Video Analysis: Brian Cox Jr.

Above: Brian Cox Jr. Highlights

The son of former NFL great and current NFL Coach Bryan Cox, Bryan Cox, Jr. flew a bit under the radar during his high school recruitment. Cox, a 3-star DE/BUCK, out of high school came to the Florida Gators as a raw, yet extremely talented player that battled a few injuries that kept him from major offers.

The St. Thomas Aquinas High School prospect landed in Ft. Lauderdale via Avon High School in Avon, OH due to his father’s move to South Florida to be the Miami Dolphin’s pass rush coach. During his senior year at St. Thomas, Cox battled a wrist/hand injury.

Before committing to Florida, Cox had offers from Miami, Illinois, North Carolina, and Louisville amongst others.

When asked about playing as the son of an NFL great, Cox, Jr. told the Sun Sentinel, “Obviously my dad being a nasty football player and being as good as he was, I’m under the microscope. I try to be as nasty as I can be, as physical as I can and just have a knowledge for the game.”

Going into the 2013 season, the redshirt freshman looks to back-up Jonathan Bullard at the defensive end position, but let’s look at the tape to see how we can project Cox.

At 6-foot-3, 260-pound Cox has great size to develop into a productive player. Cox came in as a freshman at 230 pounds, so that additional 30 pounds of solid weight and muscle will help tremendously.

Cox shows a good initial burst of speed out of his stance and runs well in pursuit, but could improve as an around the edge rusher.  Due to his size, Cox will be more of a run support defense end, than a blitzer.

Cox also displays good hand placement and does not allow the offensive lineman to gain control easily. He is exceptional at shedding blockers with his hands and arms. He displays good strength in his arms and hands and is able to position himself to be in control quickly into the play.

Cox also does a good job reading and reacting to plays. He seems to play fluidly and adjust as necessary.

Having not seen Cox much in game film since his junior year of high school, it will be interesting to see how Cox plays 30 pounds heavier and with two more years of experience and coaching. Cox will be a disruptive rusher and could be an underrated gem of his class.

Quotes by Dave Brousseau of the Sun Sentinel

Daniel Thompson
Dan Thompson is a 2010 graduate of the University Florida, graduating with a degree in Economics and a degree in Political Science. During this time at UF, Dan worked three years for the Florida Gator Football team as a recruiting ambassador. Dan dealt daily with prospects, NCAA guidelines, and coaching staff. Dan was also involved in Florida Blue Key, Student Government and Greek Life. Currently, Dan oversees the IT consulting practice of a Tampa-based company. Dan enjoys golfing, country music, bourbon, travel, oysters, and a medium-rare steak. Dan can be found on Twitter at @DK_Thompson.