Corey Parker Challenges Improvement From Illini Defensive Backs

Demanding Improvement

New Illini Defensive Backs coach Corey Parker brings powerful energy to the Illini Football program, challenging his unit to be accountable for improvement.

Throughout the 2023 season, NFL attrition, as well as injuries, plagued the Illini secondary. Of course, this leads to guys like Xavier Scott, and Tyler Strain needing to step into leadership roles, really early on in their careers. These are talented young men, but that is a big bite to chew for any young player. Especially entering the Big Ten. In addition, injuries to starters like Xavier Scott, Matt Bailey and Demetrius Hill led to rotational pieces needing to step in, and take on heavier roles than expected.

However, despite the bad mojo surrounding this position from last season, the new Illini DB coach believes his unit is ready to show improvement in 2024.

For Parker, it starts with owning the failures from 2023.

Parker’s Road to Progress

When asked what makes Parker feel confident in the Illini Defensive Backs progress, Corey exclaimed “It’s Just the act of doing.” Parker continues, “It’s the act of acknowledging, hey, we were not who we wanted to be last year, and these are the things we have to get better at. So, its acknowledgment, it’s owning it.”

Of course, Corey is referring to Illinois passing defense dropping from top-10 (at times, #1) in the nation in 2022, to 69th in the nation in 2022 according to Power Rank.

Parker further states “We have got to be dependable in the back end. We have got to be able to cover people deep down the field. We have to be able to do those things, without being penalized.”

Identifying a Leader in the Defensive Backs Unit

According to Parker, Junior Xavier Scott is a leader in the defensive back end, that is standing out thus far in camp (early).

“Obviously, Xavier is apart of our leadership council. He is the alpha male in the room.” The Illini DB coach states. Parker continues, “He (Scott) is leading the guys vocally, he is leading the guys athletically. You wouldn’t think a guy that has got that much confidence returning from an injury like that. But, he is so cerebral in his approach, that he doesn’t allow anything physical to effect who he is mentally. Corey adds “He brings that to the room every day, then, he is producing.”

Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Xavier Scott (14) reacts to a defensive stop during the NCAA football game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.

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