As impressive as freshman defensive back Marcelino Ball’s burst onto the defensive scene was in 2016, there were still some rookie moments that got to IU safeties coach Noah Joseph.
“He had some stupid mental busts where it was like, ‘What are you thinking? Where are you at?’ and he gave up a big play or a touchdown,” Joseph said.
Even though the freshman accumulated 75 tackles, good for third-most on the team, Ball was often a liability in pass coverage, mainly on deep passes. On many occasions, teams would target receivers deep on Ball’s side of the field.
Joseph said that liability came from Ball’s concern about things on the field that were out his control. Joseph said many young players face this problem at the college level because they haven’t adjusted to a system where they aren’t required to freelance and make big plays.
Ball pointed toward one play in 2016 against then-No. 10 Penn State when IU was leading 24-21 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Penn State needed a big play.
Ball lined up between the linebackers and safeties on the right side of the offensive line and looked into the backfield.
Penn State was lined up in a three-by-one formation, where there were two receivers on his side of the field and one running back in the backfield, Ball said. He was supposed to “read three, stay two,” or read for a run in the backfield and stay on his receiver if it was a pass.
The ball was snapped, and Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley handed the ball to running back Saquon Barkley. Ball keyed the run and sprinted toward the line and left his man, DaeSean Hamilton, streaking down the middle of the field.
Barkley tossed the ball back to McSorley, who threw a bomb to Hamilton. Ball caught up and brought Hamilton down at the three after 54 yards. Penn State scored a touchdown two plays later to take the lead and eventually defeat IU.
“That was a sad moment,” Ball said. “A scary moment.”
Those are the types of mental gaffs Ball and Joseph are looking to minimize for 2017 as Ball becomes more familiar with the new husky position IU Coach Tom Allen introduced to the program last season while he served as defensive coordinator.
“It’s hard because at the husky position we’re asking that guy to do a lot, both physically and mentally, so that’s a challenge,” Joseph said. “Also, for young guys, one of their biggest things is their eyes. What am I looking at? What am I keying? What is it telling me?”
Ball said spring ball helps him get better at using his eyes and mentally adjusting to the college game as he also develops a bond with his coaches and teammates.
After committing to IU in February 2016, Ball and most of the freshmen in the Class of 2016 didn’t participate in spring practices. The freshman won the husky position in summer and jumped right into his responsibilities in the fall.
“Fall isn’t really the time to get to bond,” Ball said. “It’s a fight for a position type of time, but now it’s time to rekindle. We’ve started to communicate and connect well. We need each other. I need the coaches, and the coaches need me. It’s like a relationship type of time.”
Ball said not only does he want to improve on his own mistakes from 2016, but he wants to help the defense as a whole improve on its mistakes as well. Before he can do that, he has to maintain his position through the spring.
Allen has bred a competitive environment within positional groups where the best players play and no starter has a guaranteed spot.
Ball earned the husky position in summer 2016, and now he plans to prove he can keep it for the 2017 season before he gets ahead of himself, he said.
“When it’s time to tackle or play to keep a position or get a position, you gotta do what you gotta do,” Ball said smiling after saying the phrase for the third time. “I know I say that a lot, but it’s kind of my saying. You gotta do what you gotta do.”
