Brandon Shelby has been at Indiana for 10 years and has recruited a lot of talent for the IU secondary. However, this will by far be the most talented and deep cornerbacks group he has coached in Bloomington.
Currently, the IU roster will see eight of its top 10 all-time cornerback commits take the field and while there are still some growing pains due to the youth of the group, Shelby is excited about the talent level that gets to grow together.
"The great thing about it is, this is a learning opportunity because they get the same year next year," Shelby told the media on Tuesday. "Just think about how great we will be next year with all of these guys coming back and it does not hurt their eligibility at all. I am really excited for right now and the future."
While guys like Tiawan Mullen and Jaylin Williams are the most notable members of the cornerbacks group, a few names are already standing out in Shelby's eyes and could be in store for a bigger year than expected.
One of those names is Larry Tracy III. The redshirt freshman was a standout defensive back at Decatur Central where he amassed 292 tackles, eight interceptions and 28 pass breakups over the course of his four-year career. After enrolling at IU in the spring of 2019, Tracy has now had nearly three 'offseasons' under his belt, including spring, summer and fall practices, something that has shown in his play this fall.
"One guy that really keeps doing a great job is Larry Tracy III. He keeps making plays. As a freshman, he was kind of scatter-brained, but you can understand that. He has locked in, gotten into the college, started to understand the flows of college and he is locked into football," Shelby said. "I see a totally different change in him on and off the field. I am excited for him and the process he is doing to give himself an opportunity to go play... I am really excited for the future for him."
Part of the growth and maturity of Tracy is due to Jaylin Williams. The junior corner, who has 25 games under his belt, has started to pass his experiences down to Tracy knowing the potential he has.
"I kind of took Larry (Tracy) under my wing. I have been trying to harp on Larry to do the little things. There are some things, as a young guy I did not realize I did some of these things, but I realize when he does some them," Williams said. "I have been trying to help him out because I went through the same things that he has went through... I am looking for Larry to step up. He can do it, but he needs to know he can do it and have the confidence in himself."
While Tracy is certainly ready to step up, the list of early standouts doesn't end there. Two true freshmen who Shelby recruited in the 2020 class who have already showed flashes of their potential are Lem Watley-Neely and Christopher Keys. Though true freshmen don't always see a lot of action and play significant roles, Indiana knows if the talent is there, it doesn't matter what year they are. Tiawan Mullen exemplified that last year. Because of COVID and normal injuries expected to take their course, Shelby knows he may have to rely on that duo earlier than expected.
"When you talk about Lem Watley-Neely and Christopher Keys, those guys have the athletic ability. As true freshman coming in, I wish I had those guys years ago. It would have made that transition a lot easier," Shelby said. "Athletically, they are some of the best freshmen that we have. I am excited and I expect great things from those guys."
While most of Key's experience comes at the cornerback position, Watley-Neely is a true 'athlete'. As a senior at Harper Woods (MI), he rushed for 779 yards and seven touchdowns, and caught 13 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Altogether, the Michigan native took snaps from 13 different positions. While that versatility is extremely intriguing to Shelby, it's all about cracking down on the X's and O's and defensive schemes.
"The thing with Lem, he is a great football player. He is really tough. Now we have to get all the mental stuff together when it comes to all of the checks," Shelby added. "A lot of times in high school, if it is Cover 2, you play Cover 2. If it is Cover 3, you play Cover 3. Here, based on how people shift, motion and move, those changes can occur."
Shelby knows he has the talent and skillset with this group of guys, now it's just about getting caught up to speed in a shortened 'preseason' slate.
"When we talk about the young guys, we have to make sure they understand the importance of the little things. I think at the end of the day, those are the things we are harping on."
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