2022 Ranking: Defensive Backs
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Here in the month of June we’re updating all of our prospect rankings as the 2021 season gets closer and closer. For the 2022 class, we went from a Top 100 to a Top 150 as this class continues to get deeper and deeper. The margin between the ranked players is very close and this class has a chance to be fairly deep from top to bottom. The guys in the Top 10 are some of the best in recent memory, especially in that Top 5. You can check out the Top 150 Right Here. Throughout the week, we’ll be adding some analysis on the players that have stood out in the 2022 class with positional breakdowns, newcomers and even prospects on the border of being ranked this time around. Go back and check out our updated rankings for the 2023 and 2024 classes. For now, we take a look at five defensive back prospects who stood out to us in the last ranking update.
Gentry Williams
Gentry
Williams
6'0" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
– Booker T Washington (Ranked #1 Overall)
Only a prospect as special as
Gentry Williams
Gentry
Williams
6'0" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
can miss nearly his entire junior season, have knee surgery and still come out as the top overall prospect in his class. That’s how special Williams is. The Booker T Washington standout has been special since his freshman year of high school and nothing has changed between now and then. Williams is one of the fastest prospects in Oklahoma and that was the one question about Williams coming off a knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. Well those questions were answered earlier this month when Williams was fully cleared and clocked in a 4.28 in the 40-yard dash. That speed is still there and he has to be one of the hungriest players in the state which is a scary thing to think about. In game two of his junior season, Williams went down with a torn ACL against Del City and he was done for the year. Now, Williams is back to 100% and ready to help lead the Hornets on a deep playoff run and contend for the state championship. He has some absolute stars all around him and they have the guys to make it happen.
Jaden King
Jaden
King
6'2" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
– Booker T Washington (Ranked #26 Overall)
Speaking of stars around
Gentry Williams
Gentry
Williams
6'0" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
, we go from one Hornet to another as
Jaden King
Jaden
King
6'2" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
was arguably one of the breakout stars of the 2020 season. After Williams went down with the knee injury, the Hornets needed guys to step up. King was that guy in the Hornet secondary that not only stepped up but became one of the best ball hawks in the state. He was near the top of the interception charts last season and was in that position for the majority of the year. King had a game where he came down with four interceptions and was a star in a secondary full of stars. With Williams back to 100% and King coming off his breakout season, the Hornets are going to have a “No Fly Zone” secondary and 6A-D2 quarterbacks are going to have a hard time this fall. Another aspect of the 2021 season that will be fun to watch is with Williams back, more offenses will have to find other areas to throw to and King could end up with even more interceptions, which is crazy to think. As a recruit, things are starting to pick up and rightfully so for one of the best ball hawks in the class.
Jayden Rowe
Jayden
Rowe
6'2" | DB
Union | 2022
State
OK
– Union (Ranked #5 Overall)
Union’s
Jayden Rowe
Jayden
Rowe
6'2" | DB
Union | 2022
State
OK
first got onto our radar around this time last year as he was preparing for his junior season. We liked his size and his speed and saw plenty of potential for him in the secondary. After his junior season at cornerback, it was clear that Rowe was one of the top prospects in this 2022 class. He had joined the elite of the elite like Williams at Booker T Washington and fellow Top 5 prospects. Within this Top 5, you can make the argument that any of them could be the top overall prospect. The margin is that thin between them. Out of the five prospects on this breakdown, Rowe is the only one that is committed as he became a verbal commit to OU earlier this year. This spring, Rowe was hands down one of the fastest prospects in the state, regardless of position and regardless of class. He was outstanding in the 100M dash and we wouldn’t mind seeing him and
Gentry Williams
Gentry
Williams
6'0" | DB
Booker T Washington | 2022
State
OK
line up and see who the fastest prospect in this class is. Williams might get Rowe in a 40-yard dash but Rowe might get the Hornet standout if we went end zone to end zone.
Korbyn Green
Korbyn
Green
6'1" | DB
Owasso | 2022
State
OK
– Owasso (Ranked #38 Overall)
At this time last year,
Korbyn Green
Korbyn
Green
6'1" | DB
Owasso | 2022
State
OK
was yet ANOTHER member of the Booker T Washington secondary. However, this offseason, he moved to Owasso and is now one of the top DB’s for the Rams. Green has had an outstanding offseason as a shutdown corner for Sooner 7 during the 7v7 circuit. We got a great chance to see Green quite a few times this offseason and every time we saw him, we were convinced that he had emerged as one of the top cover corners, not only in the 2022 class, but in the state overall. Green has been a player that has flown under the radar over the last two years but that shouldn’t be the case anymore. It should come as a surprise to nobody that Booker T Washington has produced yet another standout defensive back and now he’s taking those talents to Owasso. The Rams have one of the best defensive units in the state and they got deeper with Green joining the team. Nobody should be surprised if colleges start taking notice early on this fall and Green becomes one of the more sought after DB’s in this senior class this fall.
NuNu Campbell
NuNu
Campbell
5'11" | DB
Holland Hall | 2022
State
OK
– Holland Hall (Ranked #14 Overall)
Similar to Rowe at Union, one prospect that we first noticed around this time last year was Holland Hall’s
NuNu Campbell
NuNu
Campbell
5'11" | DB
Holland Hall | 2022
State
OK
. At the time, Campbell was playing both ways as a wide receiver and a cornerback and we were still up in the air on what we liked Campbell as at the next level. After watching him last fall in person a few times and on tape, it was very clear that he was one of the top cover corners in the state. He was a big reason why the Dutch defense was as dominant on their way to an undefeated season and a Class 3A state championship. He’s also a big reason why you should expect Holland Hall to be on top of the 3A preseason rankings when they come out on July 1st. This offseason, Campbell joined Sooner 7 and played a variety of secondary positions and was moved all over. However, he was at his best at his natural spot of cornerback. Campbell is a borderline top ten talent and he’s going to make whatever college he commits to better immediately. He’s a high IQ player and an absolute playmaker at the CB spot.