Evan Cooper shares update on secondary as fall camp approaches
Six months goes by fast. Nebraska defensive backs coach Evan Cooper has spent half a year in Lincoln and now his first fall camp with the Huskers is just two weeks away. The Temple product is entering his 11th consecutive season on staff with Matt Rhule and has a solid grasp on a deep and competitive unit.
“I think I have a much better feel for that group, especially more than the last time we were on,” Cooper told Greg Sharpe on Sports Nightly. “I’m excited about where the group is headed.”
There’s a lot of wide range of personalities in Cooper’s room.
“The group dynamics, it’s all over the place,” Cooper said. “You’ve got the quiet guys in the back. You’ve got the loud and boisterous guys. It’s a fun group. We have a lot of fun talking to each other and the group chat is full of energy.”
Of course, confidence is one key attribute for a defensive back. Some tenacity will be critical for a group so prominently featured in defensive coordinator Tony White’s 3-3-5 look. Cooper said confidence is not only important, but has a controllable source.
“That’s a tough life,” Cooper said. “Defensive back is hard. Even the great ones they get beat. You can have 90 great plays and two bad plays and that’s all that anybody will ever talk about. So, you’ve got to have some deep-rooted confidence and I think I have those type of guys. Those guys, they work. We believe that confidence comes from hard work, preparation and being dedicated to the craft. Those guys approach it that way.”
Cooper detailed many of the members within the Nebraska secondary. Here’s a rundown of what he had to say running the gamut from fifth-year seniors to incoming freshmen.
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Cooper offers notes on each of his athletes
Quinton Newsome: “Quinton has been great for me. He does what we ask him. He’s embraced the transition and he sticks by me. He’s my messenger. I expect for him to have a great season. Typically we just try to go day-to-day but if we want to forecast a little bit, I think he should have his best season as a Husker.”
“He’s pretty vocal, he’s pretty comfortable, he’s a confident guy. When he sees it, and it’s not right, he’ll say something. Almost like, a coach on the field. He’ll call it out if it’s wrong and I love that about him. Those guys respond to it because he does it the right way.”
Malcolm Hartzog: “Malcolm is really one of a kind. His parents should be proud of him. That guy competes every day in the classroom, in the community and on the field. Doesn’t say too much. He just works. He’s been in the top 10% as far as the workouts and all that kind of stuff. He’s been a Blackshirt in the offseason program. He really works, you know? If I had five Malcolms, my job would be way easier.”
“I can’t think about one guy in the building that doesn’t love Malcolm. He’s that kind of guy.”
Myles Farmer: “Myles has been working. I think his approach is similar to (Newsome’s). Those guys, they are attached to my hip. They want to learn. They’ve been attacking it. That’s all I can ask for so it’s been good.”
Omar Brown: “Omar was one of those pleasant surprises. Omar’s a really good player and I’m looking forward to seeing him and how he progresses through the summer. When we left off, I was pretty pleased with his production and how he approaches the game so, it’ll be fin to watch him grow.”
Isaac Gifford: “The thing that gets lost with Isaac is that he’s also one of the most talented, most athletically gifted guys that we have. He’s consistent. He’s smart. He’s coachable. He’s tough as nails. That guys is one of our tone setters and we’ll lean on him a lot this fall.”
Marques Buford Jr.: “I think we should take it slow with him. He’s one of those guys, he’ll want to get back into it. We’ll probably have to, at least myself, protect him against himself.”
“What I’ve seen from him is that he’s attacking everything that he can do. The little things that we give him he attacks it. I give him a small task in the DB room and he does it. He’s a football junkie so he loves it.”
Tommi Hill: “As I talk about him I try not to get emotional. I’ve watched him grow. I’ve only known him since November and I would say there’s drastic difference. Night and day.”
“He is working. He is really working on the things that I asked him to work on. He’s very involved in our team, in our room. He’s trying to do the right things and again that’s all I can ask for.”
Javier Morton: “I think Javi finally found the right spot for him and his skillset. He’s tough. He’s athletic. He’s fast. He’s got ball skills. I think we found his niche and he’s embracing it and he’s working. He’s attacking it. I think overall the group is really attacking.”
DeShon Singleton: “He’s a lot like Malcolm. He’s tough. He does everything I ask him to do. No questions. He’s the same guy every day, willing to learn, willing to do exactly what I asked him to do. I’m excited about his progress. He’s a big guy, he’s tough, he’ll hit you and he can cover. I’m excited to see him when it all plays out.”
Corey Collier: “As I keep going down the list I’m like, ‘All of these guys, they really are all coachable.’ I think that’s probably what stuck out to me the most coming here in November. These guys want to be great. There’s no limit to the things they’ll do. They’ll do whatever we ask.”
“As far as Corey specifically, he’s always texting me like, ‘Hey, what do you think about this, this, that.’ He’s reaching out to me in order for him to be able to know exactly what I need from him.”
Tamon Lynum: “At the end of spring, I was really honest with him. I told him what I felt about him and how I saw the trajectory of his career and he’s been attacking it. I expect him to compete, to get in the game, to start. Those spots, they’re open. So hopefully he’ll show up when it’s time to compete. But, he’s been working his tail off so I’m excited for him.”
Phalen Samford: “He’s quiet and unassuming. He’s in the corner taking notes. He does exactly what I ask him to do and I wouldn’t be surprised if he played a whole bunch on defense. He’s one of those guys that you kinda fall asleep and you might even write him off but he’ll show up every single day.”
On if Samford would see a role beyond special teams: “Oh, for sure absolutely. If he’s not thinking that way, I think he’s thinking wrong.”
Syncere Safeeullah and Dwight Bootle II (Spring enrollees): “From Day 1 in the spring until the spring game, tremendous, tremendous growth. You don’t really expect much out of a freshman and sometimes you don’t know what to expect. Those guys showed up every day.”
“Those guys listen to me. Things that I coach, I can see them trying it and then the light will go on. Like, ‘Hey, Coop said this.’ Then he does it and it’s right and then he has it forever. I kinda use those guys as examples for the older guys too like, ‘Look, this is what I’m telling them to do and they do it.’ So, it’s been good. It’s been fun to watch.”
Ethan Nation and Rahmir Stewart (Fall arrivals): “We were excited about signing those guys. Like you said, I haven’t really seen them up close and personal as far as the football is concerned. But, we were excited when we signed those guys and they should be able to help us in the future.”
