The Battle of Ohio: Mike Mickens vs Malcolm Jenkins for 2008's Best Cornerback

Brash.  Cocky.  Arrogant.  Confident.  They're cornerbacks, and when you tell them they're the best they'll just smile at you and say, "I know." For elite corners such as Deion "Primetime" Sanders, Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson oozing bravado is second nature.

Sometimes its the quiet cockiness that Champ Bailey projects, letting his interceptions and shut down abilities speak for themselves.  Other times it is the mouth and flashiness of a Deion Sanders.

The elite college corner is no different; players like Alphonso Smith of Wake Forest, Victor "Macho" Harris of Virginia Tech and Illinois' Vontae Davis all possess the unwavering confidence and short memory that being an elite corner requires.

While confidence is great it means nothing without having superior recovery speed, tackling ability, footwork, ball skills and the ability to succeed in multiple coverages.  Keeping these skills in mind its easy to see that Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins and Cincinnati's Mike Mickens are the two contenders in 2008's Battle at the Top to be the Best Cornerback in college football.

Mike Mickens (6'0", 182 pounds)

This All-American would have been a sure first rounder in the 2007 NFL draft but opted to return to coach Brian Kelly's Bearcats for his senior campaign.  Mike Mickens possesses all the tools that a great corner needs and entering this season he's almost a sure lock to repeat at the All-American level.

The best aspect of Mickens' game is his ability to cover down receivers.  He's a true man-up corner and has great anticipation and route recognition skills.  At times last season the kid looked as if he was running the receiver's route for him.

Aiding Mickens in his ability to recognize routes and make plays is the footwork and technique that he makes use of.  He's got a fluid back pedal and does a good job coming out of his breaks straight, not rounding off his angles.

Using this technique gets Mickens to the ball quick, evidenced in his six interceptions and six pass break ups from a year ago.  The guy is a true ballhawk and has the ability to take interceptions to the house, as he did twice last season.

Other aspects that Mickens brings to the table are his closing speed and his ball skills.  The senior is a guy that can make up a lot of ground quickly in coverage.  While being technically sound is great, having that extra gear is always a plus.

Mike Mickens ball skills are just as strong.  He's got great hand eye coordination and the ability to get hands on receivers and subtly push them off line is an invaluable asset. 

When the balls in the air Mike sees the target well and makes good use of his hands in raking the receiver's arms, swatting the ball as well as high pointing the football for interceptions.

While man defense is Mickens strongest facet he is quite adept at playing zone coverage.  The Huber Heights, Ohio native makes great plays on the ball in two and three deep coverage for the Bearcats.

Mike Mickens isn't a one trick pony though, he's a sure tackler as well.  The corner finished with 53 tackles in 2007, most of which came playing a hard corner in zone coverage.  Its always a plus when a great cover corner isn't afraid to stick his nose in with the big boys.

Yes, Mickens has the skills and the confidence that a great corner needs, but entering 2007 he's going to be lacking two things that also make a great corner.

The first is his inability to be physical at the line on a consistent basis.  He's barely 180 pounds and facing receivers that are routinely pushing two bills forces the diminutive Mickens to play off-man coverage.

The second is Haruki Nakamura, Cincinnati's doggedly determined free safety from a season ago.  Nakamura was the true leader in the back half and he directed the orchestra that was the Bearcats' takeaway happy defense.  Without Nakamura Mickens is going to have break in new safeties, limiting his ability to gamble and take chances on questionable balls.

Malcolm Jenkins (6'1", 201 pounds)

The most notable difference between Mickens and Jenkins is the size.  Jenkins tips the scales almost a full twenty pounds heavier than his competitor, and he definitely makes use of that advantage.

Malcolm Jenkins is a big, physical in your face cornerback.  He's a great tackling corner who totaled five tackles for loss and 47 total tackles.  The total tackle numbers aren't gaudy but keep in mind the rising senior played along side James "Little Animal" Laurainitis, the tackling machine.

Jenkins makes sure, text book style tackles, bringing his hips in delivering a punishing blow to opponents.  His physicality is also evident in his ability to play press man coverage and even more so in his rerouting of receivers in cover-2.

Malcolm Jenkins is a great player in space.  He makes quick reads of the quarterback and is almost instantaneous in his diagnosis of run and pass.

In the two deep scheme OSU frequently runs Jenkins has proven his worth not only in being a solid force corner from the field position, but also in his ability sink back into the zone and defend deep routes from underneath.  The kid has got a great awareness of his surroundings on the field.

In what is arguably the best defensive unit in the nation Malcolm Jenkins is arguably the best player.  He is the anchor of the secondary and his brash physical style sets the tone for the boys in the back end.

The combination of size and speed Jenkins possesses create an almost perfect corner, almost.  There is an area of the young man's game that needs to be improved upon for 2008.

Though proficient in playing man coverage Jenkins, at times, appears distracted or apathetic in his technique.  Yes, he has the talent to succeed but his footwork and ball skills are inconsistent at times and as the competition level increases Jenkins attention to detail must be more consistently dialed in. 

If Jenkins can always play engaged, at the level he's capable of the senior and the Buckeyes are going to have a solid 2008 campaign.

The Verdict

Size with technique that can be sloppy at times.  Speed and immaculate technique.  Jenkins is a tremendous blend of athleticism, power and raw talent.  Mickens is a speed burner with a surgical precision to his execution of technique.

Both players are the cream of the cornerback crop.  Both are destined for first round selection in 2009.  Only one can be deemed the very best of 2008.

Mike Mickens is a tremendous technician and he's a very skilled player, executing his breaks and playing the ball the way cornerback was meant to be played. The kid is a true ballhawk and a tenacious competitor.

He's also a small player whose size doesn't allow him to be physical enough to bother opponents and that can be quite detrimental to his game.

Malcolm Jenkins is a phenomenal athlete who is blessed with raw talent and a ferocious appetite for contact.  He plays fast, physical and is dangerous in both the run game and the pass game.

On the negative side Jenkins appears detached at times, cruising on talent without making use of his technique. 

In the end, as solid of a competitor as Mickens has been only Malcolm Jenkins can truly be deemed the best corner in '08.  He's a far superior athlete who has proven time and again his ability to make the big play when the Buckeyes need it.

Entering 2008 Jenkins' joins Laurainitis as the leader of OSU's talented defense and the senior's technique and execution will be on par with his talent and ability.  While the "Little Animal" may be the story heading in September 13th showdown I don't doubt that Malcolm Jenkins and the secondary will be the difference makers should Ohio State shake down Southern Cal.