MO Under the Radar 2026s: Defensive Backs

As we head deeper into the summer, the 2024 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that being said, I wanted to take the next week to focus on some under the radar players in the upcoming junior class at each position. These players include those who fall just outside the top five at their positions and don't currently hold any offers. 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 linemen and linebackers already being taken care of, here are some 2026 defensive backs to keep an eye on in the state of Missouri!    [player_tooltip player_id='1128413' first='Garrick' last='Dixon'] is a defensive back who caught my attention as a sophomore. Dixon lines up on the outside at corner where he is very impressive in man coverage. He does a great job of opening up and running with receivers to mirror their routes, staying in their hip pocket the whole way. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown the ability to break in front of the receiver with perfect timing to make a play on the ball. Garrick hasn't reported any college interest but is definitely a player to keep an eye on heading into his junior year.       [player_tooltip player_id='1128396' first='Steven' last='Dyson II'] is a player who caught my attention when breaking down sophomore year film. Dyson lines up at corner where he is very reliable in man coverage. He plays with a ton of physicality, showing the ability to jam receivers off the line of scrimmage. Dyson also shows the speed to open up and run with receivers with ease to mirror their routes. He also showed solid ball skills this past season, coming away with one interception. Dyson is also a dangerous returner on special teams, returning one kickoff for a touchdown as a sophomore. Steven has received some college interest and I expect him to be a player to continue to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.     [player_tooltip player_id='1128426' first='Kameron' last='Hurst'] is another defensive back who stood out to me as a sophomore. He lines up at corner where he locks down his side of the field in man coverage. Hurst does a great job of mirror the receiver's route then breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. He finished this past season with one interception and 11 pass breakups. Hurst also showed the ability to provide run support, finishing the year with 42 solo tackles and two tackles for loss. He also made an impact on offense at receiver, catching 13 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns. Kameron has received a little college interest and I expect him to be a player to continue to watch heading into his junior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='402124' first='Jhamari' last='Vickers'] is another 2026 defensive back who caught my attention last season. Vickers has impressive versatility, showing the ability to line up both on the outside at corner and in the slot at nickel. He 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 pass with perfect timing to make a play. Vickers has already received some college interest and I expect eyes to continue to be on him this season.     My final under the radar 2026 defensive back to watch in the state of Missouri is [player_tooltip player_id='1127273' first='Dante' last='Dixon']. Dixon lines up at corner where he is very reliable in zone coverage. He does a great job of reading route combinations and reacting quickly to put himself in a position to make a play on the ball. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown the ability to break on the ball with perfect timing to come away with an interception. He has also shown the ability to open up and run with receivers with ease in man coverage. Dixon has received a solid amount of college interest and should be a player to continue to watch over the next two seasons.

As we head deeper into the summer, the 2024 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that being said, I wanted to take the next week to focus on some under the radar players in the upcoming junior class at each position. These players include those who fall just outside the top five at their positions and don't currently hold any offers. 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 linemen and linebackers already being taken care of, here are some 2026 defensive backs to keep an eye on in the state of Missouri!