Mook Reynolds Will Play As a Freshman at Cornerback
By Tim Thomas
Oct 16, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back James Conner (24) rushes the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Kendall Fuller (11) and defensive back Kyshoen Jarrett (34) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won 21-16. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Last week, there was plenty of relief when four-star cornerback Mook Reynolds signed the necessary paperwork to enroll early in Blacksburg after there were a few concerns that he might change his commitment. Many Hokie fans are excited that Reynolds will be arriving on campus to compete for playing time this spring.
After his commitment, Reynolds had an interesting comment that he told to 247 Sports about some moves in the secondary for the Hokies as he heard from DB Coach Torrian Gray.
"“Initially, the role will be to come in and, as Coach told me, Chuck Clark will move back to free safety to replace Detrick Bonner, I will fill in at nickel. Recently with Brandon (Brandon Facyson) going down with that leg injury, Coach Gray told me that I will get some reps at corner too.”"
Chuck Clark makes sense at free safety as he has very good ball hawking and zone coverage skills along with being a very good tackler. With Clark headed back to free safety and Brandon Facyson out for the spring, it is not surprising to hear that Reynolds will get the chance to prove that he should get some playing time as a freshman.
With Kendall Fuller, Brandon Facyson, and Donovan Riley already having the top 3 cornerback spots locked down for 2015, this spring will be a chance for the younger cornerbacks to battle to be the dime cornerback. Reynolds will have some tough competition from Greg Stroman, Terrell Edmunds, and Shawn Payne.
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Even though Reynolds is the newest cornerback on the block, don’t be surprised if he ends up being the dime cornerback in 2015.
Reynolds does not have great speed, but he is faster than people realize with not too many receivers being able to run by the North Carolina native. Reynolds also has very good acceleration which can be very useful in multiple ways as a cornerback overall and in the specific role of being a nickel or dime cornerback.
Reynolds’s acceleration will help him react to quicker routes that cornerbacks can expect from a slot receiver. Reynolds also has a combination of very good acceleration and reactions that should make him a very good blitzer out of dime packages. Reynolds also does a great job of getting by a blocker and shutting down a screen play for a loss or a minimal gain.
Mook Reynolds has very good tackling skills and does a very good job of wrapping up his tackle to limit the number of broken tackles. Most of the time, broken tackles are due to a failure by the defensive player to actually wrap up the offensive player.
Oct 12, 2013; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster stands on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Reynolds is a fairly good zone coverage cornerback that does a decent job of reading the quarterback and putting himself in a position to make a play whether that is an interception or just breaking up a pass. Reynolds also does a very good job of limiting the number of yards after the catch for a wide receiver.
Man coverage does not seem to be a strength of Reynolds currently, but he should be able to improve in that area now that he will get to work with college football’s best DB Coach, Torrian Gray. However, Reynolds’s man coverage skills will not be tested too much as a freshman most likely which will give him time to develop those skills.
One thing that makes you wonder how good Reynolds is right now is the fact that there is almost no tape of him from his senior season. Many of these evaluations are based on his junior tape which is quite impressive on its own.
Mook Reynolds is definitely going to be a very good cornerback in Blacksburg and will receive playing time in 2015 as one of the top 4 cornerback. If Kendall Fuller leaves after next season for the NFL Draft, Reynolds will be a starter in 2016.
Reynolds is going to be another very productive cornerback for the Hokies and it will start in 2015.