Top 2025 Defensive Backs: Charlotte

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1225768' first='Bryce' last='Lofton'] - Independence</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having the opportunity to speak with this young man on multiple occasions, Bryce is not only a good player on the field but an excellent representative off the field as well. Bryce lists a 4.02 GPA on his profile, reflective of that statement. On the field, Bryce is a 5'11 and 165-pound prospect who made some big plays last season - notably a game-sealing interception against rival Butler in the state quarterfinals in the playoffs. Bryce currently has some college interest, and I would expect that to continue to increase as he gets out on the camp circuit this spring and summer. When you take a look at the film, I am impressed with Bryce's discipline in both man and zone coverage. He does an excellent job of reading route concepts in zone and making pass deflections and breakups consistently with that talent. In man coverage, Bryce can both play press and off-man well and does a good job of running with receivers and forcing incomplete passes. I am excited to see Bryce increase his recruiting on the camp circuit this spring and summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1303818' first='Nassor' last='Ashenafi'] - Mallard Creek</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nassor jumped on the scene in a season-opening showcase game, registering two interceptions returned for touchdowns in a big victory for his program. He was then known for the rest of the season as a talented player with the ability to match up against a team's best wide receiver and make life difficult for them all night long. Nassor recently picked up his first offer from Lenoir-Rhyne, and I expect more to come his way as we enter the camp season. At 5'9 and 160 pounds, Nassor projects as a slot corner on the next level, and he excels with quick-twitch reflexes when in man coverage, breaking up several passes on his highlight film. Nassor is also not afraid to come up and run support as well, showing the ability to make solo tackles in space. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1203836' first='Reggie' last='Rainer Jr']. - Hough </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A very trusted person in this business of high school football told me about Reggie in the middle of last season and said he was going to be one of the best defensive backs in the area. Fast forward to now, and that trusted person was spot on. At 5'11 and 170 pounds, Reggie is one of the higher-recruited defensive backs in the Charlotte area - currently, he has offers from Appalachian State, Elon, Old Dominion, James Madison, Charlotte, and Liberty. Looking at the film, Reggie simply excels in off-man coverage, often being left on an island with the trust of his coaching staff in his skillset. I love how Reggie explodes out of his break on the football on any in or out-breaking routes which results in multiple pass breakups. His first highlight clip shows him winning a jump ball and making an impressive interception on the sideline. Reggie also is not afraid to come up in run support, showing multiple solo tackles in the run game. I would expect Reggie to continue gaining recruiting interest and offers going into the upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1303824' first='Morgan' last='Linton'] - Hough </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After watching Morgan's highlight film, I came away impressed that this young man can both play corner and safety at a high level. Morgan has been coached well with multiple techniques both at corner and safety executed at a high level. Because of this talent Morgan has displayed, it is not a surprise he is a highly sought-after prospect as he has offers currently from Middle Tennessee, Appalachian State, Liberty, Temple, Coastal Carolina, Buffalo, and Old Dominion. Looking at the film, Morgan shows excellent man coverage skills as a safety covering slot receivers, showing a very good ability to close a large amount of space in a short period with speed and agility. Morgan shows the ability to come up in run support and make tackles, as well as to make good reads in general as a defender to put himself in the best position to consistently make plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1128511' first='Elijah' last='Barber'] - Myers Park </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have seen Elijah up close multiple times at camps and showcases, and he consistently impresses with his talent and confidence as a cornerback. Standing at 5'10 and 165 pounds, Elijah excels in press-man coverage, with a strong ability to mirror a wide receiver's route and get in on pass breakups regularly. Elijah also shows on his highlight film the ability to play off-man coverage and come up to make plays on short routes and the quick screen game, making tackles in the open field. Elijah also shows some excellent speed - in one clip, a kickoff returner appears to be going the distance for a touchdown, but Elijah runs him down and makes a touchdown-saving tackle in a game that ended up being a close victory for his team. As the camp circuit gets going, I expect Elijah to pick up some college interest as a potential corner on the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='286143' first='Braxton' last='Winston'] - Providence Day </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Braxton recently committed to Wake Forest, and they are getting a specially talented young man. Standing at 6'1 and 175 pounds, Braxton excels in man coverage - both press and off-man. I am impressed by his ability to come up in run support - I have seen Braxton live before, but his highlight film gave me a new perspective on that ability. He is not scared and can play off blocks and make tackles in space. Braxton shows strong ball skills in breaking up passes in one-on-one coverage and can compete with wide receivers for jump balls in those one-on-one situations. I am excited to see him stay local and play for an in-state school. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='919599' first='Cairo' last='Skanes'] - Providence Day </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 6'1 and 180 pounds, Cairo had an impressive season from a statistical standpoint - recording 83 total tackles, 50 solo tackles, 6 interceptions, and 5 pass break-ups. He was selected as an All-State player on top of that production, and rightfully so. Currently, Cairo has offers from Charlotte, Campbell, Elon, Miami (Ohio), Gardner-Webb, Cornell, and Dartmouth. Cairo also lists a 3.6 GPA on his profile, another strong asset when it comes to recruiting. Looking at the film, the first impression that jumps out to me is that Cairo LOVES contact - there are several big hits from a solo tackle perspective that get you excited to watch more clips. Cairo does a very good job in both man and zone coverage - in particular, there is one clip where the offense runs a Switch concept and Cairo does not panic, plays his assigned zone, and ends up with a nice interception in the end zone. I am excited to see Cairo this upcoming season - I think more offers could be coming his way sooner than later. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->