Houston Cougars 2021 position previews: Secondary

Houston Cougars 2021 position previews: Secondary

By: Jimmy Schofield

photo courtesy uhcougars.com

The position that has been affected the most for your 2021 Houston Cougars football team, depth wise, has been the secondary. After signing seven cornerbacks via the Juco or FBS program route in head coach Dana Holgorsen ’s three-year tenure, along with adding an additional seven at the safety/nickel spots, the backend is slowly but steadily improving for defensive coordinator, and safeties coach, Doug Belk .

The pass defense improved statistically last season over the previous two, allowing just 231 yards-per-game (62nd nationally) in 2020 after allowing 288.4 YPG (124th) in 2019 and 275.4 YPG (125th) in 2018. They still allowed to many big plays in the passing game however, allowing 13.2 yards-per-reception.

Communication is the key to an efficient secondary as every player must be on the same page scheme wise. If a cornerback incorrectly thinks he has help over the top from a safety he may allow an inside free release off the line, allowing an easy completion because there was no help.

The cornerbacks this season are led by Damarion Williams (5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Sr.) and Marcus Jones (5-8, 185, RJr.). Williams has been the units “lockdown corner” over the past two seasons as he led the secondary with 14 passes defended and two interceptions (including one “pick-6”) over 20 combined starts. The former Highland Community College product is also a great tackler in space as 75-percent of his total career tackles (75 of 100) have been of the solo variety.

What Jones lacks in height he more than makes up for in play-making ability as he was ranked as the 50th best player in all of college football last season by Pro Football Focus, giving him a 88.9 coverage grade for the season, calling him “sticky in single coverage.” In seven starts last season in his first at UH, Jones produced 24 tackles (18 solo) and had an interception He was also a First Team All American as voted by the FWAA (Football Writers Association of America) as a punt returner, averaging a nation’s best 19.8 yards on 17 punts (including a touchdown). Prior to that, Jones was named the Sunbelt Conference freshman of the year in 2017 after a season in which he amassed 49 total tackles (34 solo), six pass breakups and two interceptions. He followed that up in 2018 with 34 total tackles (24 solo), nine pass breakups and two more interceptions. In the “playmaking” role, he also played on offense, amassing 33 yards on 7 combined rushes. The Enterprise, Alabama native was also a special teams ace, averaging more than 28 yards on 52 career returns including FOUR touchdowns while also averaging 8 yards on 20 career punt returns. Jones played his best in big games, clinching a win at LSU during the 2017 season with an interception and 8 tackles.

Competing for playing time behind Williams and Jones for new cornerbacks coach David Rowe will be from a group consisting of Alex Hogan (5-11, 190, Jr.), Jayce Rogers (5-8, 165, Jr.), Art Green (6-2, 210, Jr.), D.J. Small (5-10, 185, RJr.), Shaun Lewis (6-0, 190, RJr.) and Kelvin Clemmons (6-1, 195, RJr.).

Hogan was the talk of Spring ball as Holgorsen and Rowe both mentioned him several times as having caught the head coach’s attention with his play and his position coach’s eye saying he “adds value to the group.” The Texas Tech transfer played in 18 career games over the past two seasons that included three starts. The Houston-Lamar product has confidence in his game being a Texas Top-100 recruit for the 2019 class and that showed in his game as he was thrown into the fire early in his true freshman season. For his career, Hogan has 16 tackles (14 solo) and 7 passes defended (including an interception) in Lubbock.

Rogers played in 7 of 8 games last year in his first year along Cullen Boulevard, starting one, amassing 12 total tackles (9 solo) and a pass breakup. He started 21 games over the 2018 and 2018 seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College after leaving West Virginia during the 2017 season due to grades. Over those two seasons in Senatobia, Miss. Rogers “balled out,” combining for 67 total tackles (45 solo), 16 pass breakups and two interceptions. Like Jones, he’s also a standout performer on special teams, averaging 27 yards on 14 total kick returns. Along with having a reputation as a hard hitter, the Valdosta (Ga.) native also has added motivation, as in a son to play for.

Green has the size and length that Rowe is looking for in a lockdown corner as he added a solid 20 pounds over the offseason. He committed last May out of Hutchinson CC as the fifth ranked Juco corner for the 2020 class. He has nice size, speed and makes plays on the ball as he had a combined 8 interceptions in 18 total games played on the Juco level, showing his ability to highpoint balls. After committing late last May, along with the inconsistent practice time and game availability due to Covid, Green had problems adjusting to the FBS level, though he did play in every game but with limited snaps. For the season he had 10 total tackles (8 solo) and 2 pass breakups.

Clemmons played in just one game last season on special teams as he was still recovering from a knee injury he sustained at Minnesota. He redshirted the 2019 season, having to sit after transferring from Minnesota in the spring. The previous two seasons, at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas (where he was ranked as the ninth best Juco corner via 247sports), the former 3-star prospect out of Tampa, had 43 total tackles (31 solo) to go along with a solid 16 pass breakups, and again, has the size and length Rowe likes.

Small has participated in 26 career games over four seasons (starting two). The Dickinson product amassed 15 total tackles (12 solo) with four passes defended. Lewis is a walk-on who has earned more playing time the past few seasons, seeing the field in 19 games (starting 4), after playing in 13 games in 2018 but mainly on special teams. The Houston-Westfield product has 32 career (21 solo), 10 passes defended, including an interception, over the past two seasons after redshirting in 2017. Rowe likes the bunch, saying they have played a lot of ball and is happy that his unit has “competitive depth.” He also likes how Clemmons has come along during spring ball.

Theron Stroops (6-1, 190) did not play last season as a true freshman after arriving over the summer. He used the season to get acclimated physically to the college game, adding 15 pounds. A 3-star product out of Lancaster, Stroops is a speedster that ran track which is what got Baylor’s interests. But after committing to the Bears in May of 2019, he decommitted and signed with the Coogs.

Jalen Emery (5-9, 165) is a true freshman out of Pearland-Shadow Creek that plays above his size in helping to lead the Sharks to the 2019 5A state title in just their second season. Like a shark’s sense of blood in the water, Emery has a nose for the ball as he had 70 total tackles during that 2019 season and 35 (with 7 passes defended and 2 interceptions) in 2018 playing at Houston Lamar.

Overall, Rowe is happy with his room, “I’m the luckiest guy in America. There’s a lot of talent in that room and they already know what to do.” He wants his corners to be “long and sticky to routes.” In other words, he wants his guys to be able to play in man-coverage and wants to be able to rotate them, but only if there is no significant drop-off.

From his limited interviews with the media, Rowe seems like a laid back, easy going coach who can relate to his players as he’s only 33 years old. He was a 3-year starter for Rutgers (2008-2011) who has coached high school ball in Florida, in the pros with the Tampa Bay Bucs, and the collegiate level at Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Valdosta State.

Safeties

With Deontay Anderson moving from the boundary safety spot that was his over the past two plus seasons to linebacker, Hasaan Hypolite (5-11, 205, RSo.) takes over after starting five games last season, producing 30 tackles (17 solo) which was third on the team, to go along with an interception. He sat out the 2019 season after transferring from Colorado, appearing in just one game before redshirting in 2018. At Fresno (Tx.) Hightower, the 3-star prospect was all over the field his senior season, amassing 72 total tackles, 13 for loss, while adding four pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Thabo Mwaniki (5-11, 190, RJr.) takes over as the field safety after starting the last two games last season. Though he played in reserve the first six games, he was still second on the defense with 33 total tackles (25 solo) and had two pass breakups including an interception. Mwaniki redshirted in 2019 after starting his career at Oklahoma State, in which he played 20 games (six starts) in 2017 and 2018, totaling 39 tackles with a pass breakup and interception. The Denton-Guyer product is the definition of versatility at the prep level as he played in both the defensive and offensive backfields at safety, corner, wide receiver, running back and quarterback and is another verified track guy. Mwaniki also participated in track (in the long jump). Coach Holgorsen has raved about both Hypolite and Mwaniki over spring ball, saying both had “great off-seasons after ending last season so well” and particularly raved about Hypolite saying, “he’s a team leader and starting to come into his own.”

Gleson Sprewell (6-2, 195, RSr.) and Gervarrius Owens (6-0, 200, Jr.) will be the backups at the boundary and field safety spots respectively based on experience (per coach Holgorsen) who is glad they are finally healthy. Sprewell appeared in four of the final five games last season, contributing 8 tackles (6 solo) in limited duty. In 2019 he had 23 tackles (16 solo) with an interception in just four games before succumbing to injury. His first season at UH, the Surprise, Arizona native started eight games, playing in 13 total, and had 81 total tackles (51 solo) with 9 passes defended including a “pick-6.” The former Mesa CC product amassed 75 tackles in 2017, adding six pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Sprewell is as aggressive on the football field as his uncle, Latrell, was on the basketball court in the 1990s. “Spree” is a ‘hard hitter’ over the middle but can’t allow himself to be fooled by various motions in offensive backfields (IE “eye candy”) to confuse him on his assignment, whether it be a slot receiver over the middle on a crosser or seam route or an outside receiver on a post.

Behind them will be Garrison Vaughn (6-2, 198, RSo.), Mike Welch (5-10, 180, Fr.) and newcomers Mark Wilson (6-0, 170, Fr.) and Antonio Brooks (5-10, 200, So.). Vaughn started his career off nicely, finishing the 2019 season with 35 total tackles (24 solo) with five passes defensed in 11 total games after redshirting in 2018. Due to injuries however, the Belton native played in just three games last season, contributing just two total tackles (both solo). Vaughn is another track guy who finished with 279 career tackles and 13 interceptions on the prep level.

One guy I’m pulling for is Welch, because aside from being a local (Dickinson), he wants to represent his city and university. I will always cheer for student-athletes that want to do the home city proud. Even though he never played free safety at the prep level, he does have an understating of the position, via the other side of the ball as he was a standout quarterback for the Gators, passing for 4,438 yards and 42 touchdowns while showing his wheels on the ground by adding another 1,436 yards and 39 TD’s rushing. As a former QB, he’ll be able to process better and more importantly faster, what goes on in the mind of the opposing signal caller via his center field spot in the defense. In his inauguration to college football last season, Welch played in just one game, producing no stats.

Wilson is a true freshman out of Clear Lake that was ranked as a top-100 player in the state of Texas (#79), producing 135 total tackles and 3 interceptions in 27 games on the prep level. He will also be able to help on special teams (once he gets healthy) as he returned 3 punts for touchdowns and averaged 30.7 yards-per-return in 2019. Wilson will redshirt this season as he’ll be recovering from surgery on a torn ACL in his right knee.

Brooks should be able to contribute immediately after playing last season at Kilgore JC. One thing is for certain about Brooks; he is not afraid to hit. At Mo City’s Ft. Bend Marshall, Brooks produced 34 TFL (among his 144 total) in his final two seasons as a Buffalo. He was ranked as the #9 JUCO cornerback and #2 in the state of Texas even though some project him as a more in the box safety, showing his potential versatility.

Stay logged into Coogfans.com as our next article will focus on the offensive side of the ball, starting with the offensive line, as we continue to preview each position in the coming weeks in anticipation of the 2021 season.

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Great article! Encouraging !

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Jack Boys II about to be lit :fire::fire:

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It’s really something to see how well the staff has loaded up at really every position save for offensive line. And we’re good there for the future but we need younger players to develop. We are legitimately three-deep at safety, not to mention every other position on defense. I’m thinking the only things that could keep us from a big season (very possibly a slot in the conference championship game) would be injuries at QB and OL.

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We have 19 players on the OL, there is a limit to how much of the team that can be allocated for that group and 19 of 85 is 22.4%. There are 22 positions plus kicker, long snapper, and punter. 5 of 22 is 22.7%, 5 of 25 (which includes punter, long snapper, and kicker) is 20%. So, it looks like the 19 is a proper number of OL. I only used scholarship numbers, because I don’t know how to allocate walk-ons.

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Yes, we have a lot of offensive linemen, but at other positions we hardly lose a beat if a starter comes out. That’s not the case with the offensive line. We need to hope we stay injury-free up front. We have a number of promising young offensive linemen, but almost all of them are at least a year or two away.

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