Cotton's switch comes with an attitude
The size is there, the athleticism is a great asset and the dutiful note-taking is a nice touch for Jake Cotton.
All of those things have served him well in his transition from scout-team player on the Nebraska defensive line to potential starter on the offensive front.
But one trait maybe comes up more often — and might stand out more than anything else — in discussions about the redshirt freshman.
Aggression.
"It's kind of nasty the way he plays the game," assistant coach John Garrison said, meaning it fully as a compliment.
Nebraska will live with some mistakes as it tries to make the most of Cotton's no-holds-barred style. It's appearing more and more possible that it might carry him into the starting lineup at right guard for the Sept. 3 opener Tennessee-Chattanooga.
And making his rise to that job even more impressive would be the fact that he just changed from the defensive to the offensive huddle in spring practice.
"We thought it would work right away, just because he had a good motor, he had high energy and he was playing hard," said Barney Cotton, NU's offensive line coach and Jake's father. "And if you put that with some athleticism, you're going to do everything you can to make it work."
