Ballhawks: Must See Class of 2026 Defensive Backs

<p>Defensive backs are some of the best athletes on the field, combining skill, speed, and agility to excel in their roles. These players need to be extremely athletic to cover wide receivers, make crucial tackles, and disrupt offensive plays. In this spotlight, we break down several must-see defensive backs from the class of 2026 across the state of Texas. These young athletes are already demonstrating exceptional talent and promise, positioning themselves as future stars in the game.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Webb is gifted athletically, he has a long, lean frame with an extended reach that allows him to extend and high point the football when he attacks it in flight. From his safety position he has the range to cover the backend like a hawk. His elite speed enables him to close down passing windows. Webb's footwork is clean and this allows him to be in position to make big plays on the football. He is an elite returner that is a weapon special teams. He is phonebooth quick with the shiftiness to make defenders miss in the open field. Webb has the speed and explosion to make a house call for six from any distance. With the ball in his hands defensively or offensively, Webb is about that action. He filled up the stat sheet in 2023, registering 109 Tackles, 4 interceptions with a pick six for 84 yards. On special teams he was lethal with 262 punt return yards with 2 touchdowns of 60 and 72 Yards. He has a double digit offer sheet that includes, Baylor, Ole Miss, Minnesota, Texas Tech, TCU and Arkansas.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DonovanWebb21/status/1729186101339062728 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Gilbert II plays with a ballhawk mentality. He locks in on receivers early at the snap and gets hands on them to redirect their routes. He transitions into his backpedal smoothly and his ability to flips his hips and run in phase with receivers enables him to play sticky defense. Ryan plays with good discipline and patience. He tracks the ball well, which enables him to be in position to make plays on the football. He doesn't give ground easily, he is stout in press coverage and this allows him to get his hands on the ball. Gilbert II is on this list because of his ballhawking skills and his ability to be a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. He is one of the most sought after defenders in the state with offers from Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Tulsa and Texas A&M to name a few.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/RyanGilbertII1/status/1720825776717607210 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Chace has a long, lean athletic frame at 6-foot-3 190 pounds and he plays the game with a physical, aggressive nature. He is physical at the point of attack and this enables him to get hands on receivers early in their routes. He uses his extended arm length to his advantage to he shut down passing windows and this makes it difficult to complete passes in his vicinity. He is a sure tackler in the open field and he plays with great leverage. He is a national recruit with offers from LSU, Tennessee, Maryland, Nebraska, and Colorado all putting their hats in the ring for his services at the next level. Chace is a ballhawk that you want to pull up on this season.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CalicutChace/status/1757831767682134526 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Williams is one the top safety prospects in the country and he is a playmaker who has elite cover skills on the backend. He has the speed and range to cover ground in a hurry. He has great eye discipline that enables him to read and react quickly to put in himself in position to make plays on the football. One of his signature plays from his sophomore year was an 88 yard pick six where high pointed the football after reading the eyes of the quarterback. He is a ballhawking safety who makes the big play and can make a house call for six with the ball in his hands. Texas, LSU, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas A&M and Ohio State are several of the double digit offers that Williams has in his bag.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/isaiah12__/status/1796632521779666951 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Edwards is a sticky defender, he plays with controlled aggression and he has the skill set to shut down one side of the field. He plays with excellent leverage and he has fluid hips that allows him to be in position to make plays on the football. Edwards has superb eye discipline and he tracks the ball well in flight. When he gets the ball in his hands he turns into an offensive weapon who has the speed to make a house call for six. His sophomore year he registered 86 tackles with 3 interceptions. Edwards will add his playmaking ability to the Duncanville secondary this fall. He has several offers from Arizona State, North Texas, Lamar, Texas A&M Commerce and Abilene Christian. I expect his bag of offers to get heavier heading into his junior season.</p>

Defensive backs are some of the best athletes on the field, combining skill, speed, and agility to excel in their roles. These players need to be extremely athletic to cover wide receivers, make crucial tackles, and disrupt offensive plays. In this spotlight, we break down several must-see defensive backs from the class of 2026 across the state of Texas. These young athletes are already demonstrating exceptional talent and promise, positioning themselves as future stars in the game.