Midseason SD Position Power Rankings: DBs

5. [player_tooltip player_id='101182' first='Aiden' last='Heimann'] - CB, Aberdeen Central   Heimann was someone who I was looking at to perform great this year and he has been a piece that has been critical to helping his defense be one of the more underrated units I see in South Dakota. Heimann can play a variety of coverage packages and do a wide variety of things when it comes to being the defensive player that he is. He is easily the best defensive back on his team and his ability at the CB is nothing that people should be sleeping on. He has great speed off of the first step and can keep up quite well with some of the faster players that the state has to offer and defend them quite well. He uses his hands and his ability to disrupt passes along with the offensive player to cause them to have their rhythm thrown off as a whole. Overall, Heimann in my view has taken another step in his game and I will be looking to see where he takes his career after this year and what school will nap this talented and high-motor kind of player.   4. [player_tooltip player_id='89291' first='Beau' last='Giblin'] - SS, Sioux Falls Jefferson   Giblin is part of a safety duo on his team that is one of the best in South Dakota and he makes it look way too easy with some of the plays that he makes. As a strong safety, he slots on as a highly versatile player who can play in a variety of spots on the field with being effective at any spot that you put him in. What makes it truly interesting to me is how at times he plays more like a linebacker who can also play some upper zone coverage shells and as a safety who hits hard and makes big stops up the middle for his squad. I would not quite put him in the category of a box safety but he is a hybrid defensive player which is arguably better on all levels. Giblin can come down through any of the gaps on the offensive line using his momentum to blow past any blockers and land some truly big hits on the offensive ball carrier. He seldom gets beat in high coverages where he once again can land a big hit and make receivers think twice when they go into his zone. Giblin is a highly versatile DB and his potential is through the roof.   3. [player_tooltip player_id='161254' first='Cody' last='Oswald'] - S/CB, Yankton   Oswald is a rangy and fast defensive back who seems to not fit into a true defensive role but is simply someone who can play a wide array of DB roles. As a Safety, he fits in as someone who can hit hard and move all around the field, mainly as someone who can hawk the QB and make them think twice before they throw it his way. His ability in this sense is truly unique in that QBs will think twice about him and that is how great he is getting interceptions when they least expect it. That is due to the high defensive IQ that he has shown time and time again but also due to how fast he can make plays on passes. He can also match up great in one on one coverage where he can give you some great clamps on the other team's receivers. He might struggle with some smaller wideouts who use their size to blow past him but that is not his job on the field, he matches ups with the team's top wideout and shut down their production.   2. [player_tooltip player_id='273642' first='Tim' last='Bishop'] - CB, Harrisburg   Bishop is a physical corner who is not afraid to get some dirt on him and have him take some damage as the game goes on. Bishop is truly a fearless and hyper-talented CB who can keep up with about any WR that tries to burn out him. While most big wideouts will have the advantage when it comes beating up on CBs, not when they match up with Bishop. He very well holds his own and even more when it comes to him having advantages on that WR since he can make their main advantage be neutralized making them much less of a threat in the game. I like watching tape of Bishop since it shows how talented he is and it is hard to explain without seeing what he does on the field, he just has some many intangibles that he shows every game.   1. [player_tooltip player_id='273643' first='London' last='Kolb'] - FS, Sioux Falls Jefferson   Kolb is one the most talented and humble players that I have seen play and ranks as the top DB that South Dakota has playing today. Like earlier I said he is part of the top Safety duo in SD with Sioux Falls Jefferson. Kolb is a hulking Safety who likes to hawk to the receivers that come even remotely close to him on the field. He has a sixth sense it seems to figure out where the ball is going to end up and where the QB is going to make his next move. He can read the offense and does what seems like so much work outside of the game to study film and know his opponent's playbook better than they do. Kolb does not allow yardage to be gained on him at all, it is very few times you will see someone get above him in his coverage packages, and if they do it will end soon by Kolb tackling them. All of this makes Kolb the best DB in the state but one of the better defensive players that South Dakota has, making him the top DB at the mid-way point in the South Dakota Football Season.