Champ Anthony doesn't lack confidence. The junior is stepping up his game both on and off the field as he takes over as the starter at nickel this season. He is making the transition from cornerback, where he saw action in all 13 games last season in his first year of major college football.

In fact, he has a moniker for himself.

"I call myself the king of the slot," Anthony said. "I don't give up much."

The Fort Worth, Texas, native will be counted on a lot more this season following the graduation of four of the five starters from last year's secondary, along with Keionte Scott, last year's start nickel, switching to cornerback. The switch has been a welcome change for Anthony.

"I love playing in the box, being able to be physical, being able to tackle," he said. "I kind of hate getting stuck outside, just kind of bored. But yeah, I love tackling."

Calling nickel the most challenging position on the field other than quarterback, Anthony has stepped up to the challenge. For him, it takes a player who can do almost everything to be successful at that spot on defense, not just covering a wide receiver.

"You have to be a playmaker," Anthony said. "You have to have instincts. You have to be able to guard the slot. Like I said, you have to be a lockdown defender, but mainly, you have to be able to tackle, you have to be able to get around and through blocks, and that's what you have to have to be a star. You have to know how to blitz; you have to know how to do all those types of things. You're the all-around DB, and you had better know how to communicate."

Communication has never been a problem for Anthony, but now that he has a year under his belt with the Tigers, he feels he can be more vocal. That's something that comes easy to him.

"I'm a natural leader, and now that I'm on the field and I'm able to voice my opinion on stuff like that, I can really just give my input on the team and just hopefully make it better," he said.