Few – if any – Bucs defenders have extra using on coaching camp than Zyon McCollum. Entrusted with the position of Tampa Bay’s No. 1 cornerback, McCollum should show he can deal with that duty. Via the primary week of camp, he has performed precisely that.
That started with the assertion he made through the opening apply, and his work all through the primary week drew reward from head coach Todd Bowles.
Zyon McCollum Bought Payback On Emeka Egbuka With First Day Interception
Heading into coaching camp, one thing was on Zyon McCollum’s thoughts.
Throughout Bucs OTAs, vast receiver Emeka Egbuka caught a ball on him that McCollum wished he had again.
Effectively, through the first day of camp, he exacted payback on Egbuka and quarterback Baker Mayfield by making a contested interception. These flashes of shutdown-corner play are precisely what the workforce must see from McCollum. In a one-on-one interview with Pewter Report after Wednesday’s apply, he mentioned what it meant for him beginning off the summer time with a scorching begin.
#Bucs CB Zyon McCollum began off coaching camp with a bang getting an INT on QB Baker Mayfield. McCollum shared he was ready to get one again on WR Emeka Egbuka, who caught the identical route on him throughout OTAs.
McCollum acknowledges “it’s that time” and isn’t taking part in it secure. pic.twitter.com/QIuXXQ1KVH
“It always feels good as a corner intercepting the ball,” McCollum mentioned. “It’s something that I try to harp on in the offseason. A lot of JUGS work. He actually caught that pass on me in OTAs, so it’s been in my mind the entire break, and I saw it, I broke on it and got it.”
There may be a variety of disappointment internally and externally about how the 2025 season went for the Bucs. Amongst gamers, McCollum has needed to sit with that for much longer than Egbuka’s catch on him through the spring. Coming into final season with excessive hopes, it was a 12 months the place he didn’t take the subsequent step and regressed from his 2024 stage of play. His poor exhibiting in opposition to Rams vast receiver Davante Adams stands out, but it surely was a 12 months the place he didn’t maintain up as nicely in protection and didn’t make many performs on the soccer.
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Jeffrey Jones/PR
Recognizing he’s getting into his fifth season and filling extra of a veteran position, McCollum is just not placing the load of the world on his shoulders. He is aware of it’s his time to change into the man he has envisioned himself being for fairly some time.
“I don’t put too much pressure on myself, but it’s that time,” McCollum mentioned. “It’s time to make a jump, it’s time to turn into that player that I talk about in previous years. A lot of these young guys, I tell them, ‘Don’t put any pressure on yourself, either.’ We are one unit, and we’re going to grow day-by-day. We can have a good day, we can have a bad day, you’re only judged by your performance in the now. Great play today, tomorrow it doesn’t matter. We got to keep making plays.”
Bucs CBs Zyon McCollum and Keionte Scott – Photograph by Cliff Welch P/R
Todd Bowles has lengthy talked about McCollum’s play. It’s clear he has excessive expectations from him, and he has pushed him publicly in latest offseasons to hone his craft. In relation to his targets, McCollum doesn’t wish to play it secure to succeed in them.
“Nothing specific, just really, really harping on technique and just getting better day by day,” McCollum mentioned. “I feel like in previous years I’ve had times to where it’s like, you kind of play it safe in practice. I’m at the point in my career to where I don’t have anything to prove to anybody but myself. So, I’m going to go out here and make chances, and we’ll see what happens.”
What Is Bucs HC Todd Bowles Saying About Zyon McCollum Now?
Todd Bowles has seen Zyon McCollum’s progress, too.
“Just working on little things for Zyon as far as reading the hip, moving his feet and press coverage, understanding when he can get picked and when he can’t get picked,” Bowles mentioned. “It’s more of the tiny mental things that he’s been working on day-by-day and not really trying to do the bigger things. He understands the picture, but he’s expanding his game to see where all his help is around him, so he knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum and head coach Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
It’s encouraging to listen to this assertion, though the outdated adage of “actions speak louder than words” involves thoughts. For McCollum, it has by no means been about what he bodily can not do, as he can do all of it from an athletic standpoint. Whereas that has made his delayed ascension irritating at instances, Bowles nonetheless believes he can unlock his skills by beginning small and build up his psychological basis.
From there, the larger moments ought to come simpler to him.
McCollum is heeding Bowles’ steerage, and he shared that his message has been loud and clear to him and the remainder of the Bucs workforce.
“He was not expecting everybody to put everything together on day one,” McCollum mentioned. “He has simply been preaching getting higher from day after day – specializing in the current second, specializing in the now, and simply discovering one factor daily to get higher at. By the top of the coaching camp we’ll be the place now we have to be at.
“We’re not starting over though – OTAs was a big moment for us to continue to come together as a team, build our camaraderie, and we have to take that momentum so that by the time we’re going into the preseason, we’re firing on all cylinders.”
If Zyon McCollum continues stacking practices like he has through the first week of camp, the Bucs could have the shutdown nook they’ve been ready for. Contemplating the expectations hooked up to McCollum’s new position, that may very well be one in all Tampa Bay’s largest coaching camp developments.
