Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘High ceiling’ for freshman defensive back Cooper
Cornerback Omarion Cooper made his first career start for the Seminoles last week and the true freshman made it a memorable one. Cooper secured his first interception by fighting off Miami receiver Mike Harley in the first quarter.
“The interception was a huge play,” said Norvell. “When you’re a true freshman, you’re out there on an island and you’re going to get targeted. For him to respond that way with the PBUs [pass breakups] and the mentality that he took throughout that game, it was special.”
Said Cooper: “It was a blessing. I was just trying to make a play for the team. I was excited.”
The 6-0, 180-pound defensive back first arrived in Tallahassee as part of FSU’s 2021 recruiting class. The 4-star prospect out of Lehigh Senior (Lehigh Acres) was the No. 23 cornerback in the country.
Seminoles defensive back coach Marcus Woodson said the message to Cooper was simple.
“Go out and play and have fun,” said Woodson. “He was a kid that was well-prepared. He shows up to work every day with the right attitude. He’s a film junkie. He studies the opponent and he studies the game plan we give to our players. It was no surprise to me as a coach the way he performed.”
Cooper has appeared in six games, registering 9 tackles and 4 pass breakups. He spent much of Saturday covering Charleston Rambo, Key’Shawn Smith and Harley. The three players were targeted 8 times with only 2 catches for 17 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
“He missed some of the fall camp but I knew he was going to have the personality to be able to handle it,” said Fuller. “He’s got humble confidence to him and he expects to make all those plays. To see him go out there on a big stage and come up big was critical for us and important to his growth. He’s got an extremely high ceiling.”