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Tiawan Mullen earned All-Big Ten honorable mention as a true freshman last season. Nick King/Lansing State Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Best Indiana Football Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 7 Tiawan Mullen

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Todd Golden | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 4:16 PM ET

Here’s a trivia question you can ask your friends who are fans of Indiana football.

Who was the only first-team All-American from Indiana’s 6-2 team in 2020?

If one were to guess the most popular answers, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., wide receiver Ty Fryfogle, tight end Peyton Hendershot and linebacker Micah McFadden would be popular choices.

Fryfogle and McFadden were third-team All-Americans, and the other Hoosiers mentioned each received All-Big Ten honors of some sort.

However, the correct answer is Taiwan Mullen. The Florida native was the first Indiana cornerback to be named as a first team All-American.

It’s hard to say that Mullen was “underappreciated.” He was Indiana's Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 as he put together a super sophomore season.

Mullen served notice of his abilities in 2019 as he led the Big Ten in pass breakups with 13. He started eight of the 13 games that season, and the future was bright for both him and the Hoosiers.

In the COVID-19-shortened season confined to just the Big Ten schedule, Mullen hit his zenith as a Hoosier. In just eight games, Mullen had 38 tackles, a very good total for a cornerback over a full season, much less an abbreviated one. He also had 3.5 sacks.

Mullen’s pass defending numbers dropped in 2020 from 2019, but that’s often a sign that teams are trying to avoid his side of the field. Despite that, Mullen had three interceptions.

Mullen’s all-around game earned him first-team All-American honors from both the Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele. Mullen was first-team All-Big Ten.

Indiana coaches, players and fans alike all salivated at the possibilities of how good Indiana could be going forward with Mullen and several other contributors coming back in 2021.

However, the drive to Big Ten contention vapor-locked in 2021. and Mullen’s fate dovetailed with that of the Hoosiers.

Mullen was one of several key Hoosiers who got hurt in 2021. He suffered an ankle injury that limited him to only seven games and four starts. Mullen barely played during the Big Ten portion of the schedule, apart from Indiana’s season-opening 34-6 loss at Iowa. In three other Big Ten games, he had just one tackle.

Mullen returned for a full season in 2022, but the magic of 2020 couldn’t be recaptured. Mullen was named All-Big Ten honorable mention, but Indiana’s defense gave up 33.9 points per game in a 4-8 season that put coach Tom Allen’s job in jeopardy.

One thing that hurt Mullen was low marks from Pro Football Focus. In the 2020s, Mullen had an average grade of 68.2. He is the highest-rated Hoosier who had a grade average in the 60s and the lowest to have a peak grade (75.9) in the 70s.

Mullen was not chosen in the 2023 NFL Draft. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was cut late in training camp.picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles and signed to the practice squad. Mullen did not appear in any games for the Eagles and was waived in 2024.

Mullen is currently with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.