Jacory Bates – A change for the better

Photo: Prep Redzone

Brian Jerzak January 28, 2022 @ 11:37 PM

It was a season of change for [player_tooltip player_id="112127" first="Jacory" last="Bates"]. The Eden Prairie junior went into the season as a first-year starter but at a new position. "This was my first year fully playing corner," Bates said. "Last year, I played some corner, but I played a lot of running back." The transition to corner would take two years. It would start with Bates' mindset. "Going into my freshman year, I started to take football training seriously," Bates explained. "Going into my sophomore year, I decided I wanted to play corner. I thought I was the perfect size for the position. It went pretty well. My coaches helped me out quite a bit. The move was for the best." One of the keys to his transition was his ability to correct his mistakes. "In our first two games – at least – the position was weird for me," Bates told prepredzonemn.com. "I was able to look at what I was doing wrong and get better from that. As the season went on, I got much better. I improved every week, and as a team, we improved every week." Soon, the defensive coaches had him shadowing each offenses' top receiver. "I think I am a good tacker in space," Bates explained. "I think I am better in zone coverage." After watching his Hudl highlights, I agree with his skills assessment. I would add Bates' anticipation and ability to break on the ball make him one of the top defensive backs in the state. Bates knows where he can improve. "I will be working on getting better in man coverage. We didn't run much man this year. The coaches have told me we are going to gamble a little more and play some more man coverage. I want to work on getting better hip movement." Right now, his focus is not on the football field. His focus is on the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/12/success-on-the-field-and-the-mat-part-i/">wrestling mat</a>. "Wrestling is going well," Bates said. "My record is around 16-5, and I am ranked 8th in the state. I feel pretty good about sections in about four weeks." "I am best on my feet," Bates continued. "I am able to get to my shots pretty well. I like low singles." After the season, Bates' focus will shift – slightly – towards football. "In the spring, I wrestle freestyle and Greco and workout with the football team. This year, I will also be working with a trainer to improve my speed and agility. I will be working with my team doing seven on seven and one on one's – stuff like that." On the recruiting trail, Bates is getting some early looks from Division II schools, but the junior says it is nothing serious – yet. With more experience at his new position, Bates is sure to get plenty of looks going into and after his senior season.