Cooper's Ready
August 30, 2007 10:39 AM | General
August 30, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After two years in the West Virginia program, sophomore Zac Cooper enters the 2007 season poised to see playing time at the will linebacker spot. Cooper, who redshirted in 2005 and saw his first varsity action last season, is happy with his performance this fall.
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| A strong fall camp has elevated linebacker Zac Cooper into the defensive mix this season.
Pete Emerson photo |
“I feel like I had the best camp I’ve ever had so far. As a team I think we had a good camp. Defensively and offensively we’re getting better every day,” Cooper said.
Cooper has been a big part of that improvement. A close look at the depth chart shows that the Weirton, W.Va., native will be number two at the will linebacker position behind Mortty Ivy when West Virginia opens the season this Saturday against Western Michigan at Milan Puskar Stadium.
“I’m starting to learn the defense better and to react to the offensive plays better. I’m picking up the defensive schemes well,” Cooper said. “For me it’s a matter of reps and experience and just being out on the field. It actually helps to make mistakes and learn how to correct them.”
Cooper came to Morgantown after a standout career at Weir High. There he won the Sam Huff award in 2004 as West Virginia’s top prep defender and he led the Red Riders to the state semifinals in both his junior and senior seasons. Playing both linebacker and running back, Cooper recorded 350 career tackles and rushed for 1,125 yards during his senior season. He is second in career rushing at Weir behind former WVU running back Quincy Wilson.
Having had such a productive high school career, it would be easy for Cooper to expect immediate playing time in college and be disappointed with the fact that he had to wait his turn while more experienced players saw the field in front of him. Cooper doesn’t see it that way.
“When I got here I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I have wanted to be a Mountaineer for a long time and now I’m doing it,” Cooper said. “I guess I’m doing OK. I’m where I want to be. I’m just helping the team however I can and I hope that we have a good season.”
The two-time all-state pick admits that the adjustment from Weir’s 4-3 defense to West Virginia’s 3-3-5 scheme took some getting used to. Cooper insists it’s not a problem reverting back to his old ways -- the West Virginia coaching staff makes sure that is never a problem.
“It’s pretty much drilled into your head when you get here how the defensive scheme works,” Cooper said. “You’re forced to learn it exactly how it is. I don’t think anybody reverts back to their old defensive schemes.”
The business and economics major, who recovered a fumble last year against Syracuse, is playing at the deepest position on the West Virginia defense this year. Cooper says the reason for the quality depth is because most linebackers can play multiple positions and at the very least, each player has a thorough understanding of what the other linebackers’ responsibilities are. This understanding will allow defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and his staff to give opposing quarterbacks a lot of different looks this fall.
“We have been switching things up a little bit to disguise overages and blitzes and things like that,” Cooper said. “We have a lot of great depth at linebacker this year and we have a lot of hard working guys who want to learn and get better every day.”
Cooper also likes what he has seen behind him in the defensive backfield this preseason. He echoes the sentiments of many WVU defenders when he says that this defense has been talking on the field a lot more than in the past and is prepared to play as a more cohesive group in 2007.
“I feel like the guys in the secondary are making great progress. We’ve got a lot of young guys that are learning right now but everybody looks good,” Cooper said. “We’re playing together and communicating as a team on defense and that’s what you have to do. You have to play together as a unit.”
Cooper says that the younger players, including first-year performers Archie Sims and Pat Lazear, seem to be picking up the defensive concepts nicely.
“A lot of guys are running to the ball on every play. A lot of guys are learning and picking up the defensive schemes a lot better,” Cooper said. “It feels like even the guys who aren’t with the ones know what’s going on.”
With his increased understanding of the defense, look for Zac Cooper to have a lot more opportunities to run to the ball himself in 2007.
