Kelly makes Hunter a better corner

The defensive game plan is often pretty simple for Longview, Texas, three-star cornerback Carderra Hunter. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound corner gets assigned a number to stop on the opposing side of the ball, he zeroes in on them and locks them down. The assignment this week?

“No. 84,” said Hunter, ranked as the No. 20 cornerback in the nation, about his assignment to shut down the Lake Highlands receiver.

“I’m going to go out there and shut him down. I’ve only had three passes thrown at me the first two games. Neville tried to throw a little at me last week. I did pretty well. They all were all incomplete. I’ve yet to have a pass completed on me this year.”

Mainly because Hunter is now bigger, stronger and definitely stronger than he was last year.

“I’m more complete than I was before,” Hunter said. “I have really worked hard on my footwork and my speed. I can now stick with all of the receivers, including the faster ones.”

Hunter does get challenged each week when he goes head-to-head with four-star receiver and Oklahoma commitment Malcolm Kelly.

“Malcolm really tries to beat me with the corner route,” Hunter said. “When I was a junior and sophomore he beat me. Now I’m experience, and he can’t get open against me. I think we work well together and make each other better players.”

Hunter said the main two teams on his list remain Texas Tech and Oklahoma.

“Those are the two schools that really stood out when I talked to them,” Hunter said. “I’m going to try to get out to Tech some time in October for a game. I know that coach (Darrell) Wyatt from Oklahoma is going to try to get down here this week to see me. I’m going to go with Malcolm when he takes his official visit to Oklahoma.”

Hunter also has scholarship offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Ole Miss and Stephen F. Austin.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook,” Hunter said. “It’s been kind of crazy. I’ve enjoyed talking to all of the coaches.”