Martez Cooksey Jr. gives Chattanooga a steady, hard-nosed nickel presence
Martez Cooksey Jr. looks like one of Chattanooga’s most trusted defensive backs heading into 2026, with coaches pointing to him as a top returner in a competitive safety/nickel room and noting his huge 10-tackle, TFL-heavy cameo in 2024 when injuries forced him into a start. In 2025, he played in 11 games with one start and finished with 16 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, showing he can trigger downhill and handle multiple roles in the secondary. The fit is clear: dependable, physical, and battle-tested, with special-teams value and enough versatility to help when the lineup gets wobbly.
