Jasir Cox is Creating His Own Legacy
WVU Football's Jasir Cox has been a team player since birth.
Whether it was football, basketball, baseball, or the sheer amount of collective processing that being one of seven children requires, Cox came out of the womb as part of a team.
His parents, Lotu and James, come from cultures that prioritize close family relationships. Mother Lotu, of American Samoan descent, and father James, one of seven children raised by a single mother, decided to raise their own large family in Kansas City, Mo.
The Cox siblings functioned as a unit, but it was Jasir and his older brother Jabril who bonded over team sports. The pair took high school sports at Raytown South and Bishop Miege High Schools by storm. Jabril, a four-year starter for the Raytown South Cardinal basketball team, also spent his fall season playing all over the football field; whether it was quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker, safety, or cornerback, Jabril set the standard for versatility that his younger brother would soon adopt.
Jasir, a stellar athlete in his own right, played three football seasons with his brother before transferring across town to Bishop Miege, a private Catholic high school. He played basketball, baseball, and ran track for the Stags, and lead his football program to its fourth-straight Kansas 4A state championship. Jasir came into his own at Bishop Miege, graduating with 88 tackles (54 solo), four interceptions, and a punt return TD to his name. He had set a winning precedent, and he wasn't about to slow down.
Upon graduation, it was the North Dakota State Bison who offered him the only chance of playing Division I football.
Already rostered as a redshirt freshman: his older brother and fellow linebacker, Jabril.
Once again, Jasir had a familiar face on the sideline.
Jasir played in 10 of 15 games his freshman season at outside linebacker, while Jabril picked up Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors. Together, the Cox brothers won NDSU the 2018 FCS National Championship with a 15-0 season. In 2019, the brothers brought the Bison another National Championship. Jasir played in 13 of 16 games, while Jabril became NDSU's third-leading tackler: 92 stops (a team-leading 57 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.
After two years playing collegiately alongside his brother, Jabril opted to leave the Bison for his final year of eligibility in 2020. He ended up at LSU, far away from his family and Jasir.
Once again, Jasir was out from under the impact of his brother's success and ready to shine in the defensive backfield. 2020 saw a junior Cox start all 10 games at linebacker; he became NDSU's third-leading tackler (52), and added 2.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one sack to the repertoire. He lead the team to the NCAA quarterfinals, where they lost in heartbreak fashion to Sam Houston, 24-20.
His final season with the Bison, Cox was named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Second Team. He started 14 games at linebacker, and his final stats spoke for themselves. Once more the team's third-leading tackler, Cox also nabbed 58 tackles, three TFLs, three interceptions, and 1.5 sacks. That season concluded with another National Championship win, this time 38-10 over Montana State.
That win capped three national championships in four years for the veteran linebacker.
"Being at North Dakota State, winning three national championships, allowed me to see the good things in football," Cox said. "It was actually humbling for most of the players to see that I am a guy who just won three national championships and I can bring insights to everyone and just show them how it's really done."
Cox's leadership with the Bison didn't last long though. After helping win the program's 17th National Championship on Jan. 8, Cox entered his name into the transfer portal. He had sucked the marrow out of his time playing FCS football. Now, he had his sights set on making the jump.
"In February, I entered the portal," Cox said. "March, I was narrowing down schools. April is when I took my visit [to West Virginia]. Once I came here, I just knew it was the right fit for me. From the coaches to the players, and even the fans, it was all in welcoming arms. It was a long decision, but I felt West Virginia was the best fit for me once they reached out to me. All the coaching staff, they showed me that I was more than a player to them."
Of watching his brother make a similar jump to FBS action, Cox said, "I know he influenced me to make the decision. We always grew up wanting to play FBS, especially at a Power-5. To see him do it, I felt I was able to do it as well. I was able to play with the guys that we saw on tv. He was a big help, man, in my decision to enter the portal and come to West Virginia. He helped me out along the way."
When Cox arrived in Morgantown, his hope was to shift his positioning. He had success at outside linebacker for four collegiate seasons and wanted a slight re-direction for his skills.
"I wanted to play SPEAR at West Virginia, but I was optimistic in my decision that I wanted to try something new to show scouts and everybody that I was able to be a player who could play anywhere," Cox said of developing his defensive versatility.
"I've done a lot of research on the position and on the team as well, and I see that [SPEAR] is really useful," Cox said. "I entered [the transfer portal] in February. I had a lot of time to think about what was going to be the best option for me... I'm able to go out there and play fast and just make plays."
Cox pitched himself to defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley, and found his stride at SPEAR. Since Lesley landed in Morgantown in 2019, there's been a huge push to cross-train the defensive backfield. Cox fits into that puzzle perfectly.
"I would just say he's a player who's a jack of all trades," Cox said of the ideal SPEAR. "He can cover the tight ends and come down and take on the offensive linemen. You have to guard the shiftiest players out there, the slot receivers. He's a swiss army knife, honestly."
Cox, who calls his play style "savvy", is being tasked to take on a variety of bodies in scorching hot Big 12 offenses.
"I'm able to go against the big guys and also take on the little guys as well," he said. "That just comes in the job description here. We know it's a big responsibility."
Now that Cox has assimilated into the West Virginia team culture, both his coaching staff and teammates are appreciating his presence.
"Since he came here, we talked a little bit, got to know each other. His story is similar to mine," Murray State transfer safety Marcis Floyd said.
"He's played multiple spots," defensive backs coach ShaDon Brown said. "He has a natural skill-set. He's a really heady player. He can slip and move and not get blocked at times and torque his body. He's just got a knack for wiggling through and making plays... He's very active. He's another kid that's a great kid. 'Yes sir. No sir.' Easy to coach. He's been a great get as well."
Head coach Neal Brown also weighed in. Adding Cox's talents diversifies the backfield in a way unique to this group.
"Jasir is playing our nickel, our SPEAR position," Brown said. "He also gives us flexibility to go to our six-DB package. He's got the ability to get off blocks, as far as our field edge guy. Really smart football player too."
Cox is hoping to bring his championship experience and final season of eligibility to West Virginia in order to diversify his portfolio and breadth of position work.
He has the potential to become a huge contributor to a defense that finished No. 5 nationally in red zone defense; No. 18 in fewest defensive first downs allowed and in fourth-down percentage; No. 29 in third-down defense (.347), No. 37 in total defense (350.1), and No. 39 in tackles for loss (6.5) in 2021.
All of that will be tested on Sept. 1, when Cox and the Mountaineers travel to Acrisure Stadium to open the regular season against the Pitt Panthers.
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