Everything Evan Cooper Said About The Young DBs, Isaac Gifford Shares Thoughts On Husker Freshmen QBs

Nebraska football secondary coach Evan Cooper has a personnel group loaded with numbers, versatility and known commodities.

Returning to Cooper’s defensive backs room are a veteran leader and budding Big Ten star (Isaac Gifford), a veteran starter who eased his way back onto the field after injury to lock his spot back up (Marques Buford Jr.), the clear-cut favorite to secure the No. 1 starting cornerback job (Tommi Hill) and another who could see a rise into becoming one of the conference’s most well-known defensive stalwarts if he returns to pre-injury form (DeShon Singleton).

There are, however, a few questions that abound – including who is in line to become the No. 2 CB spot, what exactly Malcolm Hartzog’s role will entail in Year 3 of his college career and how the first- and second-year players are settling in as we approach the 2024 spring ball mid-point.

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Cooper met with the media on Tuesday following Practice No. 7 of the Huskers’ 14 practices this spring season (an offseason practice slate that will culminate with the 15th-and-final practice at the April 27 spring game).

Below is everything the second-year DBs coach said regarding four of the first- or second-year players in the Huskers’ secondary – including three who he was asked about directly (Blye Hill, Jeremiah Charles and Dwight Bootle II) – and what he said about Hartzog’s transition to full-time safety.

Also, we have a rundown of comments from Gifford – who gave thoughts from his perspective, as a member of the Nebraska defense, about the Huskers’ freshmen QBs and about the one main trait in the WR room that has grabbed his attention in a big way.