“He may have the best hands I’ve ever seen.” That is no small compliment coming from someone who’s been on the sideline for 24 years, but Ben Davis coach Mike Kirschner didn’t hesitate to make the statement when describing the talents of
Tandon Doss, a 6’3”, 195 lb wide receiver who committed last June to play for the Hoosiers this season.
Doss is rated as two-star prospect by
Rivals.com, but his high school statistics and the testimonial of his coach say otherwise.
Mike Kirschner coached Doss at Ben Davis HS
Photo courtesy: BDHS Website
After the Giants saw their starting tailback go down early in the season with a broken leg and star quarterback MarQueis Gray go down for seven games with a broken arm, Kirschner looked to Doss for offensive firepower (Gray, a fellow senior, is heading to Minnesota as a four-star dual-threat QB prospect).
Doss happily obliged, rushing for over nearly 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns and racking up over 500 receiving yards with four touchdowns through the air. He was also a devastating kick returner, averaging 36 yards per return, and led the team in points scored. “Offensively speaking, [Tandon] was the man of the offense,” said Kirschner.
Although Doss excelled in the backfield and even had success in key games playing safety for the Giants, Kirschner said he still “thinks of himself as a receiver all the way,” and that he is a special prospect at the position. He acknowledged that Doss wasn’t as highly recruited as Gray because of his seemingly average speed, but insisted that he was fast where it counted, on the field.
“When you time him in the 40, you don’t say “wow this kid’s a burner,” said Kirschner. “But when he gets on the field, he’s a burner. He plays football faster than he runs. He’s football fast, is what I’d say.”
What really sets Doss apart for Kirschner, though, are his intangibles, the natural talents that can’t just be developed with practice. “I’ve been doing this for 24 years, and we’ve had some pretty good kids, but he may have the best hands I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen a kid catch the back point of a ball like he does, with one hand,” Kirschner stated. “He just has a knack for getting to the ball. He has that feel.”
He then followed up with a more specific example: “We’re running the option, and they’re pitching the ball to him, and there is no back in the state could have caught that pitch except for him. It was such a bad pitch, but he’s the only kid I know of that I would have ever thought could catch that, left-handed behind his back. I mean, I’m just telling you, that is the kind of kid he is.”
"He’s a steal for IU...I think IU is going to really, really be excited"
As for some areas that Doss might need to improve on, Kirschner noted speed and strength as aspects that Doss could always improve upon in the future, as well as his ability to read defenses. However, he believes that Doss’s physical skills and preparation will allow him to make an impact for the Hoosiers immediately.
Barring a mental setback, Kirschner said that he would “be shocked if he doesn’t contribute this year.” From then on, he believes that the sky is the limit for the wideout, saying, “As good of a high school career that he’s had, I think his best days are ahead of him.”
Doss committed to IU relatively early after meshing quickly with the IU coaching staff last year. “It was the recruiting process, he loved the way the Lynches made him feel,” Kirschner said about the commitment. “[head coach] Big Billy Lynch, [wide receivers coach] little Billy Lynch, they made him feel special and made him feel like he’d be at home there…he’s a steal for IU, because he didn’t get overly recruited by a lot of big schools. I think IU is going to really, really be excited.”
If Doss can make a smooth transition and continue his production and development into his college career, look for him to be a big contributor in the Hoosiers’ revamped receiving corps that will include several other intriguing prospects including
Tyler Adetona, Marquelo Suel, and others this season. He'll probably also see playing time on kick returns and could give IU advantages in field position as well.
From Kirschner’s point of view, it’s not if Doss will be successful, but when:
“He’s the real deal. I think he’s going to be special some day.”
Special thanks to Coach Kirschner for the interview!
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