Springfield High School coach Dustin Wilson sat on his back porch one Saturday in October 2024, enjoying an average day of SEC football until he'd received a call.
It was one of his players, 14-year-old Jermaine Cobbins. Kentucky had offered the freshman cornerback his first Division I scholarship.
Nearly two years later, Cobbins, 16, became the first five-star football recruit in school history, the youngest player in history to sign a Nike football deal and Tennessee's top ranked prospectin the Class of 2028, according to 247Sports Composite. He holds over 30 offers, including Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Miami, Michigan and Indiana among others.
Wilson said Cobbins, entering his junior year as the nation's No. 3-ranked cornerback,
has handled the attention well.
"He seems to handle it better than I do," Wilson said. "I'm trying to find information to be able to support him ... that's one of his attributes that can't be seen on the field."
Wilson coached Cobbins older brothers, current Tennessee Martin cornerback C.J. Cobbins and Campbellsville University receiver Cameron Cobbins. He watched Jermaine go from the serving as the team's ball boy to starting as a freshman and becoming one of the state's most talked about recruits.
"I do feel like I'm representing the town and city, " Cobbins said. "We had a lot of recruits come through Springfield, but I want to bring the younger recruits all the way up too.”
The attention has changed Wilson's daily routine as much as Cobbins.
Unknown phone numbers that pop up on cellphones could be college coaches. Recruiting visits can interrupt the school day or a college coach could stop by the front office while he's teaching a class.
"You can't screen calls anymore," Wilson said. "If it shows up as spam you've got to answer because they may be able to help your kid that day."
For Cobbins, he said he realized the hype at the end of his sophomore season in 2025. He was once taken out of an art class, and once missed a portion of lunch because a college coach was interested in speaking with him.
“The recruiting process teaches you a lot about life,” Cobbins said. “A lot of coaches will try to tell you what you want to hear, but that’s really the main thing, to see through people.”
On the field, the five-star cornerback models his game after Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back, and former Brentwood Academy star, Jalen Ramsey. Cobbins studies Ramsey's footwork, technique and physicality with the goal of becoming a stronger leader, directing attention away from himself and on his teammates.
“He’s got to adjust to that,” Springfield coach Dustin Wilson said. “So what’s his adjustment? He still speaks game to the team, he realizes his role. That’s his development. It’s mental.”
Cobbins played limited snaps during Springfield's first TSSAA football preseason scrimmage against Division II-AAA's CPA on July 31, but showed his defensive skillset.
He tracked a CPA running back from the middle of the field to the right sideline and delivered a hard hit that drew a loud reaction from the crowd.
Opportunities to make plays didn't come in bunches last year, but Cobbins could still affect an opponent's game plan. In the first two Class 4A playoff games in 2025, opponents' passing attempts dropped from 16 to nine. Against Lexington, in the second round, Cobbins picked off a pass at the goal line and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown.
He had 41 tackles with one interception and two forced fumbles last season. On offense he had 1,186 all-purpose yards and 12 TDs, primarily has a wide receiver, showing his two-way ability.
But Springfield expects that from Cobbins. Wilson said communication, preparation and assignment matter as much as the outcome of any one play.
“That’s not running around and being fast or being able to jump out of the gym,” he said. “That’s just being locked into what he’s supposed to do to be right for that play.”
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How 5-star DB Jermaine Cobbins handles life as Tennessee's No. 1 2028 prospect
