John Saunders Jr. assesses his transition from cornerback to safety

In December, John Saunders Jr. committed to transfer from Miami (OH) to Ole Miss. With that move came a switch from cornerback to safety this offseason.

Now, Saunders has broken down his transition to a new position in the defensive backfield.

“It’s going pretty well,” John Saunders Jr. said. “Just getting used to more communication. So, that’s like the main adjustment, but it’s pretty much, like, very similar to corner. Just man on number two for the most part and just dealing with adjustments like the motions because it’s been a lot of motions going on like from the boundary to the field. So, just got to get used to dealing with them and rotating with the other safeties.”

Saunders was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2020, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He quickly became a dominant force for the Redhawks on the defensive side of the ball.

Now, John Saunders Jr. has already shown how he is going to be able to help out the Ole Miss defense. In particular, he shined during the Grove Bowl. There, he led the way with 13.5 tackles.

“For me, I just try and do my job,” Saunders said. “Even though we had a couple base calls I was still just trying to make plays within the framework of the defense. Even though we had a few calls I just trying to do my job every play within that call. Just controlling what I can control, honestly.”

One player who Saunders seemed to have good chemistry with is Zamari Walton. Together, they completed a tipped ball drill to intercept Spencer Sanders.

“Zamari Walton was playing amazing defense and then he got the ball off and I just came over and got the tipped pass. Any opportunity to get a turnover is amazing for the defense to give the ball back to the offense.”

How John Saunders Jr. is trying to improve his game

Now that he’s at Ole Miss, John Saunders Jr. is trying to improve his game by focusing on his patience in the defensive backfield.

“When I first picked up I was like, ‘Yeah, this could be a good move.’ Then I just started watching film on Ole Miss and I’m like, ‘Yeah, this will be a good fit,'” Saunders explained.

“It’s a perfect fit. Just the ability to learn from all the coaches.”