DIAMONDBACK
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FAMU 30 for 30: Rattler cornerbacks, safeties strike with venom as the menacing last line of defense
From left to right, secondary ranks as arguably the best unit on the defense at FAMU
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As the last line of the defense, the secondary for Florida A&M is built to be run stoppers when necessary and hold receivers to minimal gain.
Racking up turnovers in the process is a bonus to their menacing stance.
From left corner to right corner, along with the nickelbacks and safeties in between, the secondary is arguably the most robust unit of the defense.
They feature lockdown players on the outside who can shut off their half of the field. Then there are the two-way stars who master the art of coverage and dominating inside the box.
Collectively, they work to make passing situations on third down become a stressful factor for the opposition.
Cornerbacks
FAMU's cornerbacks are perhaps the most game-ready group in the country.
These defenders have daily one-on-one battles with the wide receiving corps known as the RAC Boyz.
Facing the likes of Chad Hunter, David Manigo, Jah'Marae Sheread, Chris Sanders and preseason All-American Xavier Smith is a gruesome task in practice. However, these clashes serve as the ultimate training ground for situations during the upcoming season.
"They prepare me a lot. I feel like I'm going up against the best every day in practice. They have a lot of skills. They help me with what I have to do. I help them with what they need to do," FAMU cornerback Kortney Cox said.
Cox is a redshirt junior from Decatur, Ga.
He lives for the challenge of being assigned to the top receiver on Saturdays. While he would love to have a box score full of interceptions, the stat he wants most is the fewest passes thrown to his man.
"Being a shutdown cornerback, I might not get a lot of picks or pass break-ups. I want to always make sure I'm on my opponent and he can't catch the ball," Cox said.
Along with Cox, the sound technicians at cornerback marked on the other team's scouting report are Troy Hilton and Trequan Butler. Freshmen Tevin Griffey and Winsome Fraizer have also been impressive in camp.
Overseeing the development of the cornerbacks is FAMU Sports Hall of Famer Billy Rolle.
"We're working on different schemes and coverage for them to understand what they're doing. The guys are still learning. It's all about playing fast," Rolle said.
FAMU takes the field at Bragg Memorial Stadium on Saturday for its second and final scrimmage of fall camp.
Rolle wants his corners The Rattler Hall of Famer wants to see sharp fundamentals and attention to detail with the execution.
"We're looking to see them the techniques from the drills transition to the scrimmage. From there, it transitions to the season," Rolle said.
Safeties
What is there to say about Markquese Bell that hasn't already been said?The four-star player from Maryland and Coffeyville Community College immediately impacted the Rattlers in his debut season of 2019.
He led the Rattlers with five interceptions. To this day, Bell and the coaches argue he should've had between eight and 10 picks.
Bell's name appears on various preseason lists, from preseason All-SWAC and All-American to being a candidate for the Deacon Jones Award to honor the country's best Black college football player.
Bell is appreciative of the accolades. However, he doesn't allow the clippings to dictate his work ethic. For him, the goal is to be the last team standing in December as a champion.
"Building relationships and getting closer to my teammates is more important than the honors. If we go out there and win a championship, that would be better than any individual award. I'll be celebrating a championship with my team," Bell said.
FAMU safeties who'll be heavy in the rotation are Kwame Clark, Tim Williams, Andre Powell and former Florida High studs Javan Morgan and Sheldon Walker.
The group recently added to their dominating depth with the signing of Antwan Collier.
He is a Miami native who transferred from Central Florida.
In 2019, Collier started all 13 games for the Knights. He had 74 tackles, one sack and a team-high four interceptions.
Collier joined the team this past week. The main focus for him is getting into shape and learning a new system.
Once he gets acclimated, Collier is expected to line up alongside Bell to create one of the best safety tandems in the nation.
Lovie Jenkins is another star transfer at FAMU. He previously played at Louisville.
The top-flight defender will split time between safety and nickelback in 2021.
Brandon Sharp is the safeties coach. He also serves as co-defensive coordinator with Ryan Smith.
He maintains the same level of intensity and passion with his work. Sharp is eager to keep an aggressive edge on defense and boost the team's takeaway total in 2021.
"We're all on the same page. That's the biggest difference from the spring until now. We're headed in the right direction leading up to Sept. 5," Sharp said.
"We reward the defense for turnovers, sacks and tackles-for-loss. We have a production chart to document these stats. Our goal is to lead the country in these categories."
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Freshman has been throwing it against. 
