Leo High School Football Preview

Leo is one of the best programs in NE Indiana. Every year they seemingly replenish the talent and bring in kids who can play. They’re always contending for championships and making runs late into the playoffs. We’re looking at how they faired in 2020 along with some key players. We’ll then finish by looking at their 2021 schedule. As noted, the Lions are coming off another great season. Last year, they went 10-2 and fell short in the playoffs. They never once lost on the road going 4-0. Their offense was decent and put up 25 PPG. Defense is where the Lions thrived last year. They only gave up 91 total points on the year. That equates to 7 PPG and no, that is not a typo. They absolutely suffocated defenses all year long. Part of that defensive success our next topic had a lot to do with that. [player_tooltip player_id="97817" first="DJ" last="Allen"], the Lions star interior defensive lineman, is a big reason their defense is so good. Allen has a very long frame standing at 6’7" and weighing 225 lbs. He is a bit on the slender size, especially with his height, but it’s nothing too worrisome. He can play inside, outside, or even at LB and drop into coverage when needed. He’s a 3-star recruit and has offers from Army and Ball State but plans to play for Rutgers when he wraps up his high school career. The Lions offense is anchored by Senior [player_tooltip player_id="39050" first="Landen" last="Livingston"]. Livingston is a true outside tackle and he is 6’4" tall and weighs just over 280 lbs. He’s got very strong hands and loves to be physical. His footwork could use some cleaning up, but it’s currently more than sufficient at this level. He’s listed as a 3-star recruit and had offers from Cincinnati, Iowa, Indiana, and Purdue before he committed to West Virginia. The Lions #1 playmaker is WR Rylan Crawford. Crawford is yet another standout prospect. Leo is loaded with stars this year and Crawford fits that bill. The 6’3" and 180 lbs Senior WR is a playmaker and possession WR. He’s someone you can throw it up to and he will win his matchup. He’s committed to Illinois State and graduates here in 2022. Leo starts their season against Angola at home on August 27th and 7 PM. 2 fantastic programs that we have recently covered in this series. If you’re going, make sure to get some popcorn. That’s going to be a fun one to start the season on. Leo finishes the season on the road against DeKalb on October 15th before they start the playoffs. Leo is loaded with talent and it’s not often you have 3 Division 1 football players on the same team. There are legitimate expectations with Leo in 2021 and they expect to make a run for a state title. They have the talent, and along with that talent, the experience and leadership on the field. I’m super excited to go check out Leo when the season gets rolling.