Hidden 2028 gems in the Top 200: MD/DC Part 2

I will be taking a look at a good number of 2028 prospects in Maryland that should get the attention (or more attention) from college coaches ahead of the spring evaluation period that'll take place from April 15th to May 23rd. Today is Part 2.    Murphy shows positional versatility lining up both at nickel and deep safety. There's limited pure backpedal reps on his highlights, but he shows control with his transitions. There's a good number of plays that show that he has good awareness when it comes to diagnosing short passing concepts. There's a play where he reads the swing pass quickly from the nickel position and reacts immediately. There's also another plays where he recognizes a short in-breaking routes and closes in to prevent yards after the catch.   Murphy also demonstraits good pursuit range when attacking permieter runs and swing passes. He shows physicality in man coverage reps against the slot. There's one play where he gives a well-timed jam and disrupts the route, throwing off the quarterback timing.   As a run defender, he's very active and effective in run defense. Murphy shows the ability to set the edge and maintain outside leverage.   Would like to see more film of him in deep coverage to make a more thorough evaluation of him as a pass defender. Murphy's size, physicality, and versatility make him a perfect fit for a defense that can use someone who is a safety that can support the run and match up against slot receivers.     Johnson lines up primarily as a deep safety and looks comfortable as a single-high defender. He concisely maintains proper depth in Cover 3 for the most part in his highlights. There are a couple of plays where he makes the play, but needs to keep top leverage on vertical routes. I can't really get a read on his backpedalling skills, but I can see that he's solid when it comes and planting and driving quickly in reaction to underneath routes.   From a man-coverage standpoint, he's quick enough to stay with the slot receivers he's covering when they break on outs. There's on play where Johnson breaks on a five-yard flat route and breaks up the pass. Most of his reps that I watched are of him in zone coverage.   Would like to see a few more reps in run-support to fully evaluate his effectiveness in that area. A few more reps to evaluate his deep coverage range would be helpful as well.   I think Johnson is a defensive back who is continuing to develop. The reaction speed, ball awareness, and competitive effort are there.     Play recognition is one of Cook's strongest traits. Cook consistently diagnoses route concepts quickly and positions himself well in coverage. His interceptions in his highlights show that he anticipates throws at a high level and capitalizes on quarterback errors.   There are a few plays showing his reaction and closing ability. Cooks does a decent job of breaking downhill and closing quickly when routes develop in front of him.   Cook's ball skills are another impressive aspect of his game. He tracks the football well and shows great hands while securing interceptions. The yards Cooks gains after making the interceptions help his offense get better field position.   It looks like his team plays a lot of zone coverage, in particular, quarters coverage. Does a nice job of maintaining depth before attacking the football.   Cook is definitely willing to come up and make solid tackles, as shown in plays where he broke on underneath throws and a screen pass in his highlights.   I might have put the two special teams plays he has in front of his highlights further down the line, but it's nice to see, because being solid on special teams is always an added bonus as a recruit.   He's not the smallest, but could benefit from adding additional strength and physical development this offseason. I'd also like to see how he is in more man-to-man coverage situations.   Cook's ability to read the quarterback, anticipate routes, and make plays on the football would make him a solid fit for a zone-heavy-based defensive system. It's worth noting that he's versatile enough to play both safety and cornerback for his team.     Holmes consistently reads routes well and reacts quickly to the quarterback. His interception and multiple breakups in his highlights show that he has strong anticipation and timing.   He looks very comfortable playing with a cushion. Holmes shows good patience, good break timing, and has good closing ability on short routes.   A few of his highlights show him tracking the football and consistently getting his hands on passes in both underneath and deep coverage situations.   There are a couple of plays that show Holmes' ability to stay in phase with receivers on vertical routes. His length at 6-2 helps a lot when he contests fade balls. Holmes uses an effective bail technique and maintains depth in zone coverage looks.   At 6-2, he has that cornerback length that college coaches like. If he's still at 160 pounds, there's room for further physical development. There's a limited sample size, but he does show a willingness to support the run in a few clips that I watched.   Holmes needs additional strength and mass. Definitely would like to see how he looks in position drills (quickness on breaks, transitioning, etc). Holmes has strong ball skills and solid technique. I'm impressed with his off-man skills. Definitely has a lot of upside.

I will be taking a look at a good number of 2028 prospects in Maryland that should get the attention (or more attention) from college coaches ahead of the spring evaluation period that'll take place from April 15th to May 23rd. Today is Part 2.