Top Midwest Safeties 2020

Safeties are typically some of the most athletic players on the field. They must possess the combination of speed, quickness, and agility along with being instinctive and reactive in space. They are the last line of defense in terms of preventing the “big play” whether run or pass. Here are some of the very best Midwest junior safeties that display those qualities. <strong>Issac Thompson     6’2” 190     St. Louis, MO     University School</strong> He might not graduate till 2022 but this guy is ready for the big time right now. Thompson has great range for a free safety and displays great closing speed on the receiver. He reads the quarterbacks eyes and instantly breaks on the ball. Issac shows his leaping ability by going up in the air to break up the pass or highpoint the interception. He flashes as a cornerback when playing man-to-man coverage by running with the receiver stride for stride. Thompson, who can also play wideout, already has multiple D1 offers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23942" first="Xavier" last="Nwankpa"]    6’2” 185     Pleasant Hill, IA     Southeast Polk</strong> One of the most intimidating safeties in the country, Nwankpa absolutely rules the secondary with his physicality. He breaks on the ball quickly and delivers on the receiver or running back in the openfield unmercifully. Xavier shows a real burst when changing directions or attacking the line of scrimmage, often making the play on tunnel and quick screens for no gain. Xavier demonstrates the ability to play multiple zone coverages and safety free man with equal efficiency. Ohio State currently leads in the recruitment of Nwankpa. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34383" first="Delian" last="Bradley"]   6’0” 185     Springfield, OH</strong> Bradley is a stout and tough athlete that is best suited to play strong safety or outside linebacker at the next level. He is best in limited space where he can use his strength and power most effectively. Delian takes great angles to the football and uses his hands to shed blockers to get to the ball carrier. Bradley can really strike a blow when making a tackle and has deceptive speed on special teams when covering kickoffs. His toughness is also shown on offense as a fullback and short yardage running back. Look for Bradley to end up a Kentucky Wildcat after graduation from high school. <strong>Trevon Howard     6’2” 200     Minneapolis, MN     IMG Academy (Bradenton)</strong> A Minneapolis native, Trevon took his talents to Bradenton, Florida to play for IMG Academy. He is a dominant athlete who can play strong or free safety. Trevon uses his height to his advantage by deflecting passes or hauling in interceptions. He is a sure tackler that wraps up the opponents and takes them to the ground with force. Trevon is instinctive and is such a quick reactor he often runs would-be blockers in the openfield. He already has offers from many major college football programs. <strong>Christian Stokes     6’1” 180     Harper Woods MI</strong> Speed and acceleration are the traits that best describe the abilities of Stokes. He is just as good of a running back as he is safety for Harper Woods. At safety, Christian is a quick reactor who gets a good break on the ball. He can make the interception on stride and dart past opponents to the endzone. Christian is versatile enough to play free or strong safety along with press corner. His speed is especially displayed as an edge blitzer, getting into the offensive backfield instantly. Stokes may end up an Iowa Hawkeye in the near future. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="37536" firstKalePurdy   5’10” 170     St. Louis, MO     De Smet</strong> Kaleb plays much bigger than his physical size. He attacks the line of scrimmage form the free safety position like a rocket. Likewise, he takes straight line angles to the ball as a strong safety. Kaleb uses his hands well in breaking up passes and can rake the ball out of receiver’s hands before they can control the football. He is an exceptional athlete that can flip his hips without losing speed or body control. In goal line situations, Kaleb attacks the football like a linebacker. He also has that special knack at blocking punts due to his quickness off the ball and angle to the punters launch point. Kaleb may stay at home and become a Missouri Tiger after graduation.