By Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

Before FIU training camp began earlier this month, cornerback Emmanuel Lubin took several of his FIU defensive back teammates to work out with his brother, NFL cornerback E.J. Biggers. Over several weekends throughout the summer, Lubin and his Panther teammates got pass defense tips from Biggers, an eight-year NFL veteran.

Biggers, who has played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots, kept it simple for the Panthers defensive backs.

"My brother told us always protect against the deep ball, stay focused and have a short-term memory when it comes to playing defensive back," Lubin said.

Lubin and the FIU corners are looking to take that advice on to the field this season. The Panthers were sixth in Conference USA in pass defense last season allowing 235.8 passing yards per game and tied for 11^th with UTEP in the conference with six interceptions. Only Rice had fewer picks with five.

"Our focus on the details has gotten better like focusing on our depth, assignments, alignments and stuff like that," said Lubin, who had 28 tackles and an interception in 2016. "I've gotten better at understanding the down and distance. My overall understanding of the game has gotten better. I think there is more enthusiasm with our defense. We are competing more and we're getting to the ball better."

One advantage that FIU has with its corners is size. Corners Lubin and Isaiah Brown are each 6-1, athletic and have good football instincts.

"That height is huge because you get these big, tall wide receivers when you get down in the red zone and when you have a guy that's six-foot-plus that huge for those jump balls," FIU cornerbacks coach Eric Thatcher said. "It gives you a better chance and you hope that they play with great technique at the line of scrimmage. That's one of the big things that [FIU] Coach [Butch] Davis talks about in recruiting, look for taller corners. That's what we have right now."

Not only do Lubin and Brown possess height but Brown got bigger over the summer gaining 19 pounds on his 6-1 frame. Brown weighed 166 pounds last season and is up to 185 pounds as he begins his sophomore year.

"I got my size up," said Brown, who led FIU with three interceptions last season. "I can stick a lot of big receivers now. I went from 166 to 185. [FIU football strength] coach Chad Smith and the strength staff got us right over the summer."

Lubin, Brown and Thatcher all believe the secondary is getting better and think the numbers, including an uptick in interceptions, will show it this coming season.

"You have to focus on doing your job and not do too much," Lubin said. "Always compete for the football. You never know when the ball is going to be thrown so always try to stay around the ball."

Said Thatcher: "You get one [interception] and they start becoming two, three or four. We just got to stay around the football and get our hands on the football as much as we can whether we tip it up in the air, bat it down or go pick it. Turnovers come, once you get a few they keep on raining in for you."