Underrated Big 12 safety duo ready to put college football and 2025 NFL Draft landscape on notice
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell hasn’t had the ascension as a coach that we quite thought, but he has still done a really nice job of developing undervalued talent, and has put several talented players into the NFL. We have seen more examples on the offensive side of the football, but defensive coordinator Jon […]
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell hasn’t had the ascension as a coach that we quite thought, but he has still done a really nice job of developing undervalued talent, and has put several talented players into the NFL. We have seen more examples on the offensive side of the football, but defensive coordinator Jon Heacock could have a couple guys coming down the pipeline soon.
Nobody talks about them but Iowa State also has arguably the most underrated safety duo in college football with Jeremiah Cooper and Malik Verdon. Each player brings a very interesting style to the table, which mesh well together. Both are also very intriguing 2025 NFL Draft prospects.
But not just potentially on the back end of Day Three. No, both players have real upside on the class. Get to know this duo, who certainly have Big 12 coaches and NFL evaluator’s attention.
Jeremiah Cooper – 6000e, 185e
If you aren’t familiar with Cooper, you need to start too quickly. After playing a good amount as a freshman in 2022, the talented defender turned in an incredible season last fall. In 11 games, Cooper collected 45 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, and ten pass breakups.
Cooper is an extremely interesting modern day safety. The Texas native has been asked to do a little bit of everything for the Cyclones. That includes a decent amount of reps working from the slot, which he could do some of for an NFL team on the next level.
He has very loose hips, showing the change of direction to be forced into man responsibilities. Cooper also has really nice spatial awareness and closing speed to make plays in space. There’s a really nice projection into some nickel responsibilities early on in his NFL career.
Cooper’s man skills even show up in off coverage as well. Having solid speed he brings to the table, the best part of Cooper’s coverage profile is with his flexibility and hip fluidity. Here on the speed turn, you see Cooper be able to stick in the wide receiver’s pocket with a super impressive rep.
That fluidity also flashes while playing from depth. You can see how comfortable Cooper is when he has to turn and run. While he isn’t the biggest or longest defensive back, Cooper also is a springy athlete who has no problem fighting at the catch point.
The biggest portion of Cooper’s game that needs to take a step forward is his run defense. He is a lighter frame that doesn’t have a ton of power in his lower half. Cooper needs to do a much better job finishing plays.
From a coverage perspective, however, Cooper brings some high upside to the table. In a lot of ways, his profile is reminiscent of former Utah and New Orleans Saints star Marcus Williams. The coverage versatility is fantastic.
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Malik Verdon – 6040e, 225e
While Cooper is the headliner of the safety position for Iowa State, Verdon is a player who needs a lot more notoriety right now. He was expected to be a breakout star for the team in 2022 but Verdon suffered an injury that cost his season short during the third game of the year. That wasn’t his only injury during his Cyclone career, also missing three games this past season with a fractured forearm.
When healthy, Verdon’s combination of size and overall athleticism is tremendous. He will need to stay healthy this fall, but the upside is immense. The run game impact can still take a step forward but the range at 6-4 and 225 pounds is rare. It’s wild to see how much ground he covers for that size, which puts his athleticism into perspective.
It feels like we have seen more and more freakazoids come out at the safety position recently. Kyle Hamilton will soon not be the rarity he was just a couple years ago. While he won’t be listed at the top of the 2025 safety class right now, make sure to file his name away. Verdon could very well be a big riser if healthy.
