Q&A With Oregon State Special Teams Coordinator Jake Cookus

Oregon State special teams coordinator Jake Cookus met with BeaversEdge.com and a host of others via zoom to catch us up on the latest with him and the team as they continue to navigate the sports world amidst COVID-19.

Q: In terms of in-state recruiting, how big of a plus is it that they have prior knowledge of Corvallis given the current climate?

Jake Cookus: "It's a huge advantage. We've been able to get some of the top guys in the state on campus with games last season and such. Recruits want to be able to see a place first hand before going there, so it's a huge advantage for us in the state. We're fortunate that we were able to get those guys around."

Q: How hard is it to replicate special team work via zoom?

JC: "It's been tough to replicate. We've been meeting once a week, trying to hone in on nuances and fundamentals of certain packages. In the meetings, I'll have the guys stand up on the monitor and try and react to a situation.

Zoom is certainly a way that you can teach the finer points and fundamentals of your coverage units, but you want to be on the field executing it to really see where you're at."

Q: How's player morale with restrictions beginning to ease?

JC: "Every week is a little different, but the guys have kept really good morale and are itching to get back out there. Our guys understand that everyone else in the country is trying to get better, so we've got to keep pace with them.

Coach Smith always talks about there being a light at the end of the tunnel, so it's up to us to stay positive and keep working towards our goals knowing that we'll be back on the field soon."

Q: Is there an advantage to having staff continuity amidst the current climate?

JC: "For sure. When you're together longer, you're going to be more comfortable and familiar with the schemes. It'll be helpful going forward because we all know what to expect out of each other."

Q: How's the in-state recruiting process taking shape?

JC: "It's been going really good. There's nobody that has more pride in the state of Oregon than me. We're going and looking at every place in the state and we've been able to develop great relationships.

Our staff does a great job of player evaluations and we're going to continue to try and lock down the state and keep the talent right here at home. I really like going to those smaller schools and finding those hidden gems because we aren't going to leave any stone unturned in our pursuit of talent."