Nebraska DB coach Travis Fisher said room has competition he’s dreamed of

The competition in defensive back coach Travis Fisher’s room is heating up just the way he likes it.

The group is deep with young talent along with three returning veterans in Deontai Williams, Marquel Dismuke and Cam Taylor-Britt. The addition of Ohio State transfer Tyreke Johnson will add some extra ‘heat’ and pressure to every position, said Fisher on Sports Nightly on Monday night.

“He’s going to heat it up the room a whole lot and that’s the way I want it to be, that’s perfect,” Fisher said. “This is exactly where I want it to be from the Cam Taylor-Britt side to the Quinton Newsome side.

“That’s exactly what I want us to be because that’s how you get the best out of these guys.”

Fisher said Williams, Dismuke and redshirt freshman Myles Farmer are his top three starters at safety.

Williams, who runs the defensive backs room according to his coach, and Dismuke are sixth-year seniors with extensive experience, so no surprise there. However, Farmer pushed his way to the top three after an impressive freshman season.

Farmer battled a lingering ankle injury from the 2020 season during spring practice but never lost his competitive edge. Fisher said the 6-foot-3, 205-pound safety begged his coach for live reps even though the answer was always no. Farmer’s ankle should be fully healthy this fall.

Fisher said Noa Pola-Gates bloomed this offseason and is on the fast track to apply more pressure to the starting three safeties. He has been ‘flying around’ and becoming a vocal presence in the room. Pola-Gates is starting to become the player Fisher recruited.

“It’s only a matter of time before he takes this thing over,” Fisher said on Sports Nightly.

Fourth-year junior Taylor-Britt has one starting cornerback spot but just like at safety, there are players chasing him down for his position.

Newsome is likely to be the other starting cornerback after improving from a ‘C’ grade to a ‘B’ in spring practice, according to Fisher.

“He’s starting to become a young Dicaprio Bootle as far as how much he’s picking up and how fast he’s picking up, he’s being a sponge, and just learning the techniques and learning the things that I’m trying to teach him about the game,” Fisher said.

Braxton Clark is another player that is pushing for a starting role and Fisher said he is pushing Newsome to work harder and compete better.

Like several other defensive backs, Clark had an injury that limited him in spring practice but Fisher believes he’ll be back and as determined as ever.

“I feel like going into camp, Braxton will be the old Braxton and the Braxton I need him to be,” the defensive backs coach said.

If freshman Tamon Lynum didn’t have surgery on a groin injury lingering from high school, Fisher would call him his No. 3 cornerback. Lynum’s rehab is going “perfectly” and Fisher is hopeful that he won’t miss the entire season.

Nadab Joseph is another young player that suffered an injury last season that is expected to return in the fall. Fisher called Joseph a ‘freak’ in the weight room and based on his speed, strength and his body “that looks like you drew it up.”

Incoming freshman Marques Buford Jr. tore his ACL on his first play in practice as a Husker but Fisher said Buford doesn’t look like he had an injury and has been squatting in the weight room. He is also very smart and picked up the playbook faster than the majority of players Fisher has coached.

Former five-star Johnson will heat up the room with his position flexibility and all-around high skill level and game understanding. He is another player the Huskers are looking to make an impact on the field this fall.

Johnson is helping Fisher strive for the intense competition he wants in his room every day and every rep.

“That’s exactly what I dreamed about this room being from the very first day I got here, being able to compete, and always competing and it’s a daily competition,” Fisher said. “It’s not like ‘Hey, Quinton Newsome you’re the starter here’. No, you’re only starting the day that you’re starting and you’re only starting on the play that you’re playing.”