2025 Rankings Update: Defensive Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the 2023 high school football season quickly approaching, it is time for some rankings updates! For the state of Kentucky, the updated Top 150 rankings for the talented 2025 class have been posted. With that being said, I will be taking the next couple weeks to breakdown these updated rankings by position. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I have turned my attention the defensive side of the ball. With the defensive line and linebackers already being covered, I will wrap up the defensive side of the ball with our top defensive backs in the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["919064"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='919064' first='Buddy' last='Collins'] is a player that recently jumped onto our radar and impressed enough to make his debut at the top spot at his position. Collins finished his sophomore season with 29 tackles and one interception. He is a lockdown corner on the outside that quarterbacks try to avoid at all costs. Collins does a great job of opening up and running with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, he does a great job of breaking on the ball with perfecting timing to make a play. He has also shown the ability to come downhill and make tackles in the open field agains the run. Collins currently holds offers from Louisville, Miami (OH), and Arkansas State, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at a Power 5 program.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["735613"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='735613' first='Caleb' last='Ricks'] is a defensive back that has been high on our radar for a while now. He is coming off a solid sophomore season in which he finished with 24 tackles and one interception. Ricks is an athletic corner that is very impressive in man coverage. He does a great job of opening up and running with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, Ricks does a great job of fighting across the intended receiver's body to make a play on the ball. Ricks is also reliable against the run, showing the ability to come downhill and make tackles in the open field. Caleb is committed to play baseball at Louisville but he definitely has the talent to play football at the Division I level if he were to ever have a change of heart.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["919065"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='919065' first='Jeremiah' last='Jones'] is another defensive back that is new to our rankings. He had a very impressive sophomore season, finishing with 97 tackles, four tackles for loss, and five interceptions. Jones lines up at safety where he is very dangerous in pass coverage. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and route combinations on the back end of the secondary. When the ball is in the air, he has shown the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing to catch interceptions in stride, returning one for a touchdown last season. He is also very reliable against the run. Jones does a great job of reading the run quickly and filling the lane with a sense of urgency to make tackles in the open field. Jeremiah currently holds offers from Murray State and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Division I caliber prospect.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["373044"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Another incoming junior defensive back that has been high on our radar for a while now is [player_tooltip player_id='373044' first='Avaion' last='Johnson']. He had a very strong sophomore season, finishing with 77 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown). Johnson lines up at safety where he is a ball hawk, showing the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing to catch interceptions in stride and take them the other way. He returned one interception for a touchdown last season. Johnson is also very impressive against the run. He does a great job of filling the lane in a hurry to provide support and finishes his tackles with a ton of physicality. Avaion currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play safety at the Division I level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["735612"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"To wrap up our top five defensive backs in the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='735612' first='Jaiden' last='Shegog'] from Bryan Station. Shegog caught our attention as a sophomore, finishing with 20 tackles and one interception. Jaiden is an athletic corner that lines up on the outside and is very reliable in man coverage. He does a great job of using his speed to open up and run with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, Shegog has shown the ability to get his head turned around with perfect timing to make a play on the ball. He has also shown the ability to make plays after the interception, returning his one interception for a touchdown last season. Against the run, Shegog has shown the ability to read the play quickly and come downhill to provide support. Jaiden currently holds an offer from Miami (OH) and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Division I caliber prospect.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64c835f4a5848"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 150):</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. [player_tooltip player_id='520351' first='Hunter' last='Holloway'] (Logan County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. [player_tooltip player_id='735615' first='Javion' last='Wallace'] (Louisville Central)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. [player_tooltip player_id='735619' first='Deonte' last='Stevens'] (Pikeville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. [player_tooltip player_id='735616' first='Matthew' last='Kern'] (Lexington Catholic)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. [player_tooltip player_id='373784' first='Jashaun' last='Robinson'] (Owensboro)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. [player_tooltip player_id='735618' first='Jackson' last='Dillow'] (Lexington Christian Academy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12. [player_tooltip player_id='735617' first='Koleby' last='Schroeder'] (Union County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->