By his side
CMU linebacker leans on support from friends, family and his dog
For linebacker Dakota Cochran, his journey from Mount Pleasant to Central Michigan’s football field has been anything but easy. Now, as he prepares for the NFL draft, every decision carries the weight of years of hard work, determination and the dream of taking his next step.
Growing up between the west side of Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Ohio, getting to school was never something he could take for granted, requiring two buses and two trains just to make it through the day.
There were times when school felt secondary to simply figuring things out, but the expectations at home never changed.
“I missed like 40 days one year,” he said. “But my mom never made excuses. So, I never made excuses.”
That mindset carried him long before football became serious to him. Cochran didn’t grow up playing sports; he was just fast. Known around his neighborhood as “Sonic,” his speed is what caught the attention of his first coach.
Even in high school, the idea of Division I football felt unrealistic when he was not starting consistently.
“I didn’t start my senior year,” he said. “I truly didn’t believe I was going Division I.”
The belief had to come from somewhere else first, and when his coach told him he could be a Division I linebacker, Cochran didn’t buy it right away.
“He said, ‘I guarantee you are a DI linebacker,’ and I was just saying, ‘You’re just talking,’” Cochran said. “Who knew he was right.”
During his recruiting process, there was serious interest from Harvard University and Columbia University, two paths that could have completely changed his future. But one ACT point stood in the way of Harvard, and just like that, the direction shifted again.
In that moment, it left him stuck while sitting at home during the uncertainty of COVID-19, unsure of what came next or where football would take him.
Finding his footing
Then came Central Michigan, not as a perfect situation, but as something that felt right when he stepped into it.
“They showed the most love,” Cochran said.
Cochran arrived early in 2021 after COVID-19 delayed the recruiting cycle, giving him extra time to learn the system, but also exposing the gap between where he was and where he needed to be.
Central Michigan University redshirt senior linebacker Dakota Cochran prepares to broad jump at CMU's Pro Day at the Indoor Athletic Complex on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (CM-Life | Trevor Sparks)
“You’re used to being the best player, but now everybody was the best player,” he said. “Now you’re playing with grown men. It was eye opening.”
He showed up out of shape to practices, trying to catch up physically while also learning a new system, a new environment and a new level of expectation. For a while, it felt like everything was moving faster than he could keep up with.
Still, he stayed with it, working through the early struggles and slowly finding his footing. Just as things began to settle, everything changed again.
An injury in 2022.
“I was just getting in the flow, then I tore my MCL,” Cochran said. “It was like a restart button. I never got hurt in my life and that was a really a culture shock for me.”
It wasn’t just the injury itself, but everything that came with it — the isolation, the distance from home, the loss of routine and identity that football had always provided.
Four and a half hours away from his family, without a car and without the ability to fully connect the way he wanted to, Cochran found himself navigating a different kind of challenge.
“My mom can’t see me, I can’t see her. ... I didn’t even have a phone that was on at this point,” he said. “I was trapping off an iPod or an iPad and she had no iPhone.
“I’m down here alone. Everybody’s at practice, and I’m just here.”
Even getting home required effort, coordinating rides with teammates to Detroit and then taking Greyhound buses the rest of the way, piecing together whatever route he could find.
“Only a few people know that like my true roommates, my close friends, only they know the real struggles I’ve been through here,” he said.
A different support
Aside from his mom and close friends, one of his most notable supporters is his dog, Future.
“That was probably the lowest I’ve been in college,” Cochran said. “I’m at home all alone, ... everybody’s at practice, and I’m just down here lonely. Then I was like, ‘I should get a pet.’”
At first, he wasn’t even sure a dog was what he wanted. But when the opportunity came, he didn’t hesitate. He didn’t expect a dog to change much, but when Future arrived, something shifted.
“He was so small; I could just fit him in my arm,” he said. “Then from that day forward, it was bright days. I recommend anybody get a support animal … a dog, a cat, anything that makes you happy.”
In a time when he felt isolated and disconnected, Future became a constant presence.
“You can always count on them,” Cochran said. “No matter what, they’ll always love you unconditionally.”
That consistency mattered. When teammates were at practice and his routine was gone, Future gave him something steady to come back to.
“You’re having a bad day, go upstairs, he’s energetic, and it’ll put a smile on your face,” he said. “You go in to sleep, they come lay on you. He’s basically another human being for me. Love him.”
Now, even as everything else begins to move forward, Future remains right there, part of the story in a way that goes beyond football.
Finding strength in loyalty
There were opportunities to leave CMU, especially as the program went through changes, as coaches moved on and teammates entered the transfer portal. Despite his love for his teammates who transferred, the decision for him came down to something simple.
“I’m a loyal person,” he said. “Loyalty runs deep.”
For him, it wasn’t just about football or opportunity; it was about the people he had gone through everything with.
“The number one thing that made me stay is the people around me,” he said. “If anything, we got each other. Forget the coaches, we got each other. We know each other.”
That choice to stay became part of his identity at Central, shaping not just how he played, but how he was seen.
Off the field, Cochran made a point to be present in the community, understanding early on that his impact didn’t have to be limited to football.
Central Michigan redshirt senior linebacker Dakota Cochran tackles Northwestern redshirt sophomore wide receiver Rickey Ahumaraeze during the GameAbove Sports Bowl between Central Michigan University and Northwestern University at Ford Field in Detroit, on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. Cochran had five tackles in the game. (CM-Life| Mark Hoover)
He spent time in schools, offered advice and showed up in ways that mattered, especially in a small town like Mount Pleasant.
“I tried to do everything I could to make my name outside of football,” he said.
Over time, that presence became part of his reputation, with people recognizing him not just as a player, but as someone who was part of the community in a real way.
“It takes one second; it takes nothing to help someone,” Cochran said. “You never know what somebody’s going through.”
Into the future
Now, as he looks ahead to the next step, Cochran isn’t trying to predict what will come next. Instead, he leans on the same principles that carried him from Cleveland to Mount Pleasant.
“Proper preparation prevents poor performance,” he said.
Before everything changes, before football possibly takes him somewhere new, Cochran pauses to reflect on what has already been built, on the people and places that shaped him along the way.
Central Michigan defensive seniors Dakota Cochran, Caleb Spann and Elijah Rikard visit the student section after a dominant defensive performance against Wagner at Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.. Cochran had a pick-six and a fumble recovery. (CM-Life | Trevor Sparks)
“I love everyone and appreciate everyone who has done something for me,” he said. “Countless people, friends or not, strangers or not. Every coach, every single person had an impact on my life, whether you believe it or not.”
Now, as the NFL draft approaches, Cochran isn’t thinking about the finish line. He’s thinking about the next challenge.
No matter where the road leads, he’ll step forward knowing exactly who he is and what got him there.
“I just want to thank everyone for accepting me and just know I’m here for anyone,” he said about the Mount Pleasant community. “I love you all.”
