Sophomore defensive back Jeremy Reeves has always been an athlete. 

When he looks at tape of himself playing this season, he sees something different. He sees the image of a football player. Reeves is not the only one taking notice.

“He’s a good tackler, and he’s a physical player, even for his size,” said coach Paul Rhoads. “He has an ability to find the ball and make plays on the ball.”

At 5-foot-7 and 168 pounds, the first thing that stands out about the Allen, Texas, native is his speed. The last time Reeves ran the 40-yard dash was as a junior at Allen High School. He was clocked at 4.35, but he’s not sure if he is still 4.35 fast. Texas Tech and Northern Illinois would likely say he still has that speed.

In the Cyclones’ victory over Texas Tech, Reeves put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter when he returned the Red Raiders’ onside kick attempt for a touchdown. Reeves also played a significant part in Iowa State’s victory over Northern Iowa when he intercepted a pass and took it back 94 yards for a touchdown.

“It’s hard for me to pick between the two, but it would have to be the onside kick because it was against a Big 12 team, and it was something that I had never done in my life and hadn’t seen anybody do it,” Reeves said when asked which play he enjoyed more. “It was amazing, I don’t know how it happened.”

While Reeves has shown progress with increased playing time from his freshman year, the coaching staff knows that he’s still a work in progress.

Secondary coach Bobby Elliott would like to see Reeves improve on his press coverage. Elliott said Reeves relies on his speed too much at times.

“He’s used to being the fastest guy out there, and now he’s not,” Elliott said. “There’s other guys out there that are just as fast. You have to be a great technique player when you’re playing one-on-one. He’s steadily working on it, so he’s getting better.”

With the Cyclones playing some of the best teams in the nation in recent weeks, the coaches have seen his production decline, which has led to talk about his inconsistency. Rhoads acknowledged that Reeves has great talent, and that once he gains some more experience, the consistency should improve as well.

“He’s had flashes of greatness, then times of inconsistency,” Rhoads said. “That is common with a younger player, but when you have a guy that has great talent, you’d rather see that minimized.”

Since his freshman season, Reeves said he has been persistently working on his fundamentals and the small things in his game that are going to make him better. He tells stories of staying after practice and doing extra tackling drills with Rhoads and has had Elliott in his ear about constantly moving his feet in press coverage.

Reeves said he also wants to improve on covering fade routes.

“I still have a lot to work on and a lot to improve on, but as the season goes on, you get better,” Reeves said.

Reeves has recorded 42 kick return yards and 94 yards on an interception return. He has notched 40 tackles, which is fifth-highest on the team and third-highest of the defensive backs. 

“I always expect the best,” Reeves said. “I never go out and expect anything less. I just go out and practice and get better every day and do what I got to do to help our team get a win.”

With the Cyclones undergoing the toughest part of their schedule in the past three weeks, Reeves has seen the difference in the level of competition between Oklahoma, Utah and upcoming opponent Texas, and the teams they played at the beginning of the season.

Reeves feels that Oklahoma wide receiver Ryan Broyles is the best receiver he has ever faced. Broyles had 15 receptions for 182 yards and a touchdown in the 52-0 victory over the Cyclones.

“Oklahoma and Texas — they’ve always been the powerhouse teams,” Reeves said. “They’re ranked every year and have always been in the top 10.”

Talent aside, overall speed of the offense is something the defense as a whole is going to have to adjust to. 

Reeves discovered his blazing speed at a young age, which had coaches putting him on the offensive side of the ball, mainly at running back. But he found his love for defense during his days at Allen High School.

At AHS, Reeves started learning to use his speed in press coverage that he is still working on.

“I love [being a] defensive back,” Reeves said. “Covering anybody one-on-one is the funnest thing because it’s just you against their guy on that side of the ball.”