Indiana’s Finest 2024 Defensive Backs

The 2024 class in Indiana is going to be great. We’ve covered a few different positions and now we’re looking at the backend of the defense. [player_tooltip player_id="109616" first="Marques" last="Ballard"] - Boonville - CB - 5’10" 170 lbs The most common word that is going to be used with this group of players is scrappy. Ballard is a very scrappy player who is going to be in the face of his receiver at all times. He likes to play physical and he has a ton of success with it. If you push around the receiver early and get in their head, it only makes your job easier throughout the night. Ballard is also very aggressive with the ball in the air and he’s going to try jumping the route if he can. If Ballard gets the ball, you have to watch out. He is explosive and dynamic. He returns kicks for Boonville and in his freshman year alone had 3 returned for TDs. Ballard is a great athlete and can be left alone on the opposing team’s best player. As a sophomore, he’s only 5’10". It’s very likely that when he comes out of HS he will be close to 6’ or maybe even above. If he spends the next 2 years fine-tuning his craft, putting the work in behind the scenes, and getting better, Ballard will be able to pick any school in the state, and will be highly regarded throughout the entire region. [player_tooltip player_id="109609" first="Eli" last="Quasebarth"] - North White - CB - 5’10" 160 lbs Quasebarth not only plays QB for North White, but then he turns around and is their best defender on defense. The best way to explain Quasebarth is that he just has a nose for the football. He runs to the ball on every single down. The old saying, good things happen when you run to the ball, is true and Eli is a perfect example of that. It feels like he is always recovering fumbles or picking off tipped passes. The best part, he’s almost always the fastest player on the field. He can absolutely fly and if he gets a full head of steam no one is going to catch him. He’s able to line up with just about any defender 1 on 1 and be left on an island. He isn’t going to get burned and almost always keeps his guy in front of him. The biggest knock right now is that his footwork is very choppy and could be cleaned up. While I’m not sure what direction Quasebarth will take when he goes to college, if he takes the defensive route he will probably need a year to get up to speed. The little things and details always take the most time to learn. Eli has the talent and I’m excited to see which direction he chooses. Russell Peterson - Decatur Central - ATH - 6’2" 175 lbs It’s hard to label Peterson at one defensive back spot. He plays all over the backend and then plays multiple spots on offense. The reason for that is quite simple. Peterson is a freak athlete and he needs to be on the field. It doesn’t matter how or where he is, he just needs to be out there and good things happen for Decatur Central. Peterson is the most instinctive person on this list and I have yet to see one time he guessed wrong and made the wrong decision. Opposing Quarterbacks have to be careful because Peterson will jump the route. Just about any time the ball comes near him, he’s going to make a play. If it doesn’t end up in his hands, it’s on the ground. If you need him to come into the box and make a tackle, he will and he can. He plays very patient at the LOS and never panics either. He will come to balance, square up, and make the play. Everything with Peterson is very natural and gets easier every game. To keep it simple, Peterson is a very sound and great football player. His future is as bright as he wants it to be and hopefully, he reaches the mountain top. Damon Wilkins - Muncie Central - CB/FS - 5’10" 155 lbs The first thing that needs to be mentioned when you talk about Damon Wilkins is speed. He is an absolute burner and is almost always the fastest guy on the field. Even if he isn’t around the play when it starts, you blink and he teleports over there and makes the tackle. He has a relentless motor and never gives up on any play, even if it was his mistake. In all honesty, his nickname for them should be the Energizer Bunny. That team goes as Wilkins goes and anytime he makes a play, he gets juiced. Wilkins never lets one mistake linger and cause other problems. He is a play-to-play player and coaches love that. When it comes time to tackle, Wilkins isn’t missing it. He always comes to balance, gets square, and attacks the outside hip. His back peddle off of the line is also very good for his age. He either works really hard, has been well-coached, or both because he is light years ahead of some of his peers when it comes to the mechanics of the game. Even on special teams, Wilkins is going to give 110% effort. He’s a great gunner on the punt team and almost always is the one who makes the play. His ceiling is astronomical and how far he goes is up to him.