Kobee Minor Keeps Pushing
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - We’re talking dogs with Kobee Minor.
Not, not man’s best friend, but that inner competitive beast that can make good players great.
“He gets that dawg out of me,” the Indiana redshirt junior cornerback says. “It’s been inside, but he embraces it.”
Minor refers to veteran cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby, who helped convince Minor to become a Hoosier after three seasons at Texas Tech, and who now aims to develop him into a difference maker.
“When I got to the transfer portal, Coach Shelby called me. He said, you will have a good opportunity to play here, to go against top talent day in, day out. The opportunity to be around that was important to me.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound Minor played in 23 games at Texas Tech. He saw action on offense and special teams his first two seasons before switching to defense last year, when he totaled 12 tackles and two pass break ups.
He expects more with the Hoosiers.
“I’m studying the playbook, watching more film, getting more comfortable. It’s about consistency. Doing what I’m supposed to do every time. Doing extra. Making sure I’m tight on everything I need and help establish that leadership in the (cornerbacks) room.”
Shelby pushes him. He’s a passionate coach who demands much, gives much.
Minor is all in.
“Coach Shelby is a good dude. He’s calm and cool most of the time, but you know how coaches are. When you do wrong, he will let you know. I like that. He’s making me a better player.”
A big key is improving his man-to-man coverage skills. While Minor has just one year of college experience on defense, he was a two-way Texas high school standout, good enough to be rated as the nation’s No. 74 safety by ESPN. As a senior, he had 72 tackles, five interceptions, five forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries with three defensive scores. He had nine career interceptions.
“I’ve been decent at man, and it’s getting better,” he says. “I’m understanding the scheme better. (At Texas Tech), we had a similar scheme. I’m starting to know what everybody’s job is.”
Minor’s strong leadership skills help in improving cornerbacks room chemistry. He was a team captain last season.
“I’m taking the young guys under my wing. Let them know I’m here for them, and everything they need.
“We’re all working and coming together. We’re trying to create that bond. We’ll get there.”
IU’s promising combination of big, powerful receivers and smaller, swifter ones is good training for what Minor will face this coming season.
“We have a lot of bigger-body receivers who are deep ball threats. They have the speed. I’m getting adjusted to that, and to the style in the Big Ten coming from the Big 12.”
Minor said the differences between the conferences is the Big 12 emphasizes the pass more while the Big Ten features strong running games as well as passing attacks.
For the first time since high school, Minor will play with his older brother, Darryl Minor, a linebacker. Darryl Minor transferred to IU this season after playing one year at UTEP and two at junior college.
In two junior college seasons, Darryl Minor recorded 33 tackles for loss and 156 total tackles. He didn’t record any tackles in one season and three games at UTEP.
“Having him back on the same team as me is really cool,” Kobee Minor says. “It’s the greatest thing. Who is closer to me than him?”
IU is gearing up for a turnaround season after consecutive losing records. Minor says the Hoosiers are building something special.
“All the coaches push the guys. They make sure you’re okay. They’re about the player, but it’s more than just the player.”