Indiana defensive back Nic Toomer brings key ingredients to the mix at cornerback
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football wasn’t going to let Nic Toomer get away a second time.
The coaching staff targeted Toomer when he was a three-star prospect coming out of Sandy Creek High School (Georgia) in the 2019 signing class. He picked Stanford at the time in part because of the school’s pre-med program.
Things have changed for the defensive back.
He’s pursuing a business degree now and he ended up entering the transfer portal after Stanford coach David Shaw resigned.
“We recruited him very, very hard,” Indiana cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby. “...I recruit Atlanta, and his parents were always good to use and watched from afar. They reached out and asked if we had a spot."
Indiana had more than one.
Shelby was tasked this offseason with rebuilding a cornerback room that lost Tiawan Mullen (NFL Draft), Jaylin Williams (out of eligibility), Christopher Keys (Mississippi State) and Brylan Lanier (East Mississippi Community College), Trevell Mullen (James Madison) and Reese Taylor (Purdue).
Nic Toomer leads all Indiana corners with 575 career snaps
Toomer, who is a fifth-year senior, brought some much needed experience and size to the room. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has played 20 games (five starts) with 29 career tackles (18 solo) and five pass defended.
"It's a big thing in the league right now and at every level to have longer corners guarding bigger receivers,” Toomer said, of what he brings to the Hoosiers. “Just bringing length and physicality to the outside, experience on the defense cause I'm the oldest in the room right now and just bringing a different sense of intelligence to the room.”
During portions of practice in fall camp open to the media, he’s rotated with the first- and second-team defense with multiple different corners including Jamier Johnson and James Mond III.
Other corners in the mix are Kobee Minor, Jamari Sharpe and JoJo Johnson.
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Shelby told reporters he’s been rotating those pairings as much as possible in practice to evaluate the group and develop chemistry among a group that primarily consists of younger players and transfers.
Toomer said everyone is buying into that process.
"The hardest thing to eliminate is everyone's pride,” Toomer said. “Everyone comes from a different school, everybody is coming here to play. We didn't transfer not to play. I think what our program does well is being a team, one unit. We really emphasize that there are no individuals. It's competitive, not combative."
Injuries sidelined Nic Toomer for two-plus seasons
Toomer is as motivated as anybody in the group to be a major contributor for the Hoosiers. He spent the first two years of his career at Stanford sidelined from injuries including a torn ACL he suffered on the opening day of fall camp as a redshirt freshman.
"Non-contact,” Toomer said, shaking his head. “It was brutal, that was a little heart wrenching.”
He wasn’t fully cleared to play until Week 3 in 2021, but he only had to wait a few more weeks to get his first career start. Toomer played what remains a career-high 77 snaps in a 31-24 overtime win over No. 3 ranked Oregon.
Stanford scored with no time left on the clock in regulation to force overtime.
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"That was a full circle moment for me,” Toomer said. “Being patient, overcoming a lot of adversity and the injuries. Being able to start that game, win and excel, and have a great game, that was one of my best moments in college. I'll never forget it."
That adversity is why if fans ever catch a glimpse of Toomer out at practice he always always smiling.
"When you get hurt in college, you get a different perspective of the game,” Toomer said. “You realize it's not forever. You also get a new appreciation. It gives you a new hunger. I don't take anything for granted…I'm having a great time because I enjoy it. I love it.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on Twitter @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana's Nic Toomer brings key ingredients to the mix at cornerback
