Travis Fisher on radio: Husker secondary coach puts "freak" label on two of his newcomers and says he feels good about overall depth

Nebraska secondary coach Travis Fisher clearly feels good about the talent in his meeting room.

He likes the depth he has at corner and safety.

Competition in preseason camp should be spirited, he said Thursday during his appearance on Husker Sports Nightly.

Several newcomers already have made a colossal impression on the coach — with two receiving the “freak” label.

“Tommi Hill‘s a freak,” Fisher said of the transfer corner from Arizona State. “There’s not much the kid can’t do at the (corner) position.”

The 6-foot, 205-pound Hill “is going to be an NFL player if he doesn’t mess it up,” said Fisher, adding that Hill just needs to put the total package together.

Hill, who rose up the depth chart in spring ball and is in prime position to start, is hard on himself when he makes mistakes, which can be good if he moves on quickly, the coach said.

Fisher said Hill can eventually be as good as Cam Taylor-Britt if he keeps improving. Taylor-Britt was a second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in this past spring NFL Draft.

Meanwhile, Fisher also had strong words of praise for incoming freshman defensive back Jalil Martin, a 6-2, 165-pound Chicago native who recently arrived on campus.

“Jalil Martin is a freak. I knew when I recruited him, just watching him move, he can play both positions (corner and safety),” the coach said. “He’s going to be a player for a long time here, and I think he’ll have a chance to play on Sundays.”

Martin recently arrived in Lincoln “a little thin from running track,” Fisher said.

He had weighed 190 before falling to 165, the coach said.

Martin attacks the mental part of the game.

“Man, is he sharp,” Fisher said.

Other nuggets from the coach:

*** On junior corner Quinton Newsome: “I’m going to need Quinton to give me all his has this season. Take over this deal the way he has the ability to do. He has some guys to push him, Tommi Hill and Braxton Clark.”

Fisher said Newsome “can dominate and make it look easy” when he’s on.

*** Fisher said it’s time for Clark, a 6-4, 200-pound junior, to make his mark in the program. He knows what it takes by now, the coach said.

*** Omar Brown, a transfer from Northern Iowa, is playing safety after starting off at corner in the spring. He’s going to challenge the veterans for major playing time, Fisher said.

In fact, Fisher said, he believes he can have a legitimate four-man rotation at safety with some combination of Marques Buford Jr., Myles Farmer, DeShon Singleton, Noa Pola-Gates and Brown.

Fisher wants to be able to insert the top backups and not miss a beat in part because Big Ten teams wear you down, he said.

*** Singleton, a transfer from Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College, looked like a “Day One guy” in the spring game, Fisher said. “I was saying to myself driving home, ‘Man, I wish we could re-up 15 more practices” because he said Singleton played at the level of a starter in the spring game and could use the momentum to continue to improve.

*** Fisher said Alabama transfer Kaine Williams is a big safety at 6-2, 200-plus pounds.

Williams also can play nickel, the coach said.

“Just gotta get the rust off of him and get him acclimated to being at Nebraska, getting in the playbook and learning the culture here.”

*** Fisher has his fingers crossed that sophomore safety Javin Wright gets past his last few medical tests and can start practicing soon.

Wright has battled a litany of health issues, including blood clots.

“Hopefully things work out in his favor, and I think they will,” the coach said. “He’s out there working out. He’s doing everything doctors are telling him to do … I think he will be with us in camp.”

*** “Jaeden Gould (freshman corner) came here as a mid-year and looks like he’s been here for two years already,” Fisher said.

*** Newsome recently told On3.com that Fisher coaches walk-ons every bit as hard as he coaches scholarship players. Newsome loves that about his position coach.

Along those lines, Fisher said junior corner Phalen Sanford (Benkelman, Nebraska) has “swag,” Fisher said. “Not the towel hanging out the pants kind of swag, but the confidence knowing he can make the play.”

Ashton Hausmann, a redshirt freshman from Roca, Nebraska, also drew strong praise for his work ethic.