2025 Rankings Update 2.0: Defensive Back
Now that another season of high school football is behind us in the state of Kentucky, it is time for some rankings updates. The updated top 175 for the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky has been officially…
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Continue ReadingNow that another season of high school football is behind us in the state of Kentucky, it is time for some rankings updates. The updated top 175 for the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky has been officially published. With that being said, I wanted to take the next week or so to break down these rankings by position. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I have now turned my attention to the defensive side of the ball. With the defensive line and linebackers out of the way, I will now wrap up the defensive side of the ball with our top defensive backs in the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky.
Buddy Collins Buddy Collins 5’10” | 165 lbs | DB Scott County | 2025 State KY continued to prove that he is the top defensive back in this class this past season. He is a lockdown corner on the outside where he is very impressive in man coverage. Collins has shown the ability to open up and run with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, he does a great job of reacting with perfect timing to break up the pass. He has also shown the ability to come downhill to provide support against the run, finishing the season with 18 tackles in 12 games. Collins also returned three punts for touchdowns this past season and played a key role on offense, running the ball 15 times for 260 yards and four touchdowns. Buddy currently holds offers from Marshall, Miami (OH), Louisville, and Arkansas State, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at a Power 4 program.
Caleb Ricks Caleb Ricks 5’11” | 175 lbs | DB Trinity | 2025 State KY is a defensive back that has continued to stand out over the past few seasons. While he only played in five games this past season, he continued to impress when on the field. Ricks lines up at corner where he is very impressive in man coverage, showing the ability to open up and run with receivers to mirror their routes, staying in their hip pocket the whole way. He is also very impressive against the run, coming downhill in a hurry to make tackles and finishing with a ton of physicality once he gets there. Ricks also showed the ability to blitz from the corner spot, coming away with one sack this past season. Caleb is committed to Louisville to play baseball but definitely has the talent to play corner at the Division I level if he were to have a change of heart.
Avaion Johnson Avaion Johnson 5’10” | 170 lbs | DB Louisville Central | 2025 State KY is a defensive back that has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to stand out this past season. Johnson lines up at strong safety where he is very impressive against the run. He does a great job of reading the play quickly and filling the lane to make tackles. Johnson finished his junior season as his team’s leading tackler with 84 tackles in 13 games. He has also shown the ability to make plays in pass coverage, finishing this past season with a team-high four interceptions. Johnson currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way as he is a true Division I caliber safety prospect.
Another defensive back that has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season is Jaiden Shegog Jaiden Shegog 5’9″ | 160 lbs | DB Bryan Station | 2025 State KY . Shegog played a key role in Bryan Station’s run to the 6A State Championship Game this past season. Jaiden lines up at corner where he is very impressive in man coverage, showing the ability to open up and run with opposing receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, he does a great job of breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Shegog came away with one interception in 14 games this past season. He also showed the ability to provide support against the run, finishing this past season with 26 tackles and one tackle for loss. Shegog currently holds an offer from Miami (OH) and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year as he has the talent to play at the Division I level.
To wrap up our top five defensive backs in the class of 2025 in the state of Kentucky, I have Jackson Dillow Jackson Dillow 6’0″ | 180 lbs | DB Lexington Christian Academy | 2025 State KY . Dillow lines up at safety where he is very impressive in pass coverage. He is a true ball hawk in the secondary, showing the ability to read the quarterback and route combinations, and then break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Dillow finished this past season with three interceptions in 12 games, returning two of them for touchdowns. He has also shown the ability to come downhill and make tackles against the run, finishing this past season with 31 tackles. Jackson doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect some to come his way going into his senior year as he definitely has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 175):
6. Javion Wallace Javion Wallace 5'9" | 175 lbs | DB Louisville Central | 2025 State KY (Louisville Central)
7. Deonte Stevens Deonte Stevens 6'2" | 175 lbs | DB Pikeville | 2025 State KY (Pikeville)
8. Connor Johnson Connor Johnson 5'10" | 150 lbs | DB Ballard | 2025 State KY (Ballard)
9. Julian Stafford Julian Stafford 5'9" | 145 lbs | DB Martin County | 2025 State KY (Martin County)
10. Kwame Anderson Kwame Anderson 5'9" | 150 lbs | DB Fairdale | 2025 State KY (Fairdale)
11. Dominic Gregory Dominic Gregory 5'9" | 170 lbs | DB Highlands | 2025 KY (Highlands)