Fall Preview: Cornerback
As football inches closer, we begin previewing position groups getting you ready for week one (against whoever that might be). Today we'll be taking a look at the cornerbacks.
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CORNERBACKS - 6 scholarships used
SR -
JR - Tariq Woolen, Corey Mayfield Jr.
SO - JayVeon Cardwell
FR - Ken Robinson, Sean Berry, Xavier Spencer
Analysis:
On paper this group stands out and not for good reasons. Clayton Johnson and Cassius Grady graduated, and Teddrick McGhee hit the transfer portal in the offseason. Expected to take the brunt of the snaps are Tariq Woolen (a wide receiver turned defensive back), Corey Mayfield (who saw a fair amount of action last year), and JayVeon Cardwell (a transfer from Oklahoma State).
How those three plus the younger guys in Ken Robinson, Sean Berry, and Xavier Spencer develop during fall camp will go a long way to determining how well this group will perform this fall.
Tariq Woolen - He seemed to perform very well during fall camp which was a very welcome surprise. With his length and speed he can be a huge asset if he has picked up thing quickly enough at cornerback. I personally had written him off after the position change, but it seems I was very wrong if reports from camp are accurate.
Corey Mayfield Jr. - Played in eleven games last season racking up 19 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, and 4 pass breakups. He will be asked to setup considering the depth issues that will likely arise this season.
JayVeon Cardwell - Arguably UTSA's biggest get this off-season. Cardwell has been granted a waiver by the NCAA allowing him to play in 2020. The Steele product will be a mainstay in the two-deep; it will just be a matter of whether he will take one of the starting corner spots or not.
Ken Robinson - With depth lacking, Robinson will be asked to step up and provide valuable snaps at corner. He has received praise these last few weeks from coaches, so I would expect to see a lot of him this fall
Sean Berry - It is hard for any freshman, even a redshirt freshman, to be asked to be a key part of a rotation at corner. Robinson and Berry will be asked to do that. If they had a good fall camp you will see a lot of them on the field.
Xavier Spencer - Was a late addition to the 2020 class, but one of the more important members of this class. At the very least he will have a role on special teams, but I expect Spencer to take a significant amount of snaps at corner.
Prediction:
There are a lot of unknowns with this group. Will Woolen be able to adapt to a new position? Will Corey Mayfield take that next step that allows him to lock down one of the cornerback spots? Will Cardwell be able to take a significant role after transferring?
If the answer to those three questions are yes, then UTSA is in a good spot. If one or two are no's and injuries start pilling up, this group might be in trouble. The younger guys are talented, but they don't have a lot of snaps under their belt.
2021 Commits:
2021 Targets:
N/A
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