Winter Exposure Showcase Standouts: DB's

More than 100 campers made their way to the beautiful Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV on Sunday night and the talent was certainly not lacking. The quantity and quality were in attendance with some big-time talent on display at this great event. Here were some of the best defensive backs at camp!   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defensive Backs</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='893389' first='Zachary' last='Bender'] - Spring Mills '24 (Camp MVP)   One of the more underrated defensive backs in the WV 2024 class is Spring Mills corner [player_tooltip player_id='893389' first='Zachary' last='Bender'] who earned one of the DB Camp MVP honors at the Winter Exposure Showcase on Sunday. This is the second time I've seen Bender at a camp having last seen him at the GCOH Performance Camp back in June where he also was one of my standout defensive backs. Bender is a smaller DB at 5'9 160 but he's a battler and competitor. Bender had 30 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions this season for the Cardinals and could be a steal for a college program. He can also help you on special teams as a returner and kick defense squads. Bender has quick feet with his backpedal and can flip his hips to play the ball quickly as well. He also has the speed to run with most receivers and is a quality overall athlete.   Brailon Wilcox - GlenOak (OH) '24 (Camp MVP)   GlenOak (OH) 2024 prospect Brailon Wilcox out of Canton, OH had people buzzing with his play during camp on Sunday. The 5'8 150 corner was named one of the DB Camp MVPs and performed very well in 1-on-1s winning quite a few reps. Wilcox is a bit undersized but he doesn't play like he is on the field and does a nice job attacking the ball in the air and will come downhill to make a tackle. He also showed good pursuit and recovery speed in coverage while having the ability to change direction mid-stride fluidly. It looks like he may end up at a D3 or NAIA school which would be a nice steal for any program at those levels.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113237' first='Kylan' last='Blunt'] - University '25 (Camp MVP)   The second Blunt brother to earn an MVP award at the Winter Exposure Showcase was 2025 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1113237' first='Kylan' last='Blunt']. The University High product is a hard hitting free safety for the Hawks but displayed his coverage abilities during camp. Blunt is a very physical player on the football field who you don't want to meet in the open field or in the air. He's a very sure tackler, especially in the open field. Blunt plays with an edge that I like to see safeties play with but also has the athleticism to make plays in coverage and in space.   Joshua Johnson - Virginia Academy (VA) '25 (Camp MVP)   The third Virginia Academy (VA) prospect who earned MVP honors at the Winter Exposure Showcase was 2025 RB/DB Joshua Johnson. Johnson is a quality athlete who also shines as a running back for his team but got work in as a defensive back during camp and was awarded with one of the DB MVP awards. He's a nice-sized corner at 6'1 180 who's still developing as a DB but has plenty of raw talent to work with. Johnson has a really quick burst which you can see when he's taking handoffs at running back and in pursuit at corner. He looks like a really natural runner at running back but could play either position in college with another year of development left of high school.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113235' first='Keltin' last='Blunt'] - University '26 (Camp MVP)   The Blunt brothers are a talented family but younger brother Keltin may have the highest ceiling out of all of them which is saying something. His listed measurements were 6'2 165 and he plays corner for the University Hawks. That kind of length at corner is something you rarely see and even if he moves to safety one day, it's great for his development to see reps on the outside. His reaction time when pursuing a run or short pass to his side of the field is quick and with his size, he's a quality tackler. Blunt has also shown good aggression when playing the ball in the air and when coming downhill to make a tackle. He's still a raw talent right now but there's a lot of natural ability and attributes that you can't teach.   [player_tooltip player_id='226050' first='Julian' last='Baldwin'] - Hopewell (PA) '26 (Camp MVP)   A young 2026 prospect who impressed during camp was Hopewell (PA) sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='226050' first='Julian' last='Baldwin']. Baldwin earned one of the DB Camp MVP awards which is impressive given he's only a 5'6 150 sophomore with a lot of good receivers in attendance at the camp. Baldwin plays free safety in high school where they let him be a centerfielder in their defense. He can float around on the backend of their secondary but although he's not the biggest, he'll come up in run defense and make a stop. Baldwin had 37.5 tackles, 6 PBUs, and an interception during his sophomore season.   [player_tooltip player_id='819739' first='Kaden' last='Ayre'] - Allderdice (PA) '25   Allderdice (PA) 2025 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='819739' first='Kaden' last='Ayre'] had winning reps at both DB and WR during Sunday night's camp but his future looks brightest as a defensive back. He's another longer corner at 6'0 170 who also plays both ways for his high school team where he's talented at both. Ayre showed nice ability on film to support in run defense while showing off his athleticism in coverage. He's really good at getting off blocks and is a quality open-field tackler. Ayre is a name to know in the Pittsburgh City League and worth keeping tabs on next season.

More than 100 campers made their way to the beautiful Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV on Sunday night and the talent was certainly not lacking. The quantity and quality were in attendance with some big-time talent on display at this great event. Here were some of the best defensive backs at camp!