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out how defensive coordinators have been forced to react. As a professor might say, there has been a cause-and-e6ect rela- tionship. "It's getting harder for defenses to stop all the options," Stevens said. "Eventually they're just going to bring in the smaller linebackers who can run 4.4s instead of big giant guys who run 4.6, 4.7 and are 250 pounds. We're going to have smaller linebackers who can run and jump." Programs like Ohio State and Oregon have been adopting similar defensive philosophies. Even Penn State has begun to follow suit, targeting tall, lanky outside linebackers who could also pass as de- fensive backs in certain scenarios. With more and more teams taking that approach, Stevens foresees even further evolution. "That's when we're going to start to get big running backs who can run down your throat," he said. "It's a continuous cycle. We have speed right now and then some- body is going to get tired of that, not being able to beat somebody with speed. Then they're just going to go back to the old- school power run game. It's just going to slowly circulate." Stevens' understanding of the game doesn't stop with its philosophy and evo- lution. He can also talk in detail about the o6ense he ran at Decatur Central, which slowly shi8ed into a spread during his two years as full-time starter. He 5nished those two seasons with a 55 percent completion rate and threw 29 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions. He also averaged more than 77 rushing yards per game and ran for 17 touchdowns, stats that helped him gain recognition from Rivals.com as the No. 18 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. His junior year, the Hawks ran mostly Wing-T. "If you ever watched Navy play," Stevens said, "that was our base." He said he took nearly 70 percent of the snaps under center that year, but by the end of his senior season, Decatur Central was mostly using a spread o6ense out of the shotgun. "Sometimes I'd stay in the pocket, but our best stu6 probably came on spread- outs," he said. "I'd still have the option to run it on the spread-out. Not that I didn't drop back, but usually we would spread out. We would have a comeback [route] for the Z receiver, and the inside guy – the slot – would run a corner. So I'd go from the comeback to the corner, and then run [if necessary]." Stevens had been committed to Indiana since early June, but when Brandon Wim- bush switched his commitment from Penn State to Notre Dame in October, the coach- ing sta6 combed the country for another viable dual-threat QB. Once Stevens was identi5ed as a top target, he scheduled an o7cial visit for the Ohio State game and later called the Beaver Sta- dium atmosphere "electrifying." However, he did not immediately make a decision. "Once I got home, I put it to rest," he recalled. "I focused on Decatur Central and what we had to do [in the postseason], because I didn't want to draw any attention to me and get distracted." A few weeks later – and a day a8er Penn State defeated Indiana, 13-7, in Bloom- ington – Stevens made the switch. And fewer than two months a8er that, he was living in University Park awaiting the start of his college career. "I'm just worried about getting in and getting my body prepared for the college level, and basically just taking it all in," he said. "It's supposed to be the best 5ve years of my life, so I'm looking forward to enjoying it." ■ CLICK HERE to see video of Stevens in action. THE STEVENS FILE STATS Averaged 172 yards passing per game with 16 TD passes as a senior... Rushed for 842 yards and 10 TDs HONORS Named a three-star recruit and the nation's No. 18 dual-threat QB by Ri- vals.com... Was a finalist for the Indiana Gatorate Player of the Year award

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