Nebraska Football: Dicaprio Bootle ready to build off 2018 season

Nebraska Football has a star defender at their disposal..

Dicaprio Bootle is a baller. That much is certain. Nebraska football coaches will be the first to tell you that. He is also an interesting success story. He was discovered by Nebraska football coaches at a satellite camp in Miami. Often times, discoveries do not lead to major roles for players, especially cornerbacks. Sure, they may get on the field once in a while, but too often these discovery-type players get lost in the shuffle of some of the bigger names. That does not appear to be the case for Bootle, who is expected to leave his mark on the secondary in 2019.

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As a sophomore in 2018, Bootle was a big-time player for Nebraska football. He appeared in 12 games recording 39 tackles and a forced fumble. However, perhaps his biggest statistic was his passes defended. He ranked first among all Big Ten defenders with 15 on the year. He ranked eighth in the NCAA with that number. That just goes to show you how impressive he truly was. Admittedly, it will be hard for him to top that number.

However, it is his effort and solid play that have won over Nebraska football coaches. Anytime you can impress and get on the coaching staff’s good side, that is certainly an accomplishment in of itself. As Brian Christopherson of Husker247 notes, Bootle knows how to knock down passes, but can he catch one?

"Not only has he turned into a solid cover guy, he’s not afraid to hit, and Fisher always knows he’s going to get 100-percent effort from Bootle. What has been missing for “D-Cap,” as those inside the program walls call him, are interceptions. While he had 15 pass breakups last season, a near school record, he still hasn’t had that first pick."

My very early prediction here is that he will finally record that elusive interception this year. There is no doubt that he is the ringleader of the cornerback group, as he should be. He has shown that he is the type of impact player needed in a Big 10 Conference secondary. He should be able to be the leader of that secondary group for years to come, and that would be a very good thing for the Nebraska football program. First, we will have to see about this year. Can he build off the success he had in 2018? Again, my prediction for him is that he will.

As far as Dicaprio Bootle is concerned, the sky should be the limit. I know I talk a lot about the offensive talent for Nebraska, but the defensive talent should be recognized as well. He is a part of that and is shaping up to be that lockdown corner every program dreams of having.