Friday Frosh Watch: 2026 Defensive Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A look at three DBs from the class of 2026 who are making a name for themselves early in their careers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Frosh to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adrian De La O, Adams City Eagles (DB)(Fr.)(13) - De La O might have had the most dominant season of any freshman DB in 2022, quickly becoming one of the top defenders on the Adams City defense, being a day-one starter despite his younger age and smaller frame (5'10, 145 lbs). Diving into his number from his freshman year, De La O accounted for an impressive 31 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, a pass deflection, and 3 interceptions. When you watch the film from De La O's freshman season for the Eagles defense, you can see that he is a very athletic boundary corner with good length that can win in both off coverage and press coverage. Smart, ball-hawking DB when sitting back in zone coverage, showing an early ability to bait opposing QBs into risky throws. Shows good ability in man coverage, with his exceptional length allowing him to compete technically with most opposing boundary receivers. Deceptively physical defender despite his smaller frame, showing no hesitancy when coming up in run support to engage a blocker or make a tackle on the opposing ball carrier. While the rankings for the class of 2026 hasn't been released yet, De La O can certainly expect some recruiting buzz in the coming years if he can continue to grow physically and technically.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1695348' first='Freddy' last='Lucero'], Denver West Cowboys (DB)(Fr.)(82) - Despite coming into the fold as the season went on for the Denver West defense, Lucero has quickly solidifying himself as a staple for the Cowboys defense for years to come. With only seven games under his belt, Lucero still put up good numbers for a freshman DB, as he accounted for 14 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown. When you put on the tape of Lucero's freshman season, you can see he is a highly explosive athlete with excellent top end foot speed that allows him to run with most receivers on the boundary. Technically sound DB despite being so early in his career that rarely gets beat on double-moves or is caught out of position when sitting in zone coverage. Deceptively aggressive DB that doesn't shy away from making contact in run support or when in press coverage. Displays ball-hawking potential, as he always seems to be around the ball even when the receiver he's defending isn't being thrown to. Lucero isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards with how early it is in his career, but he's certainly a talented DB who has started his prep career off on a high note.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1297807' first='Jayce' last='Newbill'], Berthoud Spartans (DB)(Fr.)(10) - Much like De La O, Newbill has been a day-one starter for the Berthoud defense and is rapidly becoming their best defender in the defensive backfield while also making his presence felt as a return specialist on special teams. Diving into Newbill's numbers from his freshman season for the Spartans defense, Newbill has registered 28 tackles, a tackle for a loss, 5 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions while also returning a punt for a touchdown on special teams. Unfortunately, there's no film available of Newbill's freshman season, so I won't be able to provide an honest evaluation of the traits he displays. Regardless, he is still an incredibly talented player that will be a force in every phase of the game for the Berthoud Spartans over the next three years if he continues to grow, with his numbers from 2022 supporting that sentiment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->