Carson-Newman Football Position Previews: The Cornerbacks
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the seventh part in a nine-part series chronicling Carson-Newman football's positions for the 2025 season. This feature breaks down the Eagles' pass coverage with assistance from corners coach Antonio Goss.
VIDEO: Coaches in Cars Getting Coffee – Antonio Goss
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the seventh part in a nine-part series chronicling Carson-Newman football's positions for the 2025 season. This feature breaks down the Eagles' pass coverage with assistance from corners coach Antonio Goss.
With the graduation of Kendall Williams, Carson-Newman will turn to veteran leadership from Champ Baker.
Baker started all 12 games at corner for C-N. Baker tallied 27 tackles with 3 stops for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also broke up a team-best 14 passes.
"The X's and O's of the games, he goes past that point in the knowledge of to be able to communicate with our younger group of players," Goss said. "He is such an older guy there in the back end. We can tell him what we need as coaches and can leave the room and let him handle that. He's taking on that more vocal role, which is a positive thing for us."
He had season-highs for stops against UVA Wise (Oct. 19) and Anderson (Nov. 2). He broke up four passes against Catawb (Sept. 28).
On the other side, Carson-Newman will turn to Isaiah Cane. Cane starred on special teams before working his way into a role as a nickelback with Williams late-season move to safety.
"He's a very athletic kid out there on the football field," Goss said. "He's very smart, intelligent. He knows football. He knows ball. We've just got to put him in the right situations and let him go out there and play. He's also played some other areas within the kicking game and all that, but he's a skilled, talented kid that we would like to have out there on the field."
Cane appeared in five games with one start as a defensive back. He had 11 tackles and a pass breakup. Cane had five solo stops at West Virginia State (Sept. 13).
Goss indicated the likes of Javian Winston and Mississippi College transfer Dre'Von Hollis would add value.
"There were two corners right there - one's transferred in and the other came up to the ranks here," Goss said. "I think those are two guys that you definitely keep an eye out for. We also got some very young talent in that room with guys like Myles Fieldings and Steven Famoyin."
Winston redshirted last season. However, Winston led Rome High School in pass break ups as a junior enroute to all-region honors. A three-sport star for the Wolves, he also ran track and played baseball. Winston was a part of three region championship-winning teams.
Hollis appeared in the first four games of the season for the Choctaws last season. Finished the year with 17 tackles, topping out at a career high seven, including six solo against North Greenville.
Goss said he appreciates being at place like C-N.
"I can see a little bit of that in my household growing up because my dad was a pastor before he passed away this past year," Goss said. "Just growing up and my dad always talking to me put what's what first needs to be first. And that's God Almighty. And that's something here that Carson-Newman has always done. That's something Coach Ingram came in and he set the tone with taking that torch and running with it. So I definitely love that situation."
Carson-Newman football's position previews continue Thursday with the slot backs.
