2023 Overlooked Defensive Backs

If your defensive backs can lock down the back end of the defense, so many other things open up for the rest of the defense. Pass rushers have more time to pin their ears back and get to the quarterback. Having a sturdy defensive backfield can make the opposing offense one-dimensional. Today, we look at who some of the senior-to-be hidden gems at corner and safety are. [player_tooltip player_id="185542" first="Jarrett" last="Smith"], 5’9, 150 pounds, Knightstown Who better to know how stop a wide receiver, than a wide receiver? That is the advantage that Knightstown has with [player_tooltip player_id="185542" first="Jarrett" last="Smith"] who is a playmaking pass-catcher as well as a shutdown wide receiver. Last year, Smith posted 31 tackles with three tackles-for-loss and one sack. He showed his ability to take the ball away with one interception, one pass defense and one fumble recovery. Offensively, he consistently finds ways to give the team a spark. During his junior season, Smith caught 52 passes for 337 yards and a half-a-dozen touchdowns. Smith even threw six passes, completing half of those attempts for 60 yards. He can be an effective kickoff returner. In 2021, Smith tallied 245 yards on 16 kickoff returns. [player_tooltip player_id="292447" first="Kion" last="Cornelius"], 5’10, 140 pounds, Southmont Like Smith, [player_tooltip player_id="292447" first="Kion" last="Cornelius"] is a versatile playmaker who makes an impact in all three phases. Defensively, Cornelius is both instinctive and disciplined. Cornelius does an outstanding job of reading the play and reacting. He can put his foot in the ground and make the play. Cornelius is a textbook tackler. He can go low to take out the legs of the ball-carrier and very rarely does he miss tackles. Cornelius gives maximum effort as a gunner on punts. He sprints down the field and fights through the duration of the play. Offensively, Cornelius can make plays and help keep the offense moving. He amounted 53 rushing yards to go along with a trio of catches for 65 receiving yards with one touchdown. [player_tooltip player_id="325811" first="Theo" last="Katris"], 6’1, 175 pounds, Warsaw Community [player_tooltip player_id="325811" first="Theo" last="Katris"] marshals the defensive backfield from his free safety position. Katris is a solid tackler. Katris possesses the critical skill for safeties of reading the play and reacting swiftly. He watches the eyes of the quarterback to gain an idea of where the throw is going. Katris has great ball skills, allowing him to break up passes and create turnovers. Quarterbacks will need to know where [player_tooltip player_id="325811" first="Theo" last="Katris"] is any time they play against him this season. [player_tooltip player_id="299656" first="Aidan" last="Mcfall"], 5’8, 180 pounds, Carmel With the ability to play both cornerback and free safety, [player_tooltip player_id="299656" first="Aidan" last="Mcfall"] will be looking to play an instrumental role for Carmel as the Greyhounds look to make a run in Class 6A this year. Mcfall can determine his next move based on the eyes of the quarterback. He has solid ball skills, meaning that throwing the ball in his direction is risky. Mcfall’s highlight tape features him routinely jumping routes. Mcfall can be impactful on the field goal block unit. He can come off the edge and get pressure on the kicker. [player_tooltip player_id="300363" first="Jaylan" last="Seeko"], 5’7, 150 pounds, Pendleton Heights [player_tooltip player_id="300363" first="Jaylan" last="Seeko"] can help the defense at either free or strong safety. Seeko is a solid run defender who is not afraid to come down and make the stop. Last season, Seeko recorded 15 total tackles in the six games that he played in. He added one interception as a junior. Seeko is a significant special teams contributor. He does a nice job of covering kickoffs for Pendleton Heights. [player_tooltip player_id="300363" first="Jaylan" last="Seeko"] is a player to keep tabs on throughout this season.