BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Dominique Cosper, who UAB coach Watson Brown calls the hardest-hitter on the team, has taken a fairly hard hit himself in recent weeks.

Cosper was the team's leading tackler last season with 102, and he also had a team-high four forced fumbles. With those numbers and 14 consecutive starts at free safety to his credit, there was no reason to think that Cosper wouldn't remain in the starting lineup this year. Even the UAB media guide, in its season outlook, stated that Cosper "is entrenched at safety."

But one week before the Blazers begin their season Saturday at Tennessee, Cosper finds himself listed on the secondteam, behind fellow senior Julius Wainwright.

"I can't do anything about what Dominique Cosper did last year," defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt said. "But when I turn on that film from practice and he's not playing as good as he can play, he better improve or he's not going to start."

In reality, this is not much of a demotion. Brown said Cosper and Wainwright will both receive significant playing time in the season-opener, regardless of who starts.

"Believe me, you'll see Dominique Cosper in Knoxville a bunch," Brown said. "Whether he's the first one or the second one, you're going to see him a lot. And Julius Wainwright right there with him. They're both going to play a ton in the game."

Still, there is a message to Cosper in this lineup shuffle. While Cosper's aggressiveness can be his biggest asset at times, both Brown and Bolt said he can take it too far, to the point that he actually is hurting the defense.

When asked what it is like to deliver a particularly ferocious hit, Cosper -- whose nickname on the team is "Hit Stick" -- replied, "It feels great. The crowd gets excited, your teammates get excited. You might be a little dizzy, but you get excited also. It makes you want to play even harder. You can't wait to get the next hit."

But because of Cosper's desire to deliver such hard hits, he sometimes plays hunches about where the ball is going, and abandons his responsibility. If he guesses correctly, he likely will come up with a big play. But if he's wrong, suddenly the field is wide open to the end zone.

"He's our last line of defense, and he has to realize that," Bolt said.

Brown agreed.

"He goes at anything. We're trying to back him up a little bit," Brown said. "He'll jump at something when he's supposed to be back deep. He'll see it and come up and maybe get a good hit. But people are going to pick on him if he's not careful.

"That's all we're trying to do with him, is make sure he understands that he has to do the right thing. Dominique is so aggressive and competitive, he doesn't do what he's supposed to do sometimes. And these coaches on the other side, if they see him cheating on things, they're going to go after him at some point. We're just trying to get his attention."

The Blazers certainly don't want Cosper to back off too much. His teammates marvel at his willingness to take on opponents who are 40 and 50 pounds heavier.

"Don't believe what's listed in the media guide (about Cosper weighing 195 pounds). He can't be more than 175," senior cornerback Carlos Hendricks said. "But I'm telling you, he's ferocious. He's one of the biggest hitters out here. I've never seen anybody hit that hard. I don't know how he does it. I think it's his neck. He's got a strong neck.

"He'll hit anybody, anytime. He doesn't care. He'll fly at anything. I've seen him go straight at (235-pound running back) Corey White. He just loves to hit people."

And that is why, despite any problems he might be having at the moment, Cosper will remain a vital part of the Blazers' secondary.

"Come game time, he's got that killer in him," Brown said. "You can just see it in him, when it's time to play. Dominique is one of those who just loves the game."