STARKVILLE — Cameron Dantzler made a name for himself in south Louisiana as an offensive threat.
At schools as small as St. Thomas Aquinas in Hammond, athletes of Dantzler’s ability almost always find their way to the offensive side of the ball, and Dantzler was no exception: 1,901 rushing yards, 1,381 passing yards and 37 touchdowns between the two took the Falcons to the state semifinals.
That kind of athleticism helps one become a good cornerback, but that doesn’t make the transition easy. Dantzler needed a redshirt year to start, then when cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley thought Dantzler’s time was coming, it turned out he needed another year of seasoning.
Now, No. 25 Mississippi State is getting the results of this athleticism well-versed in this position. Dantzler is first on the team and tied for fifth in the Southeastern Conference with 10 passes defended (eight break-ups, two interceptions), making the sophomore one of the up-and-comers in the conference before 11 a.m. Saturday’s (ESPN) game against Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC).
“He’s always had the ability, it’s the development and putting him in the right position,” cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley said. “Learn how put his body in position, and I expect that to continue to get better.”
More than simply getting his hands on the ball, as Buckley projected he would do last year, Dantzler is making an impact when MSU (6-4, 2-4 SEC, No. 21 College Football Playoff) needs it most. Dantzler broke up three passes in the win over Auburn, in which every defensive stop was of critical importance; his interceptions came in the close loss to Florida and early in the loss to LSU.
According to CFB Film Room, Dantzler has defensed 38.9 percent of the passes targeted for him 10 yards or more downfield, which ranks second in the conference.
Reaching this point was as simple as trusting the developmental process from untrained athlete to technician at corner.
“It takes a little time, it takes time to perfect your craft in anything you do,” Dantzler said. “It’s the little things he told me to do, working on my technique in the summer, work the things we worked on in spring ball and come back in the fall to get better on that.
“I’m just more confident in my game, being more patient at the line of scrimmage and really studying film a lot.”
It’s common for defensive players to find their way to more plays by studying more film — the process of knowing more about the opponent should put them in that position. For Dantzler, his film study takes a different empahsis.
“Looking at me in the film study, looking at the little things that I mess up on and correct them in practice,” Dantzler said. “If I stay square and use my technique, I feel like I’m unstoppable.”
This season’s results are enough proof as to why the Dan Mullen staff viewed him as a cornerback and why Buckley never questioned that evaluation. Since then, Dantzler hasn’t so much as entertained offensive snaps. This is a move he’s been looking forward to making, and this season shows a glimmer of why.
“I always liked defense. I liked covering people and making plays,” Dantzler said. “Defense wins championships, so I always felt like I wanted to be a defensive player at the next level. It’s something I was looking forward to doing.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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