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The Kentucky Wildcats have put several big-time defensive back into the NFL over the last few years and the tradition didn't stop this year. Yusuf Corker has agreed to an UDFA deal with the New York Giants, according to Art Stapleton. He’ll reunite with Wan’Dale Robinson, who was the Giants’ second-round pick.
The former 247 Sports Composite four-star recruit picked UK over some major offers, including the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Clemson Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Louisville Cardinals, Michigan State Spartans, Mississippi State Bulldogs Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ohio State Buckeyes, Ole Miss Rebel, Penn State Nittany Lions, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Tennessee Volunteers, among many, many others. The Cats were just the second school to offer Corker and that relationship paid off.
The 6-foot, 197-pound safety looked like a Greek god as he covered the middle of the field for the Cats. The McDonough, Georgia Native saw playing time in all 13 games as early as his redshirt freshman season after redshirting in 2017. The rest is history.
The two-time team captain played in 50 career games with 37 consecutive starting assignments. He totaled 240 career tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 14 pass breakups, three interceptions, two quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He was named Second-Team All-SEC as a junior in 2020 and a Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist in 2021, before being selected to play in the 2022 Reece’s Senior Bowl.
However, Corker didn't just excel on the field. He was named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll and Dean’s List in 2020 and graduated in May of 2021 with a degree in economics.
The three-year starter has tremendous instincts and an insane frame that had NFL scouts salivating. Corker is more than eager to help in the run game, and he loves hitting people. While he isn't the most polished in pass coverage, the pros far outweigh the cons with Corker.
Kentucky was lucky to have Corker, and he’ll surely be missed.
Fun Fact: Corker’s uncle, Anthony Mitchell, played six seasons in the NFL, and his cousin, Raymond Sanders, was a running back for Kentucky from 2010-13.
Good luck to Yusuf and Go Cats!
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