Top Class Of 2026 Defensive Backs: City Of Charlotte
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Samari Matthews Samari Matthews 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB Hough | 2026 State NC – Hough I have said that Samari is the best defensive back in the 2026 class in the nation – and he has been ranked…
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Continue ReadingSamari Matthews Samari Matthews 6'0" | 170 lbs | DB Hough | 2026 State NC – Hough
I have said that Samari is the best defensive back in the 2026 class in the nation – and he has been ranked very highly by several national recruiting resources, reflective of the special talent that Samari has. As a freshman, Samari stepped into a starting role in one of the best programs in the state of North Carolina, and has more than held his own, after being singled out and tested repeatedly. Samari backed that up this season with dominant performances week in and week out against some of the best programs in the state. From a recruiting perspective, Samari has offers from almost every school you could imagine, we’ll summarize them now. Offers include East Carolina, Appalachian State, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Penn State, North Carolina, NC State, Charlotte, Colorado, Liberty, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Old Dominion, Arkansas, NC Central, Miami, Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Auburn, Florida State, Alabama, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, West Virginia, James Madison, Temple, Oregon, and Southern California. Samari is 6’1 and 185 pounds and excels at playing man coverage on an island, in 1 on 1 situations against wide receivers. Samari also runs track and has exceptional speed to run with wide receivers on deep routes. Samari also shows excellent agility, breaking on the football instantly on shorter routes and forcing several pass breakups on his film. Finally, Samari is not afraid to come up in run support and tackles well in space against both running backs and wide receivers. Samari is as complete as a cornerback prospect that you will find in the nation in the 2026 class, plain and simple.
Nick Reddish Nick Reddish 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Independence | 2026 NC – Independence
Nick is a talented defensive back for one of the best programs in the state. An All-Conference selection last season, Nick stands at 5’11 and 185 pounds and helps set the tone defensively for his team from the safety position. From a recruiting perspective, Nick has picked up a lot of offers this offseason – overall, his offers include East Carolina, Missouri, Charlotte, Virginia Tech, James Madison, Connecticut, Liberty, Troy, Wake Forest, and Norte Dame. I watched Nick in person last season and his athleticism and speed are what catch your attention first. Second, it’s the fact that Nick simply doesn’t play with fear – he can fill the alley in supporting the run game, and he can play man coverage on slot receivers and shut them down in the passing game. I observed him jump a slot choice route and take it back for a touchdown – that kind of ability from a sophomore safety you just don’t see. I anticipate Nick picking up a lot more recruiting attention and offers as we enter the camp season.
Xavier Porter Xavier Porter 6'4" | 170 lbs | DB West Mecklenburg | 2026 NC – West Mecklenburg
I first saw Xavier in covering some JV football 2 years ago – and I asked several people on the sideline who he was, mainly because I saw a 6’4 free safety and receiver with great athletic ability. Needless to say, Xavier was not on JV much longer. At 6’4 and 170 pounds, I feel like Xavier is still a bit under the radar, but he is due to break out in a big way sooner than later. Last season, Xavier totaled 30 tackles with 14 pass breakups and 2 interceptions. Xavier does have some college interest at the moment, and I think some good performances during this upcoming camp season will go a long way toward turning that interest into some offers. When you look at the highlight film, Xavier shows the ability to play both corner and safety at a high level – at the corner position he excels at playing off-man coverage against receivers. At safety, Xavier does a really good job at filling the alley in run support and tackling well in space. I am excited to see how Xavier has progressed this offseason.
LJ Porter LJ Porter 6'1" | 200 lbs | ATH Charlotte Christian | 2026 State NC – Charlotte Christian
At 6’0 and 205 pounds, I have followed LJ pretty closely the last couple of years. He is a great athlete who can play multiple positions to support his team, but he excels as a Defensive Back primarily. From a recruiting perspective, LJ currently has offers from Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Connecticut, Charlotte, and Virginia Tech. When you take a look at LJ’s highlight film, it is packed with plenty of big-time tackles in the open field. LJ is not afraid to fill the alley in the run game and lay the wood to running backs in space. LJ also does a good job in playing his responsibilities in both man and zone coverage, forcing several pass deflections. LJ does a very good job in man coverage of playing tight coverage against slot receivers and tight ends, playing through the hands of the receiver very well. I would expect more offers to come LJ’s way over the spring and summer for sure.