Jeremy Pernell: A Fresh Start for Corey Collier Jr.

The Florida transfer has been making a name for himself since arriving at Nebraska in January

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Eighth in a series on Nebraska football’s transfer additions heading into fall camp.

The hallmark of Tony White's defense is its unpredictability. Depending on the coverage or blitz call, linebackers and defensive backs can be interchangeable, which means pressure can come from anywhere. The looks are unorthodox so not only does it create confusion with receivers running routes and offensive linemen trying to identify where the blitz is coming from, but it also causes uncertainty for players when they’re trying to identify their blocking responsibilities in the run game.

With three linebackers and five defensive backs on the field, you can play and disguise several different man and zone coverages. The most common, Cover 1 (man) and Cover 3 (zone), work well together in this system because there is one high safety in both coverages. They complement each other because they can look similar pre-snap.

A big advantage with the 3-3-5 is the extra bodies roaming the middle of the field. The majority of offenses today like to attack with short crossing routes, and this defense will muddy that area up. It also lends itself to having more team speed on the field.

Arguably the most important person on the entire defense is the rover. In simplest terms, the rover is Tony White's version of the nickelback. He's the Swiss Army Knife in the Nebraska defensive coordinator's system and will be asked to do a lot.

The rover is the safety responsible for manning the deep middle third of the field, but he'll be a chess piece. At times he will be tasked with covering the receiver lined up in the slot. He's often the first player coming into the box in run support, and he'll also be relied on to blitz from various spots.

On the recruiting trail, defensive coaches will emphasize a specific skillset and athletic profile with their second- and third-level players. This is one of the reasons I'm not concerned over the number of defensive backs the new staff at Nebraska has committed in their 2024 class - with a couple more likely. I think Braylen Prude, Roger Gradney and Rex Guthrie are future linebackers in this defense.

There isn't a lot of carryover from the previous defense, so it's going to take some time for players to learn their assignments so they can play fast and not be hesitant to react. It should help that the strength of the defense will be the secondary.

Quinton Newsome, Malcolm Hartzog, Marques Buford (if/when healthy), Omar Brown, Tommi Hill, Isaac Gifford, Myles Farmer, Javier Morton and DeShon Singleton. That's a pretty solid core to work with.

Corey Collier Jr / Nebraska Athletics

Another guy making a name for himself since arriving in January is Corey Collier Jr. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Collier was rated as one of the nation's top safety prospects in the 2021 class after a standout career at Palmetto High School in Miami.

He was selected to play in the prestigious All-American Bowl and rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN, who also ranked him the No. 93 player in the class. Rivals had an even higher opinion of him, giving him five-stars and ranking him No. 31 overall.

Collier had nearly 40 offers and chose Florida over Florida State, Miami, Auburn, Clemson, Tennessee, USC and Georgia, while also having notable offers from Baylor, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State and Pittsburgh, among several others.

Collier enrolled early at Florida and played in two games in 2021 as a true freshman while preserving his redshirt. He saw action in three games this past season, appearing mostly on special teams.

During his time in Gainesville, Collier struggled to learn two separate defenses in ensuing seasons because of a coaching change. He also had trouble adding bulk to his frame to be able to handle playing in the SEC.

Looking for a fresh start, Collier entered the transfer portal on the first day it officially opened, Dec. 5. He was quickly peer recruited by former high school teammate and 2023 Husker signee Dwight Bootle II, who helped put him in contact with Husker coaches.

Collier visited Lincoln Dec. 16-18, along with Gator teammate Chief Borders and Dwight Bootle, who was taking his second official visit to Nebraska. Collier bonded with defensive backs coach Evan Cooper, who is also from Miami and attended Palmetto High School. Collier Tweeted out his intention to transfer to Nebraska during his visit.

A few Husker fans were quick to try and temper expectations by invoking Nebraska's 2021 addition of former five-star Ohio State defensive back Tyreke Johnson. On the surface, I can see the comparison. Both were five-star recruits who are/were seen as recruiting misses because they weren't immediate contributors. Contrarily, the pair seldomly saw the field at their previous schools.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you Corey Collier is the next Mike Brown, but unlike Tyreke Johnson, he's already made his presence felt. While Johnson was on a milk carton both years he was at Nebraska, Collier was playing with the No. 1 defense in the Red-White game after seeing reps during spring at both free and boundary safety.

Keep in mind Collier is learning his third defense in as many years. He still has three years of eligibility remaining, so there's plenty of time for him to carve out a role in Nebraska's secondary. With any luck, he can still approach the player many were expecting when Rivals and ESPN ranked the dynamic, rangy defender the No. 3 safety in his class.