Nebraska football has a talented player on their hands in Cooper.
One of the Nebraska football players that I have been intrigued to hear about over the past couple of days is Niko Cooper. The defensive end has the attention this summer of coach Mike Dawson due to his play style and ability.
I personally liked what Cooper brought to the program as soon as he committed here. I thought that he would give Nebraska football another big-time edge rusher that could get to the quarterback quickly. This was something that they were missing last year, and I still feel it’s a big question mark heading into the season. There is no doubt that they have players who can rush the end. It’s about whether or not those players will be able to execute.
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Cooper is certainly part of the equation. Along with the praise he got from Dawson over the summer, he also got phrase from Dawson via Zoom on Tuesday. Truthfully, I think that Cooper will be an important part of the Nebraska football defense moving forward. He is probably not going to put up All-American type numbers but he will be able to give Nebraska a stellar player that can come off the edge.
A solid edge player will be extremely important, especially when you consider what type of offenses Nebraska has to face. Just take a look at this year’s schedule for example. Nebraska will have to face Ohio State in the opener, and it’s not going to get any easier after that. They are certainly going to need to get pressure off the edge and disrupt Justin Fields, or else it’s going to be a long afternoon.
In any event, Dawson continues to like what he is seeing from Cooper.
"“He’s big, he’s strong. He’s got about the biggest hands that I think I’ve seen on a guy, so hopefully he can use those in getting some hands on some offensive linemen, and being stout in the run game, and at the same time being fast and explosive in the pass game,” Dawson said. “Obviously a guy that’s a little bit older, and his body is a little bit more mature. He can pack some food away, I know that. So hopefully get him eating, and get him bigger and stronger, and get him going that way.”"
This makes me excited. The coaching staff likes what they are seeing from him. I do think he’ll be able to be a valuable defender for Nebraska football. He certainly has the ability to play a high level, it sounds like all about putting on weight now.
I’m excited to see what he can do in Lincoln. If there is one side of the ball that needs to be better, it’s the defense. Hopefully, he will be able to be a solid player and help stabilize the defensive line position.