2026 Stock Watch: Defensive Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we enter the 2024 high school football offseason, we have been releasing our rankings updates in the state of Kentucky. This past month has been dedicated to the class of 2026 and there has been a lot of movement as well as impressive new additions being added. Over the past couple weeks, I have focused on the top five players at each position so now I wanted to focus on some key players at each position that landed outside the top five that I believe people should be paying close attention to. With that being said, I have a “Stock Watch” series highlighting each position in the 2026 class. 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 already taken care of, here are some 2026 defensive backs to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1176971"],"_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='1176971' first='Monte' last='Hairston'] is a player that jumped onto my radar with an impressive sophomore season. Hairston lines up at corner where he has great man coverage skills. He has shown the ability to open up and run with receivers to mirror their routes with ease. When the ball is thrown his way, he does a great job of breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. He finished this past season with one interception and several pass breakups in 11 games. Hairston has also shown the ability to come downhill and provide support against the run, finishing this past season with 40 tackles and three tackles for loss. Monte doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["971492"],"_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='971492' first='James' last='White'] is a defensive back that has been high on my radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season. White lines up at safety where he is very reliable in coverage. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. White finished this past season with two interceptions in 12 games. He has also shown the ability to fill the lane and make tackles against the run, finishing this past season with 57 tackles and one tackle for loss. White doesn't currently hold any offers but is a player that college coaches should keep an eye on going into his junior year.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["971493"],"_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='971493' first='Malique' last='Smith'] is a player that caught my attention as a freshman and continued to impress this past season. Smith lines up at corner where he is very impressive in zone coverage. He does a great job of reading route combinations and putting himself in a good position to make a play on the ball. Malique finished this past season with one interception and several pass breakups in 12 games. He also proved to be a very reliable open field tackler against the run, finishing the season with 55 tackles and one tackle for loss. Malique doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["971495"],"_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 corner that has been on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out this past season is [player_tooltip player_id='971495' first='A'Davion' last='Dale']. Dale is very impressive in man coverage, showing 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 breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. He finished this past season with one interception and several pass breakups in 10 games. A'Davion has also shown the ability to come downhill and provide support against the run, finishing this past season with 26 tackles and one tackle for loss. Dale doesn't currently hold any offers but he has received some college interest and should be a player to watch heading into his junior year.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1176958"],"_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":"The final defensive back on my 2026 “Stock Watch” list is [player_tooltip player_id='1176958' first='Nick' last='Sims']. Sims had a solid sophomore season at safety for Owensboro Catholic. He is very impressive against the run, showing the ability to read the play and fill the lane in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. He finished this past season with 37 tackles in 15 games. Sims also proved to be reliable in pass coverage, finishing the season with three interceptions. Nick doesn't currently hold any offers but should be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e8b2f1086db"} /-->