawford) starting every game last year, Andre (Brown) and Tyler Green — I think we’re starting to play well together.”

Crawford is a sophomore safety. Brown and Green are sophomore cornerbacks. 

The most significant change to the IU secondary is the presence of a fifth defensive back in the husky position, a hybrid safety-linebacker that plays in coverage, blitzing and run-stopping schemes.

The husky was introduced through the change in defensive coordinator from Brian Knorr's 3-4 scheme to Tom Allen's 4-2-5.

IU Coach Kevin Wilson has touched on some possibilities at the new position, mentioning juniors Ben Bach and Jayme Thompson, sophomore Zeke Walker and even junior Tony Fields, who backs up Dutra at safety. Wilson said he’s still looking for consistency in practice before making the ultimate decision.

To Dutra, adding a fifth man to the secondary only adds to the ground that can be covered in pass defense and another body to stop the run, both of which the Hoosiers struggled to contain last season.

Dutra himself is back to starting at safety after missing the last five games of last season due to injury. Still, the junior was able to rack up the second-most tackles (61) in the secondary.

IU no longer needs to replace Dutra by committee, which takes the pressure off Crawford, Dutra’s opposite at safety.

The sophomore recorded the second-most takcles on the team with 76. He filled his stat sheet with one sack, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble and a team-high four interceptions.

Crawford was all over the field and became one hope for a brighter future in the IU secondary. Now, Dutra said he has gained weight and matured as a player in order to help the defense compete at a higher level in the Big Ten.

“Physically you can just tell by looking at him that he’s a bigger kid,” Dutra said. “That helps no matter what. You’re playing in the Big Ten so you’ve gotta be big. You’ve got to put some size on, and his body took a beating last year.”

Junior cornerback Rashard Fant also filled the stat sheets in 2015, breaking up 22 passes, intercepting one pass and tackling 52 ball carriers in a position that Wilson constantly stressed needed improvement at open-field tackling.

The cornerback will maintain his starting status across from sophomore Andre Brown, who played nine games last season in a battle with injuries. Brown, Green, Bach, sophomore Jameel Cook and sophomore Leon Thornton all split time across from Fant in 2015.

Now Brown could hold down the position going into the season, while junior linebacker Marcus Oliver, Dutra and others continue to sing his praises.

Depth Chart

CB

16 Rashard Fant, 5-10, 174, Redshirt Junior

21 Leon Thornton, 6-1,196, Sophomore

Husky

18 Ben Bach, 6-1, 197, Redshirt Junior

12 Jayme Thompson, 6-2, 191, Redshirt Junior

- or -

Zeke Walker, 6-2 215, Redshirt Sophomore

S

9 Jonathan Crawford, 6-2, 198, Sophomore

20 Jameel Cook, 6-1, 201, Sophomore

30 Chase Dutra, 6-1, 200, Redshirt Junior

19 Tony Fields, 5-11, 203, Junior

CB

14 Andre Brown, 6-0, 195 Sophomore

3 Tyler Green, 6-3, 190, Sophomore

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