Cole Bishop, SAF, Utah
Size:
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 206 pounds
Arm Length: 29 3/4"
Hand Size: 9 1/2"
Accomplishments:
Preseason All-American (2023) • Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention (2022) • 3-star Recruit
“Cole Bishop is a tough, physical safety who flashes excellent instincts and playmaking ability, but his effectiveness wanes the further he goes from the box.”
Strengths:
Tackling
Instincts
Toughness
Concerns:
Speed
Change of direction
Man coverage
Film Analysis:
Utah’s Cole Bishop is one of the most productive and consistent safety prospects in this class. Bishop played strong safety in Utah’s defensive scheme and usually aligned in the box, serving as an extra force defender.
Bishop has above-average size and just average overall athleticism. Bishop is an excellent run defender who flashes a very good ability to read and react. He can quickly diagnose the play and plays with a ton of urgency when triggering down to the football. Bishop is an outstanding tackler who takes very good angles and initiates contact when he hits the ball-carrier. Bishop lacks top-end straight-line speed and has trouble when asked to make plays backside as quicker ball-carriers can defeat his angles.
Bishop is a hyper-instinctual player who is consistently around the football in both phases. He makes up for his lack of overall athleticism by always being in the right spot and being able to anticipate where the play is going to go. He plays the game with a relentless motor and is the emotional spark plug for his team.
In the passing game, Bishop shows a good ability in zone coverage and can read the quarterback’s eyes and flow to the football. He shows good short-area quickness to close on the football and bat the ball down. Bishop has good overall ball skills and can play the football when given opportunities. Bishop is best used near the line of scrimmage, as he quickly becomes a liability when asked to play in the deeper areas of the field. He lacks the range in the back end to play red line to red line and is just an average man coverage defender due to a lack of speed, fluidity, and length. Bishop is an excellent blitzer and knows how to wreak havoc when he is near the quarterback.
Overall, Bishop projects as a starting strong safety at the next level who will make his living near the line of scrimmage, especially as a run defender.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Brentley Weissman
Exposures: Florida (2023), Oregon (2023), Arizona (2022)
