Indiana cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby knows he has a special group of players to coach in this unprecedented season.
While Shelby is excited about the improvement of Larry Tracy III and the development of incoming freshman Lem Watley-Neely and Christopher Keys, he knows that if this year’s secondary unit will be successful, it starts with sophomore Tiawan Mullen.
“For me, I have to coach him even harder about the little things— where are his feet, his eyes, his hand placement,” Shelby said. “I am a lot harder on him because, at the end of the day, a lot of players that have [a] successful freshman year usually fall into a sophomore slump.”
Mullen finished the 2019 season strong, starting in the final eight games of the season for Tom Allen, and playing in all thirteen contests. Mullen compiled 28 tackles, while forcing and recovering two fumbles.
Additionally, Mullen was rated as one of the top ten returning players in the Big Ten conference this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Per PFF, Mullen only allowed 18 of 40 targets to be caught by wide receivers he was responsible for covering in 2019, and only surrendered more than 30 yards to a receiver he was manning just once.
“What I did last year, it was great and everything, but with Coach Shelby behind me, I need to push harder,” Mullen said. “I know his expectations, so he doesn’t need to push or yell at me.”
Mullen will be at the top of a cornerback depth chart that features juniors Jaylin Williams and Reese Taylor. In July, Mullen was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, given to the best defensive player in college football at the end of the season.
Looking to build off a strong freshman season, Mullen has been turning to his brother, Trayvon, on advice at the position. Trayvon is a cornerback in his second season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
“There are a lot of things I can fix to become a better player, like knowing what routes the receivers are going to run, whatever formation they get in, knowing what’s coming,” Mullen said. “That’s something me and my brother talk about.”
Mullen’s coaching staff knows that he’s got the tools to lead the secondary on and off the field in 2020.
“He takes great coaching and has been pushed since he was a little boy. Now, as a young man, this is second nature to him,” Shelby said. “He loves football. When you get that DNA, it is awesome to coach.”
----
• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals
• Like us on Facebook.