Kansas has spent fall camp sorting through a deep mix of options at nickel, and defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald likes what he’s seeing.
“We got some guys rotating in there,” Kansas defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald said.
“Right now they’re doing a good job. We’re really excited about that position.
We got a mix of older guys and younger guys, which is good.”
That blend matters at nickel, where the job asks for more than just cover ability. A player has to move like an outside corner, handle run defense like a linebacker or safety in the box, and even spend time this fall working on pass-rush skills with defensive ends coach Joe Dineen.
Some of the players in the mix are outside corners moving inside, including redshirt sophomore Elijah Cannon, who transferred in from Mississippi State, and freshman Trey Brown. The adjustment has been especially physical, since they’re suddenly asked to take on tight ends and offensive linemen who can outweigh them by about 100 pounds.
“(Playing nickel) is the most time I’ve spent in the box playing football in general,” Cannon said. “(Spending) time in the walkthrough, time with my coaches in meetings and going through run fits in practice, it all helps.”
For Cannon, the position is as much mental as physical. He said he’s paying close attention to the triangle formed by the defensive backs, making sure he knows where the safety and cornerback are and where his own space should be so route combinations don’t create open windows.
“Our coaches do a very good job making it known how much (the) formations and stuff are important to the game nowadays,” Cannon said. “It’s a very thinking game. We’re learning certain formations, what I should expect from certain alignments.”
Kansas also has a new voice helping guide that position. Assistant backs coach Duane Akina, who has long been respected in college defensive back circles with multiple stints at Arizona and Texas, has taken a major role with the nickel group. Fifth-year Jayhawk Mason Ellis said Akina has taught him “how to understand what’s coming, and not just be reacting.”
Another name to watch is redshirt sophomore Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman, listed as a safety on the KU roster but spending plenty of time at nickel this summer. His size and strength make him a fit for the more physical parts of the spot, and McDonald thinks his skill set stands out.
“He’s an explosive young man,” McDonald said of Cummings-Coleman. “When I talk about guys being able to blitz and cover, he’s able to do that.
He’s a thicker body there so he’s able to hold up in the run and do those (types) of things. And so he’s kind of an athlete that we haven’t had here in a while playing that nickel position.”
Cummings-Coleman said he’s working to be a “student of the game” and leaning on teammates to sharpen the mental side of the role. His time at Iowa State has helped, too, since some of the concepts are familiar from McDonald’s previous stop there before coming to Kansas.
That mental speed is what lets him play aggressively once the ball is snapped, and he says that’s the part he enjoys most.
“I like being around the ball,” Cummings-Coleman said. “That’s my favorite thing. Whether it’s out in coverage or fitting the run, I love it.”
Cannon feels the same pull toward the rougher side of the position. Outside cornerback brings the spotlight, with one-on-one chances against top receivers and the chance to jump a route for a breakup or interception. But nickel brings its own kind of payoff, especially when it leads to run stops, pressure or a hit that lands with some force.
“I love it,” Cannon said of the physicality. “Ever since I came into the position, I found I love it more and more.”
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