Horseshoe Huddle

Colts 2022 Draft Interviews: Keith Corbin III, WR, Jackson State

Meet Jackson State wide receiver Keith Corbin III. We talked about his transfer from Houston to the FCS level, what it was like playing for Deion Sanders, and his best fit in the NFL.
Zach Hicks|
Colts 2022 Draft Interviews: Keith Corbin III, WR, Jackson State
Colts 2022 Draft Interviews: Keith Corbin III, WR, Jackson State

Keith Corbin III is a former three star recruit out of West Brook High School in Beaumont, Texas. He committed to Houston out of high school, and spent five seasons with the team before transferring for his last year of eligibility.

I asked Corbin III how he would summarize his career with the Cougars:

I would say I had a great time and a great experience. I had three head coaches, three offensive coordinators, four position coaches... It was a little tough but I really enjoyed it. Every coach I had taught me something new about the game and I appreciate all of them.

For his final year of eligibility, Corbin III transferred to the FCS level to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State.

I asked him what led to the decision to transfer down to the FCS rather than to another FBS school:

After the Covid year hit all of college, my last year in Houston didn't feel very comfortable. The program had changed a lot, like I said I had a lot of coach changes, and I saw Deion (Sanders) took the job at Jackson State.
I can't really tell you that I knew about Jackson State before that, but I wanted to be a part of this change. He told me that this could be a worldwide thing that changes things for everybody, so I wanted to be a part of that.

Corbin III went on to become the top target for a powerful Jackson State offense. He finished the year with 69 receptions for 921 yards and seven touchdowns in his first year with the program. 

Jackson State also went on to win the SWAC East in 2021 with a record of 11-2.

Playing under Deion Sanders

Corbin III had the rare opportunity to play for one of the sport's all time greatest players in college. For many fans of the game, this would be an absolutely insane experience that would leave many utterly starstruck on a daily basis.

I asked Corbin III if he was ever completely starstruck by the fact that Deion Sanders was his coach:

I would say my first week down there I was like, "Jeez man, this is Deion Sanders."  Then the second week would come and I'd just be telling myself not to be starstruck and get a hold of myself. I'd be like, "I know it is Deion, but act like you've been here before."
After a few weeks went by, he just became Coach Sanders. He's a great player, but it got pretty comfortable after a while. He would give us so much knowledge and there would be times that you would just sit there and be like, "Man, this is really Deion Sanders."
It was just so much information, but it was a great experience to be able to be coached by him. 

Special Teams Ability

For players like Corbin III, a prospect that is a bit older and coming from the FCS, special teams will be his ticket to immediately make a roster. Players in his position have to be willing and able to be a positive impact in the third phase of the game early on.

I asked Corbin III how comfortable he would feel with that role early in his career:

I played special teams quite a bit, especially at Houston during my 2019 season. I played on punt return, I had two blocked punts in one game, and I was on that unit all year. I feel like I could contribute on special teams in the league and I would love the opportunity.
Even if I'm not a number one or number two receiver, I just want to help any team or program as much as I can in any way.

I obviously had to ask him about those two blocked punts after that. I asked him if they were more schemed up plays for him to break through or if it was more of a coverage bust on the punting team:

All I remember is that I went to the special teams coordinator and asked him if I could be on punt return. He said yeah, but asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to block some punts (laughs).
He said, "Oh you do have some length, let's try it out." He designed it for me to get through, but at the same time, I wanted to make that highlight. Nobody was blocking me on those plays.

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HBCU Combine

Corbin III was invited to the first HBCU combine that is being held in Mobile, Alabama this year. At the time of our interview, Corbin III had not yet made the trip down there, but the event did take place this past weekend.

While he didn't run the forty yard dash, due to wanting to train a bit more first, he did meet with some scouts. The first scout he talked to at the event was a scouting assistant for the Colts. So, the team does have at least a little bit of interest in Corbin III.

Prior to the event, I asked him what it meant to be asked to represent HBCU schools in this first time event:

I would say that I was part of history coming to Jackson State. Just being the only Jackson State player invited is such a blessing. I get to go out there and showcase my talent to the scouts and to the world.
It is a great way to show the kids that they have an opportunity to come to an HBCU and still play at a high level. I'm excited to show what I am capable of.

NFL Outlook

I finished off the interview with the same way I finish all of them. I asked Corbin III how he would sell himself to a team this offseason. I asked him what my team would be getting, on and off the field, if they draft him:

You are going to get a consistent player. A player that is motivated and willing to do anything for the team. Somebody that is going to pick his teammates up and cheer guys on even if he is on the practice squad.
I just want to be part of an organization and win with that team. I want to be a part of a winning organization and bring that type of attitude to a team.

Corbin III is a bit of a late bloomer, but his best football is certainly ahead of him. Teams will love his willingness to play on special teams and the fact that he is willing to patiently wait for his time.

Here is what Corbin III's agent, Bryan Miller, had to say:

“Keith Corbin is one of the best pure hands catchers I’ve ever evaluated, his height and wingspan make him a constant threat on the field. His catch radius in the red zone is nearly impossible to stop, he high points the ball with incredible body control and leaping ability.

Keith had a chance to impress some scouts at the Hula Bowl a few weeks ago and he will have two more opportunities moving forward. He will be interviewing with teams at the HBCU combine this weekend and then will play in the HBCU legacy bowl on February 19th. Keith has garnished a ton of interest from ball clubs this off-season and we are excited for him to sit down and meet with more representatives in the coming weeks.

His humble personality and strong work ethic will open a plethora of doors for him throughout his career. With multiple opportunities leading up to the draft Keith is excited to show teams he’s a constant mismatch that can in fact take the top off the defense and be a reliable on 3rd down receiving target”

If a team is looking for a player that is still coming into his own and can excel on special teams, draft Keith Corbin III.

Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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