'Breeds more confidence': Devan Boykin settling into critical role for Indiana defense -- big performance after another

Versatility is one of the biggest assets but also one of the most difficult skills to teach an athlete. A lot of the time it comes with natural talent and ability. So in the midst of a career-best season for Indiana cornerback Devan Boykin, he has his roots to thank and that starts and ends with his versatility.

“Just being versatile,” Boykin said this week. “Being able to — I think basketball, just being able to stay in front of people, it helps me a lot (now). Just like man coverage. Being able to play two sports is always good for young athletes and anyone who’s coming up.”

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That other spot was basketball — a sport he excelled in for the first three years of his high school career before making the full shift to football. As a junior at Ragsdale (NC) he averaged 16.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He averaged 1.5 steals as a sophomore and 1.8 steals as a freshman. He also added an additional 1.7 deflections per game throughout his career.

That type of defensive ability on the court has translated to the field and is now on full display for an Indiana team that continues to look for additional pieces to step up for an already dominant defense.

Boykin answered the call in a 56-6 Indiana win over UCLA last week — adding to an already very good year. But, it was clear — Boykin was playing with a different level of confidence. He finished with a season-best seven tackles, one interception, one quarterback hurry and two pass breakups.

“Yeah, yeah, for sure. Just anticipation, being able to play the lanes,” Boykin said of the skillset he took from basketball. “Like I said, just being able to stay in front of people.”

Boykin has 29 tackles, one tackles for loss, one interception, three quarterback hurries and four pass breakups this year. He is graded as the 19th best cornerback overall, per Pro Football Focus and is coming off of a grade of 90.7 against the Bruins — far and away his top performance of the year, blowing past the previous season-high of 74.6 against Michigan State the game before.

“He played really well on special teams too and had a big interception. Had some nice plays, defensive player of the game,” Cignetti said earlier this week. “And I’ve seen that whole safety position, the more snaps they get, the more familiarity they have playing together. A lot of interceptions in the back end. Good ball skills back there — Boykin, Louis Moore and Ferrell all have good skills. Boykin is a really smart player. He can play all three safety positions. He’s a good tackler, good cover guy. He made a really nice play on that interception Saturday, but had some big special teams tackles, too.”

“He’s able to play three safety positions for us. He’s kinda our savior for us when someone goes down, i can move him around and plug someone in,” Indiana defensive backs coach Ola Adams said during Thursday’s Inside IU Football Radio show. “Really valuable. Had his best game this past weekend.”

Boykin has spent the majority of his time at slot corner for Indiana, 68.3 percent of his snaps, but has also moved around to multiple spots defensively — going back to the versatility he brings.

His ability to play in the slot, on the outside, near the line of scrimmage or lined up on running backs and tight ends, it ends in the same result — just 54 percent of passes being completed during Big Ten play when he’s the primary defender.

“I think it starts in practice, man,” Boykin said. “We try to fly around every day, make those plays in practice, so it’s easier for us on game day.”

Flying around is part of that relentless pressure from Bryant Haines’ defense that has resulted in a group that ranks second nationally in tackles for loss and sacks, and is also top-5 in third down defense, first downs allowed, scoring defense and top-10 in interceptions and passing efficiency defense.

It’s on the heels of a season that produced nearly the same results under Haines in year one at Indiana. But, Boykin wasn’t part of the 2024 defense that was so successful, instead transferring to Indiana from NC State this offseason.

“When I first got here, I dove right into the playbook,” Boykin said. “It takes a couple weeks to really understand the defense and understand your role in the defense. When I got here, I was playing free (safety) and rover, so it was a lot.

“I think it’s just a lot of the things that we do on defense as far as disguise and just kind of confusing the quarterback. I think our ability to kind of fly around and show different coverages and play man, I think that really helps us. It’s highly complex as well.”

With all the complexities, schemes and disruption — Devan Boykin is emerging as one of the key centerpieces for a defense that once again is dominant in every area on the field. And, performances like recent weeks is allowing him to play more free, and with more confidence — something Indiana hopes to see more of in the coming weeks.

“Yessir,” Boykin said. “When you have big games like that, it obviously breeds more confidence in not only yourself, but your coaches and things like that.”

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