Chad Wilson
February 12, 2025
It’s recruiting season, and if you’re looking to elevate your profile as a high school cornerback, there are certain areas of your game that need to be on point.
If you’re trying to grab the attention of recruiters, the best thing you can do is make yourself the most complete defensive back possible. Most young players tend to focus solely on one area where they feel strongest. However, being a well-rounded player with multiple tools will bring you more attention.
With that said, here are four key areas of your game as a cornerback that need to be sharp to attract the most interest from college football programs.
1 – Press Man Coverage
For most cornerbacks, this is the most exciting part of their game to train. Some even believe it’s the only aspect of playing cornerback. While that’s not true, it is extremely important. A dominant press-man corner has value to almost any program in the country.
To achieve this, you need quick feet, strong hands, and as much speed as possible. Spend the proper amount of time this offseason in the weight room and working on your speed. Ideally, all cornerbacks should run track if their school offers it.
Great eye discipline, route recognition, and body control will be the finishing touches to making you the most dominant press-man cornerback you can be.
2 – Off-Man Coverage
This is an area of the game that young corners often neglect, but it’s one that will help separate you from the competition.
College defensive coordinators love cornerbacks who are equally skilled in both press and off-man coverage. Excelling in off-man coverage gives your coach more versatility when trying to slow down an offense. Additionally, it gives you more tools to combat elite wide receivers.
To maximize your effectiveness in off-man coverage, you’ll need good eye discipline, a strong backpedal, quickness out of your breaks, and a true understanding of how wide receivers run routes.
Spend your offseason refining these areas. If you really want to master off-man coverage, take a deep dive into studying quarterbacks. Knowing their tendencies will help you anticipate routes, jump breaks, and make game-changing plays.
3 – Zone Coverage Ability
Many young cornerbacks believe zone coverage is only for those who can’t play man-to-man. Maybe that’s true in your high school system, but at the next level, that mindset won’t cut it.
Simply put, a cornerback who struggles in zone coverage will find himself on the bench. Few programs run strictly man-to-man, and no coach wants a liability in zone coverage.
Being great in zone requires two key things:
- A complete understanding of your team’s defensive schemes – You need to know more than just your own job. Understanding what everyone around you is doing will make you a smarter player.
- Knowledge of how offenses operate – Learn how route concepts and quarterback reads dictate the offense’s movements.
Discipline and communication also play major roles. Having consistent eye discipline ensures you’re in the right spot, while strong communication skills will help your teammates execute their responsibilities effectively.
4 – Tackling Skills
Tackling as a cornerback isn’t glamorous, but it is absolutely necessary. In today’s game, offenses will find ways to put you in tackling situations through screens, quick passes, and jet sweeps. If you’re a liability in open-field tackling, you’ll be exposed.
When coaches watch your film, they want to see that you can be relied upon to bring ball carriers down. College coaches are well aware that offenses will test a cornerback’s tackling ability.
Spend time perfecting your tackling technique and study proper tackling fundamentals. When spring football or summer training comes around, don’t neglect this part of your game. Show that you’re a strong, reliable tackler, and offenses will be less likely to challenge you with screens and sweeps.
Final Thoughts
Every cornerback has strengths and weaknesses. There’s nothing wrong with continuing to refine your strongest skills, but ignoring your weaknesses will only hurt your chances of getting recruited. With so many talented athletes across the country, there’s no reason to take yourself off a college coach’s radar by lacking in these crucial areas.
If you want to learn how to play your position like a five-star athlete, join hundreds of players and coaches in the All Eyes DB Camp Members Area, where they’re improving their football IQ daily.
Chad Wilson is the owner of All Eyes DB Camp and author of "101 DB Tips". He played college football at the University of Miami and briefly in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks. Over his 15 year high school football coaching career, he tutored over a dozen Division I defensive backs and as a trainer has worked with NFL All Pros, first round draft picks, college football All Americans and Top 10 ranked high school football prospects.
