Prep Redzone Iowa Showcase: Defensive Back Standouts
ALTOONA, IA– Although it was one of the smallest groups at our Prep Redzone Iowa Showcase, the defensive backs I got to watch showed tons of growth from start to finish at the showcase. Because as we know by now, the…
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Continue ReadingALTOONA, IA– Although it was one of the smallest groups at our Prep Redzone Iowa Showcase, the defensive backs I got to watch showed tons of growth from start to finish at the showcase. Because as we know by now, the WR to DB ratio at camps is always 3 WRs to 1 DB which gives DBs tons of reps to really prove their game to the highest level and really tests their stamina from start to finish especially in 1v1s. There were only four true defensive backs last Saturday at Southeast Polk, so each one of these young men will get the love they deserve for putting in hard work from start to finish at our Prep Redzone Iowa showcase. Grab a look at these four.
Darian Davis Darian Davis 6'1" | 180 lbs | DB Mason City | 2024 State IA | Mason City (IA) | 2024
Darian came out of Southeast Polk as the DB MVP from last Saturday. I liked watching Darian’s springy lower body when he comes to attack the football as he did it with a quick rate of speed from what I watched last Saturday in 1v1s and Indy. Darian’s tape shows off a prospect that has some light rawness on tape when it comes to his footwork, but still is able to settle in nicely rep by rep from what I watched. You certainly get a big-hearted player in Darian as he has shown he can be the last man in the secondary that will chase down a ball carrier until the end with his sound stamina. He can develop on his change of the direction speed this summer, as Darian comes thru with good speed but a DB prospect of his size I can see has more juice left in that tank. Darian is a kid you can tell has already made strides since we looked at his tape from 2021 as you can see his vision was improved at Southeast Polk. Can develop a more fierce contact level as well.
Justice Kahler | Plattsmouth (NE) | 2023
Justice came in as a defensive back, but won my personal award for Athlete Camp MVP from last Saturday at Southeast Polk. Justice showed in Indy a sound sense of changing directions and it really checked out when I checked how he showed off the best shuttle times amongst the DB positions. I believe Justice’s tape doesn’t do the justice (no pun intended) for how solid of an athlete he is on both sides of the ball. His burst is solid when you look at his longest runs from scrimmage and he shows a nice finished product on those runs. Just picked up his first offer the other day and I am sure will get more attention as we open up the gates to prospect camp season here very soon!
Tallin Wright | Okoboji (IA) | 2025
Tallin was a defensive back that was a first look prospect for me a couple weeks ago at Back 2 Ballin in Cedar Falls and caught him again at Southeast Polk. Tallin has some development in the weight room he needs to do and shows plenty of rawness at the moment, Tallin shows a longer reach than you would expect someone from his size and that was something he showed flashes off at the UNI Dome as well as at Southeast Polk last weekend. He can develop a stronger burst out of his stance from the DB spot but has the hip development within reach in being able to change directions. Tallin was also one of the top L-Drill testers from this group of defensive backs. I like this young man’s potential for his age, as he will hopefully keep making strides year by year and get us some solid tape to evaluate as a sophomore.
Carter Hunt | Marshalltown (IA) | 2023
Carter was another first look prospect for me coming out of Marshalltown. He showed some of the best explosion in his hips from his early testing in the broad jump that I watched. He has a quick snap of reactive footwork once the ball comes into play and good physicality to match with his tackling ability around the edges. Consistency is key when I watch the tape and Carter does a solid job with maintaining his contact. I believe this young man can get more reactive with his instincts as far as changing directions to get to the ball with more pop and speed, but I like this kid’s potential as an under the radar prospect going into his senior season.
Next Up: The Defensive Line Standouts from Southeast Polk.