The Dallas Cowboys are nonetheless working exhausting to spherical out their inaugural teaching workers below Brian Schottenheimer. Just some hours earlier than the Tremendous Bowl kicked off, information broke that the staff was hiring Oregon co-offensive coordinator and large receivers coach Junior Adams to teach the receivers in Dallas.

Adams involves the Cowboys after three seasons working with the Geese. This will probably be his first NFL teaching job, however the longtime faculty coach has been considered by many as a rising star for fairly a while.

The California native initially performed large receiver for Oregon State earlier than transferring to Montana State. Shortly after graduating, Adams was employed because the large receivers coach at his alma mater. After three seasons there, he spent one season at the highschool stage with a program acquainted to the Cowboys: Prosser Excessive College in Washington. The top coach on the time was Tom Moore, and the staff was led by the coach’s son, Kellen Moore.

Adams left Prosser after one 12 months for one more one-year stint at Chattanooga earlier than heading again to the Pacific Northwest to teach receivers for FCS powerhouse Jap Washington. Whereas there, Adams performed an integral position within the fast ascension of Cooper Kupp, who lately shared that the Rams will probably be searching for to commerce him this offseason.

Partially due to Kupp’s stardom, which led to him being the second-highest drafted participant in Jap Washington historical past, Adams was employed by Boise State. Whereas there, he coached former Cowboy Cedrick Wilson Jr., amongst others.

After three seasons, Boise State’s offensive coordinator – Mike Sanford Jr. – was named the top coach at Western Kentucky, and he introduced Adams alongside as his offensive coordinator. Adams was tasked with calling performs the primary 12 months, however Sanford took over after going 6-7 within the first 12 months. That proved to be a mistake, because the Hilltoppers gained simply three video games the following 12 months and Sanford (together with Adams) was fired.

Adams then landed with the Washington Huskies because the receivers coach below head coach Chris Petersen. A 12 months later, he was retained when defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake was promoted to go coach following Petersen’s retirement. Whereas there, Adams labored with a handful of younger receivers who went on to have sturdy faculty careers, although the three greatest names are Puka Nacua, Jalen McMillan, and Rome Odunze.

Adams acquired one other likelihood to name performs, being named the interim offensive coordinator in 2021 for the ultimate three video games of the 12 months. Washington misplaced all three, and the offensive issues that led to the coordinator’s firing weren’t magically solved by Adams.

Nonetheless, his sturdy status for recruiting and improvement landed him the co-offensive coordinator place at Oregon below Dan Lanning. Since coming to Eugene, Adams has completed within the high 10 in his convention in recruiter rankings every year, and his work in 2024 led Adams to being ranked the fifth greatest recruiter in your entire nation.

Adams has additionally continued his pattern of growing gamers. Troy Franklin and Chase Cota are within the NFL now, whereas Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart are certain for the league as nicely. Whereas Adams didn’t get promoted to play-caller when Kenny Dillingham left for the Arizona State head job, he’s remained a key a part of the game-planning course of below present coordinator Will Stein, who’s being eyed for a similar position at Ohio State.

Adams’ profession trajectory has encountered a couple of setbacks, and it appears as if calling performs shouldn’t be his forte at the moment. Nonetheless, his energetic character has been a boon for him on the recruiting path, and Adams has been the most effective expertise builders of the final decade, with 5 totally different receivers happening to turn out to be starters within the NFL.

That’s precisely what the Cowboys want of their receiver room proper now. Exterior of CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys have a number of younger and unproven names of their receiving corps. Jalen Tolbert took a step ahead this 12 months, however nonetheless hasn’t confirmed himself to be a viable beginning choice. In the meantime, the likes of Jonathan Mingo, Jalen Brooks, and Ryan Flournoy all have a number of work to do at this stage of their careers.

That Adams additionally has some stage of expertise in crafting an offensive recreation plan makes this rent much more thrilling. He can immediately slot in as a precious piece of the teaching workers, supporting Schottenheimer because the play-caller whereas additionally serving to the receiving corps attain the following stage.