The cornerbacks

Posted on May 22, 2008

Not a lot needs to be said other than Nick Sanders & Rafael Priest.  Possibly the best tandem in the conference and one of the best ever at TCU.  Both have great cover skills and are sure tacklers, Priest a little faster but Sanders can stick with almost any receiver.  Alex Ibiloye & Greg McCoy are solid number 2 guys, both play agressive and have very good cover skills and new comers Bud Patterson and Jason Teague may push for lots of early PT, especially Teague who is a big back at 6-2/185 and a tremendous athlete.

Current depth chart:

LCB:

Nick Sanders-Starter for 2 straight seasons, solid tackler and pass defender.

Alex Ibiloye-agressive, hard tackler and played mostly on sprecial teams.

Jason Teague-All-American JUCO and still needs to complete schoolwork, but could be an impact player as soon as he arrives.  Will have 3 years to play.

RCB:

Rafael Priest-starter for the 2 previous seasons, tied with Sanders for team INTs with 3, HM All Mountain West.

Greg McCoy-great athlete and will get additional PT on return team.

Bud Patterson-another great athlete and return specialist, Top 40 in Louisiana by Rivals.

Others:

Jercell Fort- solid athlete, but development hampered by swapping from RB to CB and still not sure where he finally plays. 

Cameron Murphy-walk on from Miami, Fla

Thomas Ward-walk-on from Waco, TX

Needs in the class of 2009:

With no Seniors and 2 Juniors in the group the needs are more long term.  Coaches will probably go for at least one very good CB to provide for future depth and prevent having to find 3 in the next class.

Offers:

  • CB Desmond Gardiner 5-11/180/4.5 Port Arthur, TX (Memorial) Highly recruited athlete who in his first season at Memorial had 47 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 touchdown and 18 pass breakups and earned first team all-district honors.
  • CB/FS Steven Terrell 5-11/175/4.4 Allen, TX DMN player of the week after monster performance against Plano in 2007, 3.8 GPA. Scout, Inc Top 150 watch list.  Their notes on him:Terrell brings good size, speed and athleticism to the table as a defensive back prospect. He is tall, rangy and well-defined. Could be developed at either corner or safety depending on a college%u2019s defensive system; his scheme versatility is sought-after. Fluid pedal and opens and turns smoothly for a taller DB. Very good initial quicks. Transitions fast and explodes out of his pedal breaking on underneath throws. Strong plant and drive skill allows him to generate deceptive power closing on the ball. Makes solid contact and is a strong tackler who is reliable in the open field. Displays great acceleration and range covering the whole field in both run and pass support. Good makeup speed and shifts gears well when the ball is in the air defending the deep throw. Consistently positions himself correctly when playing the high-point position and has a knack for making plays with good awareness and ball skills. Understands the concepts of zone coverage jumping and supporting the correct routes. While he initially mirrors well in off-man, his stem is a bit high and stiffness in his hips can be seen when he gets turned on double moves. Can let WRs slip behind him. Loses some in transition when turning to run in man-to-man schemes and is better playing the ball in front of him. Could excel as an underneath corner with his coveted size and straight-lined burst but range and instincts may be better suited at safety. Will need to fill out to get over the alley trash better; tends to get knocked off his pursuit. At times, he did not fill with great intensity or urgency when he had a clear angle to the ball carrier when pursuing laterally; will need to become more aggressive in run support to play in the box at the next level. Overall, Terrell possesses a fine blend of size, speed and burst as a DB and the physical and mental skills to mold into a solid player. Could start career off at corner but project he will slide back to safety as his body continues to physically develop.

    • Others:

    JUCO

    CB Bryant Nnabuife 6-2/192/4.4 Brenham, TX (Blinn) Big back with great speed and 39″ lift

    Gardiner & Terrell obviously the top choices and both will be a battle to sign.  Dozer & Gamble are just behind them and getting one of the 4 would be a nice pick up for this group.  Nnabuife is a great athlete also and may be tough to pass up if he wants to come to TCU.

     

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