I wanted to ask Duke senior Chandler Rivers about a cornerback’s cover skills reputation cutting a field in half. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts once said he never threw to Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown’s side of the field.
I wondered what Rivers thought about quarterback avoiding the second-team All-American’s side and thus leaving him involved in fewer plays.
Is that any fun?
Rivers, wise and talented beyond his years, was having none of it. He pointed out Kimari Robinson has returned as a talented sophomore corner on the other side. He also praised two more sophomore corners, Vontae Floyd and Landan Callahan
“We’ve got good corners on the other side, too,” Rivers said after practice Tuesday. “So, I’m excited to see that.”
Fair enough, even though Rivers is the one coming off a 2024 season with second- and third-team All-American honors. His 2025 watch lists include the All-State Danny Wuerffel Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Award and a candidate for the All-State AFCA Good Works team.
Rivers, though, dismissed the idea of watch lists influencing his on-field performance.
“The biggest thing is falling back on my standards,” he said. “Outside expectations are not something I’m hanging my hat on. I have to put in the work every day, be consistent and be the same person I was last year.”
Rivers, listed as a 5-11, 175-pounder at Beaumont (Texas) United High, arrived as a three-star prospect out of Beaumont (Texas) United High near Houston. The 2022 class included higher rated corners, bigger corners and corners as quick or quicker.
But there’s more to a cover corner than athleticism and size. Not all of them make the transition to getting on the field as a true freshman. Some never do pick up the nuances at the college level.
“The biggest thing is film watching and understanding the college game is much faster and the Division I athletes much more elite,” said Rivers, listed as 5-10, 185 this season. “That was the biggest change for me. I watched film, adjusted my training and techniques and trusted what my coaches were telling me.”
Rivers also was fearless about getting on the field as a true freshman. He didn’t want to watch and learn. One of the reasons he picked Duke was for the value of a Duke degree. Another was he thought he could get on the field sooner. He had the field covered.
In 2022, he was an honorable mention All-American pick by College Football News and Duke’s rookie of the year.
As a sophomore in 2023, he started all 13 games and was MVP of Duke’s win in the Birmingham Bowl. In the bowl win over Troy, he recorded 2.0 tackles for a loss, one quarterback pressure and three pass breakups.
In 2024, he earned first-team All-ACC along with All-American honors and the team’s Defensive MVP. Pro Football Focus gave him the second highest grade in the nation for cornerbacks. There were only 13 completions against him and only three for 20 yards or more.
But that’s not all.
Rivers finished his freshman year advanced for his age in another time-honored football star characteristic. He put on a football camp in his hometown after his freshman year of college. The normal rite of passage is as an NFL rookie.
“My Dad (Derrick) and I were talking about starting a free camp,” Rivers said. “I felt like it was a goal for the future, but he said, ‘Why not try it now? We gave it a shot.’”
Last summer at the Beaumont Memorial Stadium was his third annual camp for kids 12 to 18.
“We had about 50 kids the first year and this past year it was close to 200,” Rivers said. “So, it’s been growing. Thanks to our sponsor, we’ve had good support. I can give back to my hometown.”
We’ll soon see how much of the field quarterbacks give to his side of the field.
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