Deerfield junior running back Mycol Cochran can kiss anonymity goodbye.
In the span of five games, the 5-foot-11, 152-pound Cochran has become one of the area’s top rushers and given the Warriors a workhorse to build around.
“Now that I’ve been doing this for a little while, I just want to do what I can to put my team in the best position possible to win,” he said. “This summer, the coaches said that no spots were guaranteed and that no one had a position yet.
“After a couple of weeks, the offensive coordinator came up to me and asked me whether I’d like to play ‘A’ back. That was the answer I wanted.”
That vote of confidence meant a lot to Cochran, who transferred from Round Lake after his freshman year and then played on Deerfield’s freshman-sophomore team last season.
“My sophomore year was sort of up and down,” he said. “I had to prove that I was one of the best players out there. We had a good year, but I don’t know that I was totally able to shine.”
At the end of last season, Deerfield coach Brandon Geuder sent out an email outlining the terms of the program’s offseason training program, which included after-school workouts three times a week. Sensing an opportunity to start anew, Cochran pledged to turn those workouts into his personal proving ground.
“I looked at it hoping to be able to build relationships with the coaches,” he said. “I went every day except on my birthday, and I probably should have gone then too.”
Cochran’s participation did not go unnoticed.
“The way he was working, you could just tell he was going to be one of those players who would break out,” Geuder said. “Even this summer, we as coaches saw him as a big part of our plans.”
Cochran is fulfilling that promise for the Warriors (3-2, 1-0), who have already tripled their win total from last season and have a realistic chance to qualify for the playoffs in the realigned Central Suburban League Central.
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Cochran has rushed for 770 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging a hard-to-fathom 12 yards per carry. Last week, he ran for 223 yards and two TDs, including a 76-yarder, in Deerfield’s 56-27 loss to perennial state power Maine South.
The good vibes started right away with a season-opening win over Lake Forest. Cochran barely missed connecting with sophomore quarterback Cooper Crane for a touchdown on the first play, and Cochran’s nerves dissipated immediately.
“We had been thinking about that week all year, and with the bad year that Deerfield had, Lake Forest thought they were going to walk over us,” he said. “That game was a good way to change things, and there’s been no stopping the brakes since.
“After that game, I was happy. It was a lot of fun.”
Cochran’s role in the offense has only grown, and senior wide receiver Ryan Glick is grateful for that.
“He’s the kind of player who you can rely on if you get in a jam and you know will get at least a few yards,” Glick said. “He’s very good at making defenders miss, and the more yards he gets, the more it opens things up for other guys.”
It draws more attention to Cochran too. During the Warriors’ first offensive meeting in preparation for their game on Friday, coaches asked what everyone thought would be New Trier’s chief concern on defense.
“The answer is they want to stop me — on offense, kick returns, punt returns,” Cochran said. “I feel like whatever they have planned, I’ll be ready. I wouldn’t be making all of these big plays if it wasn’t for the offensive line. But I like being that guy who puts the offense in a good position.”
Crediting the guys up front is always a good idea, and their efforts are certainly necessary for the entire offense to run smoothly. But there are other reasons why Cochran is in this position.
“I think I’m pretty good about seeing gaps, and I run pretty hard,” he said. “I like to watch the body movements of the defense and see how they react. I can break some ankles, but what’s more important is trying to take as few big hits as possible, and if I get outside in the open, I have the speed to just take off.”
Cochran is proficient enough to have been invited to the 2026 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Orlando, Florida, in December, a four-day event that will give him more exposure.
“I’ve never been given any type of honor like that, so for me to be selected is amazing,” he said. “I’m mainly focused on the season right now, but I do think about it. It definitely makes me more confident in myself and know that I can play this game.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
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