Putnam City’s opponents all through the 2022 season knew they’d should be ready for Taje McCoy.
Coming off a breakout junior 12 months, McCoy had already confirmed he was one of the crucial gifted edge rushers within the state.
If McCoy was going to have one other impactful 12 months, he understood he’d have obstacles from week to week.
“Everybody had to game plan around him,” Putnam City coach Carter Whitson mentioned. “Everybody’s pass protection was planned towards him. They’d chip him with a tight end, they’d put a running back also on that side.”
Along with double-teaming McCoy, offenses tried to keep away from him fully by operating performs to the alternative facet.
But none of that stuff actually mattered.
More:Meet The Oklahoman’s one hundred and tenth All-State football first-team picks
McCoy nonetheless discovered methods to make his presence recognized, and his stats on the finish of the season mirrored that.
The Colorado signee completed with 66 assisted tackles, 28 solo tackles, 17 sacks and two blocked kicks in Putnam City’s 11 video games.
For his stellar senior season, he has been named The Oklahoman’s one hundred and tenth All-State football group’s Defensive Player of the Year.
“Impact is kind of the word that comes to mind with him,” Whitson mentioned.
McCoy’s 12 months was stuffed with spectacular video games at defensive finish, however the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder additionally performed some offense.
Later within the season, he lined up at operating again and dominated.
“It was exciting because I used to run the ball a lot in little league, so it just brought me back mentally,” mentioned McCoy, whose first title is pronounced “tah-zhay.”
“It felt natural too when I was still doing it, and it was fun just helping my team out doing whatever I needed to do.”
More:Meet The Oklahoman’s 2022 Big All-City highschool football roster
McCoy’s 17 sacks this season have been a faculty report at Putnam City, which competes in Class 6A-II and completed with a 4-7 report.
But McCoy’s pass-rushing potential wasn’t the one factor that stood out when he was on protection.
“He’s got an incredible motor,” Whitson mentioned. “He’s obviously got tons of skill. But he plays D-end like a Mike linebacker. He chases the ball down even if it goes away from him, which people tried to do. He just fights his way every play to go be a part of it.”
McCoy’s background in all probability has quite a bit to do along with his type.
He was a linebacker and operating again earlier than changing into an edge rusher as a sophomore.
Former OU linebacker Rufus Alexander was an assistant on Putnam City’s employees and performed a giant function in McCoy’s growth as McCoy made the swap.
The younger go rusher shortly improved and was practically unstoppable as a junior and senior.
Opponents had a troublesome time towards McCoy, who was typically the sufferer of holding penalties.
The penalties became so frequent that Whitson would typically go to officers earlier than performs and allow them to know that McCoy would in all probability get held.
“This guy can’t block 44, so get your hand on your flag if they throw a pass because nobody can block him,” Whitson recalled saying to them.
More:Exclusive: Putnam City standout, 3-star defensive finish Taje McCoy pronounces school determination
McCoy has a real love for the sport, and that’s why he’ll proceed his profession in school.
He’s dreamed of enjoying school football since he was a younger child.
It’s a dream his late brother, Deontre Reed, additionally had earlier than dying of lung most cancers.
“He passed when he was 15 in 2009, a day after my birthday, actually,” mentioned McCoy, who grew up in Wichita, Kansas, earlier than shifting to the Dallas space in elementary college then to Oklahoma City as a middle-schooler.
“He got to play football too when he was younger, so I really looked up to him, just wanted to fill those shoes. I know he’d be doing the same thing I’ll be doing if he was around. I knew that was one of his big dreams he had. So just to be able to do this, I think it makes my mom real happy, and my whole family is proud of me.”
McCoy, a Rivals three-star prospect, is happy to see what he can do at Colorado.
He developed a strong rapport with new head coach Deion Sanders. That was a giant purpose he selected the Buffaloes over different applications that provided him, together with Arkansas State, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Missouri, Oklahoma State, South Dakota, Tulane and Vanderbilt.
“He’s pretty chill, honestly,” McCoy mentioned. “He keeps it real with you the whole process. He gives me the opportunity, but I have to take advantage of it. That’s what he told me. He didn’t promise me anything.
“He just told me I got to come in and work, and he’s going to give me the opportunity because that’s all you really need.”
Reporter Nick Sardis covers highschool sports activities throughout the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a narrative thought for Nick? He will be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @nick_sardis. Support Nick’s work and that of different Oklahoman journalists by buying a digital subscription right now at oklahoman.com/subscribe or through the use of the link on the high of this web page.
publish credit score to Source link
