Indiana University Athletics
Imagine This – Taylor Part of Difference-Making Secondary
7/6/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Reese Taylor makes you imagine the Indiana cornerback possibilities.
Specifically, he makes Brandon Shelby imagine them.
As cornerbacks coach, Shelby's job is to turn defensive imagination into reality. That means developing players who can shut down the pass, get takeaways, tackle, communicate and do everything else necessary to help get offenses off the field.
At 5-11 and 185 pounds, Taylor will play a big part.
"Reese brings some intangible things that a lot of people can't do," Shelby says. "Very rarely do you see a guy that can go from playing offense and then six months later transition to a corner and really be effective.
"He's a tough guy who understands football."
That's not surprising given Taylor was the 2017 Indiana Mr. Football as a record-setting quarterback at Indianapolis Ben Davis High School. His knowledge of offensive football has aided his transition to college cornerback.
"He's a good leader because he communicated as a quarterback," Shelby says. "Pure respect because not only does he back it up on the field, he has the name, the clout that goes along with it. He's always been in the limelight. He likes competition."
As a true freshman, Taylor began at cornerback before switching to offense where he played running back, receiver and even back-up quarterback for the final four games.
His numbers reflected his versatility -- 28 catches for 174 yards, 15 rushes for 83 yards, seven tackles and three kickoff returns for a 22.0-yard average. He caught six passes against Iowa and ran for 40 yards against Florida International.
Last year as a sophomore, injuries cost him two games, limited him in others. While focused on only cornerback, he totaled 13 tackles and had a victory-clinching interception at Maryland. That pick, along with three tackles, earned him team defensive player of the week honors.
That experience bodes well for the upcoming season.
"He got injured early on in training camp (last year)," Shelby says. "It prevented him from taking off. Throughout the season he had several little lingering things that happened out of nowhere. They kept him from taking that next step.
"But what I saw last year (and in 4 spring practices before the pandemic ended all activities), he is ready to take off and be a focal point in the secondary.
"The big thing is he has to make sure he does a great job of keeping his body healthy."
For a couple of months, that job came away from IU facilities.
"With a year of playing corner," Shelby says, "he's going to have a summer of learning the playbook and not just learning what corners do, but figure out what everybody is doing and where everybody goes. When you yell out a check, what does that mean to everybody else?
"I think he's ready to take that step and I'm expecting him to."
Expectations also are high for sophomore Tiawan Mullen and junior Jaylin Williams.
Mullen is the Big Ten's highest-graded returning cornerback according to Pro Football Focus.
"Right now," Shelby says, "we've got three guys where if we had to play tomorrow, I feel comfortable with playing and helping us continue the path that we're on."
Mullen, a Florida high school All-America whose older brother Trayvon played cornerback at Clemson and now plays for the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, is a big-time difference maker.
Last year he made a couple of freshman All-America teams, and was honorable-mention All-Big Ten. He led the conference with 13 pass breakups. He shared the team lead with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He had 29 tackles.
"The great thing about Tiawan is he comes from a football family," Shelby says. "It's a competitive family. Growing up, he had that deal where, 'I want to be the best Mullen.'"
Playing against Florida's elite high school competition also helped, Shelby adds.
"In Florida, football is at a different level. He started at a young age at a high school where he was well coached and the competition was at a point where he had to adjust a little bit, but he was able to jump right in and do what he needed to do. That allowed him to play as a true freshman, along with his football IQ."
It also allowed Mullen to play in all 13 games as a true freshman.
"The next step is he needs to learn the game in a way that he understands how coordinators think, understands what the whole playbook encompasses.
"He needs to understand that when I say this check, it makes the D-line do this and the linebackers to do that. He's at the point where he wants it, and he needs to learn overall -- linebacker fits, D-line play. That's how he makes it to the next level."
Shelby has more talent and depth than in any of his previous nine IU seasons.
"We have a great foundation. We have guys who have been on the field. They know the checks. They know what it takes to win in the Big Ten."
Knowledge is key, but it ultimately comes down to production, especially at crunch time.
"We need to do a better job of, when we have an opportunity to get an interception or make that defining play, to make it," Shelby says.
Case in point -- Mullen's dominant performance at Purdue, when he set career-highs in tackles (8) and tackles for loss (2.5), plus forced a fumble and recovered a fumble, but he wasn't perfect.
"Tiawan had a really good game," Shelby says, "but he also missed a lot of open field tackles.
"When it's third and whatever, and they throw a ball out to the flat and he's in great position, he needs to make that tackle. Or when the ball hits our hands, to make a big-time interception.
"We need game-changing plays. That's the next thing that we need to take that next step of being in the upper echelon of the league week in and week out. Those are things that I'm just pushing those guys to do."
Shelby makes it clear he will play no favorites.
"The best people are going to play. That could change from week to week. I told that to our guys."
Last season IU ranked 10th in the Big Ten in passing yards allowed (213.7) and eighth in pass defensive efficiency. The Hoosiers aim to be in the top half in both categories next season, and it won't happen from complacency.
"Tiawan had his name in the paper and on the Internet," Shelby says, "but he knows if he doesn't prepare in the right way and in the right manner, then he has an opportunity to lose his job. Just like he came in last season, performed at a high level and took someone's job. He has to understand that the same thing that helped elevate him could also be his destruction if he doesn't do the little things it takes to prepare.
"Iron sharpens iron. Those young guys who are coming in, they know that if they push these guys and they're the better player, they're going to play. It keeps those (veteran) guys sharp to keep that competitive edge. That's how I've always been. That's what I always do. I like competition.
"I'm very, very satisfied with where we are going to start come the fall."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Reese Taylor makes you imagine the Indiana cornerback possibilities.
Specifically, he makes Brandon Shelby imagine them.
As cornerbacks coach, Shelby's job is to turn defensive imagination into reality. That means developing players who can shut down the pass, get takeaways, tackle, communicate and do everything else necessary to help get offenses off the field.
At 5-11 and 185 pounds, Taylor will play a big part.
"Reese brings some intangible things that a lot of people can't do," Shelby says. "Very rarely do you see a guy that can go from playing offense and then six months later transition to a corner and really be effective.
"He's a tough guy who understands football."
That's not surprising given Taylor was the 2017 Indiana Mr. Football as a record-setting quarterback at Indianapolis Ben Davis High School. His knowledge of offensive football has aided his transition to college cornerback.
"He's a good leader because he communicated as a quarterback," Shelby says. "Pure respect because not only does he back it up on the field, he has the name, the clout that goes along with it. He's always been in the limelight. He likes competition."
As a true freshman, Taylor began at cornerback before switching to offense where he played running back, receiver and even back-up quarterback for the final four games.
His numbers reflected his versatility -- 28 catches for 174 yards, 15 rushes for 83 yards, seven tackles and three kickoff returns for a 22.0-yard average. He caught six passes against Iowa and ran for 40 yards against Florida International.
Last year as a sophomore, injuries cost him two games, limited him in others. While focused on only cornerback, he totaled 13 tackles and had a victory-clinching interception at Maryland. That pick, along with three tackles, earned him team defensive player of the week honors.
That experience bodes well for the upcoming season.
"He got injured early on in training camp (last year)," Shelby says. "It prevented him from taking off. Throughout the season he had several little lingering things that happened out of nowhere. They kept him from taking that next step.
"But what I saw last year (and in 4 spring practices before the pandemic ended all activities), he is ready to take off and be a focal point in the secondary.
"The big thing is he has to make sure he does a great job of keeping his body healthy."
For a couple of months, that job came away from IU facilities.
"With a year of playing corner," Shelby says, "he's going to have a summer of learning the playbook and not just learning what corners do, but figure out what everybody is doing and where everybody goes. When you yell out a check, what does that mean to everybody else?
"I think he's ready to take that step and I'm expecting him to."
Expectations also are high for sophomore Tiawan Mullen and junior Jaylin Williams.
Mullen is the Big Ten's highest-graded returning cornerback according to Pro Football Focus.
"Right now," Shelby says, "we've got three guys where if we had to play tomorrow, I feel comfortable with playing and helping us continue the path that we're on."
Mullen, a Florida high school All-America whose older brother Trayvon played cornerback at Clemson and now plays for the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, is a big-time difference maker.
Last year he made a couple of freshman All-America teams, and was honorable-mention All-Big Ten. He led the conference with 13 pass breakups. He shared the team lead with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He had 29 tackles.
"The great thing about Tiawan is he comes from a football family," Shelby says. "It's a competitive family. Growing up, he had that deal where, 'I want to be the best Mullen.'"
Playing against Florida's elite high school competition also helped, Shelby adds.
"In Florida, football is at a different level. He started at a young age at a high school where he was well coached and the competition was at a point where he had to adjust a little bit, but he was able to jump right in and do what he needed to do. That allowed him to play as a true freshman, along with his football IQ."
It also allowed Mullen to play in all 13 games as a true freshman.
"The next step is he needs to learn the game in a way that he understands how coordinators think, understands what the whole playbook encompasses.
"He needs to understand that when I say this check, it makes the D-line do this and the linebackers to do that. He's at the point where he wants it, and he needs to learn overall -- linebacker fits, D-line play. That's how he makes it to the next level."
Shelby has more talent and depth than in any of his previous nine IU seasons.
"We have a great foundation. We have guys who have been on the field. They know the checks. They know what it takes to win in the Big Ten."
Knowledge is key, but it ultimately comes down to production, especially at crunch time.
"We need to do a better job of, when we have an opportunity to get an interception or make that defining play, to make it," Shelby says.
Case in point -- Mullen's dominant performance at Purdue, when he set career-highs in tackles (8) and tackles for loss (2.5), plus forced a fumble and recovered a fumble, but he wasn't perfect.
"Tiawan had a really good game," Shelby says, "but he also missed a lot of open field tackles.
"When it's third and whatever, and they throw a ball out to the flat and he's in great position, he needs to make that tackle. Or when the ball hits our hands, to make a big-time interception.
"We need game-changing plays. That's the next thing that we need to take that next step of being in the upper echelon of the league week in and week out. Those are things that I'm just pushing those guys to do."
Shelby makes it clear he will play no favorites.
"The best people are going to play. That could change from week to week. I told that to our guys."
Last season IU ranked 10th in the Big Ten in passing yards allowed (213.7) and eighth in pass defensive efficiency. The Hoosiers aim to be in the top half in both categories next season, and it won't happen from complacency.
"Tiawan had his name in the paper and on the Internet," Shelby says, "but he knows if he doesn't prepare in the right way and in the right manner, then he has an opportunity to lose his job. Just like he came in last season, performed at a high level and took someone's job. He has to understand that the same thing that helped elevate him could also be his destruction if he doesn't do the little things it takes to prepare.
"Iron sharpens iron. Those young guys who are coming in, they know that if they push these guys and they're the better player, they're going to play. It keeps those (veteran) guys sharp to keep that competitive edge. That's how I've always been. That's what I always do. I like competition.
"I'm very, very satisfied with where we are going to start come the fall."
Players Mentioned
FB: Elijah Sarratt - MSU Postgame Press Conference (10/18/25)
Saturday, October 18
FB: Fernando Mendoza - MSU Postgame Press Conference (10/18/25)
Saturday, October 18
FB: Omar Cooper Jr. - MSU Postgame Press Conference (10/18/25)
Saturday, October 18
FB: Aiden Fisher - MSU Postgame Press Conference (10/18/25)
Saturday, October 18