Under The Radar Defensive Backs To Watch
In this article, we take a look at defensive backs stepping into the spotlight at programs across the city of Charlotte. Charlotte has become the premier area in the state of North Carolina when it comes to producing a large…
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Continue ReadingIn this article, we take a look at defensive backs stepping into the spotlight at programs across the city of Charlotte. Charlotte has become the premier area in the state of North Carolina when it comes to producing a large volume of college players, and these players hope to jump on the radar of college coaches this upcoming season.
Danari Mcilwain – Chambers – Class of 2023
I have seen Danari up close the past couple of years, and the thing I love about him is that he is the ultimate competitor. Some would just say he’s a “dog”, but it’s on a different level for this young man. As a player, he is a 5’10 corner who excels in man coverage, and he played a lot of slot corner in sub-packages last season. He can play outside though, and he has good speed to stay with receivers. He is also not afraid to come up and support the run game, and he has the ability to blitz off the edge very well and make plays in the backfield. Moving from Harding to Chambers, it will be interesting to see how they use him with a talented DB core in place for the Cougars.
Camryn Williams-Dalton – West Charlotte – Class of 2023
I got introduced to Camryn covering a camp back in the spring where he performed very well. The most notable strength for this young man is speed. I saw him up close at the University of Charlotte Camp LIT last month and he posted one of the fastest 40 times among everyone in attendance at the entire camp. He has been hand-timed at 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, and at 6’0 and 180 pounds, he can play an outside corner against a team’s #1 playmaker and be able to run with him all over the field. Camryn is also a ball hawk at the corner spot, he makes several nice plays on the ball resulting in interceptions. His recruitment should improve as the season starts and he continues making highlights all over the field.
Keyshawn Jackson – Harding – Class of 2023
We have featured corners so far, but Keyshawn is a very intriguing free safety prospect who stands at 6’2 and 170 pounds, a great frame for a ball-hawking player like Keyshawn. I have seen him a few times up close and his improvement and instincts have improved exponentially each time that I see him. He has great agility and range, and he can fill the alley and support in the run game as well. He shows on his highlight film to be an excellent tackler – especially against quick screens where he is the last line of defense. Jackson was an all-conference player last season, and as more people learn about him I expect opportunities to play on the next level to come his way.
Takeo Massey – East Meck – Class of 2025
Takeo jumped onto my radar when I saw him up close at a camp back in March – being a 2025 kid a lot of information wasn’t out on him, but he has a great frame at 6’3 and 185 pounds, and while he attended the camp as a safety prospect, his future could be on both sides of the ball. He has excellent athleticism and agility, and you can see he’s a little raw from his knowledge of the game right now, but he will be afforded the opportunity to play early for the Eagles, and that kind of experience now will pay huge dividends later on in his career. Takeo will be a prospect that will seem to come from nowhere once you see offers to play on the next level come his way, but he has a very high ceiling in my opinion.
Omari Sanders-Richardson – West Meck – Class of 2023
Omari recently received his first official offer from Averett University and taking a look at his highlights, it’s a well-deserved opportunity to play at the next level. Omari is another corner with excellent speed – he has been hand-timed at 4.48 in the 40-yard dash as a representative of that. At 5’10, Omari plays a lot of outside corner in his film and he does a good job – he is able to run with receivers on a consistent basis, and he shows a good vertical to high point the ball and force breakups in jump ball situations. He also shows good discipline in zone and will come up and make good form tackles in the open field. Omari being in his senior year will have to be a leader for a Hawks program that is growing up and looks to take a jump in the So Meck 4A conference this upcoming season.