One of many transfers within Indiana football's defensive back room this season, Shawn Asbury II joined the Hoosiers this offseason by way of Old Dominion.
Asbury, who's expected to start at safety this upcoming season for Indiana, is entering his senior season in 2024.
Recap Asbury's 2023 season with the Monarchs and preview what's ahead for the defensive back in his first season with the Hoosiers in 2024.
2023 SEASON RECAP
During the 2023 season, Asbury started all 12 games for Old Dominion, earning an All-Sun Belt honorable mention nod for his play last year.
Over the course of the season, Asbury collected 93 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss. The Stafford, Virginia native recorded one interception and four pass breakups as well.
As a Monarch in 2023, Asbury registered three double-digit tackles games, and posted at least 1.0 tackle for loss in each of the first four games to begin the season.
Perhaps Asbury's best game of the season came in a week four win over Texas A&M-Commerce.
In that contest, Asbury racked up 15 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He also tallied one pass defended in that game too.
In a late October matchup against Curt Cignetti and James Madison, Asbury recorded six total tackles. He added a pass defended and his lone interception of the season against the Dukes in that affair.
Asbury put together quite the season in 2023 with the Monarchs. The Hoosiers will hope the senior will continue to build off of that stellar season in 2024 with the Hoosiers.
2024 SEASON OUTLOOK
Asbury enters the 2024 season as one of the top ranked returning safeties in the Big Ten.
Garnering a grade of 83.4, Asbury grades out as the seventh-highest rated safety amongst Big Ten returners entering the upcoming season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Part of the reason for that, is Asbury's ability to do it all from the safety spot.
Need someone to step up and aid in stopping the run game? Asbury can do that. Need a guy to lock down a specific area of the field in zone coverage? Asbury can do that too.
Standing at 5-foot-10 and 199 pounds, Asbury may be slightly undersized as a safety. However, what he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, explosiveness and range.
Where Asbury will likely excel this upcoming season with the Hoosiers is in pass coverage, however his ability to step up and help stuff the run will likely prove to be beneficial for the Hoosiers as well.
No matter what he's doing on any given play, Asbury is the type of guy that finds himself near the action, he has a nose for the football.
Indiana will be hoping for some big things this season out of the veteran safety.
FROM CIGNETTI
Cignetti on Asbury and fellow Old Dominion defensive back transfer Terry Jones Jr.: “They both played well, had a lot of tackles, good production, All-Sun Belt-type honors,” Cignetti said back in February. “We liked what we saw on tape, thought they could help us."
"Looking forward to seeing 'em," Cignetti continued. "The two ODU guys were position-of-need guys. We were really thin back there."
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