Prep Redzone WI Showcase: Lockdown DBs Showing Off

Our final position group to cover is one of my favorites from the PRZ WI Winter Showcase. There were so many impressive defensive backs running around the field. Athletes with the confidence you love to see out on an island, and the confidence is warranted. The kids that showed up and showed off put together great days where they showed off the ability to run with receivers, react on an instant, change direction, and play the ball in the air. There are several athletes to know for the coming year and years down the road. It starts with DB MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1362791' first='Parker' last='Rode']. You can read about his day in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/12/prep-redzone-wi-winter-showcase-mvps/">MVP article</a>. For everyone other standout, continue reading! Enjoy!    Johnny had one of the best overall days among any position. He tested great, balled out on the field, and the junior even participated at multiple positions. Starting with the testing, Johnny ran 4.62 in the 40, 4.12 shuttle, 7.12 L-Drill while also jumping a 10'2" broad jump. The 5'9" 160 lbs athlete has 10" hands with a 6' wingspan too. Mathews is a very twitchy athlete with outstanding burst, change of direction, and balance so that he could shine at WR and DB.   On the field, Johnny dominated out wide at WR and DB. It was great to see because during the season Johnny plays Rb for Stevens Point. He clearly has difference making versatility to offer the next level. At DB Johnny plays with natural, explosive reactive athleticism. He trusted his eyes and was able to run with receivers because of his ability to stay right in his man's pocket all over the field. That suddenness in the open field also made him stand out at WR along with the ball skills to be a viable threat to make catches or make INTs. The junior is an athlete to get on campus this offseason. Big things ahead for him.     Another outstanding testing performance during the Showcase was junior [player_tooltip player_id='1570820' first='Alex' last='Reinke']. The 5'11" 170 lbs junior has a 6'1" wingspan and 10.5" hands. Alex absolutely smashed the shuttle and L-Drill, showing off elite acceleration, body control, quick feet, and change of direction. In the shuttle Alex ran a 4.31 and 4.25. In the L-Drill Alex ran 7.06 and 7.03. Numbers that suggest the 2026 should be dominant at DB. Both in those tests, and on the field it was so obvious how effortless it is for Alex to be able to move. Whether it be transition out of a backpedal, flip his hips and run downfield, or instantly react to a route break and close on the receiver through the break. Reinke is definitely a name to know for CBs in the Class of 2026.     Stevens Point is home to some impressively versatile athletes. Another junior out of SPASH who caught my eyes was DB/WR [player_tooltip player_id='1251529' first='Jonathon' last='Ananiadis']. The 5'10" ATH with a 5'11" wingspan and an explosive 34" vertical flashed throughout the day as I watched 1 on 1 battles. At receiver Jonathon showed off an explosive get off at the line and when pressed could quickly get on top of the DB and win downfield. The junior was also taking reps at DB where I liked the way his short area agility and burst allowed him to close or stay tight through routes. Keep an eye on this kid.     An explosive underclassman that looks like he has a bright future is [player_tooltip player_id='1570814' first='Aiden' last='Bowen'] out of Iola-Scandinavia. The 5'10" 150 lbs sophomore has a 6'1.25" wingspan, giving him plenty of recovery room and space to take some risk in man to man coverage. The '27 also has the speed to be able to carry a receiver deep downfield with his 4.79 40 speed. Against the short/intermediate routes Aiden has the explosive agility to be able to react quickly and stay tight in coverage. The sophomore ran 4.47 in the shuttle, and 7.45 in the L-Drill along with broad jumping 9'4" and 9'5". The '27 has an awesome base of athletic tools to build on and develop over the coming years.     The physical tools that freshman DB [player_tooltip player_id='1288265' first='Jamarion' last='Morris'] has at his disposal are special. The frame alone should have eyes on him early. The 5'9" 150 lbs athlete has an elite 6'3.5" wingspan with 10" hands providing him a massive area to get his hands on the ball. The freshman also went 9'1" in the broad jump and is already right on the verge of going sub 5.0 in the 40 yard dash. I can't wait to watch him develop his skill set, and continue to grow physically and athletically. The tools are there for this freshman DB/WR to be a top talent in his area of the state. He will be on the hardwood this winter too. Save this name for future use.     One of our top DBs in the Class of 2027 came out and had himself a day among the DBs. The 5'10" 135 lbs sophomore has 10" hands with a 6'2" wingspan. He ran 4.84 in the 40, 7.52 in the L-Drill and broad jumped an impressive 9'5". The 2027 came out after a season where the sophomore was a varsity starter. It was clearly warranted based off what we saw. Kaleb actually battled his way to one of the Best vs Best reps to end the Showcase. I was very impressed with his quick twitch athleticism while reacting to the receiver throughout the route. Plus I loved how aggressive he was at the catch and knew how to use that length to get hands on the ball. It was a great day for the 2027.     A 2028 who has himself locked onto our radar is Bradford's [player_tooltip player_id='1284934' first='Ayden' last='Jackson']. The freshman DB put together a great day on the field. Ayden first caught my eyes during position drills, showing off quick feet through his backpedal with easy transitions out of the pedal. He could also accelerate quickly when changing direction. When we got to the 1 on 1s the freshman again stood out. There was no hesitation in the way he battled. He would get right up and press and proved to be strong at the line and made receivers earn their releases. The freshman did a good job playing the ball, getting his hands in to disrupt the catch or undercutting routes. I'm pumped to watch this kid develop his game, and grow physically and athletically.     Drew is one of a few athletes who actually participated in both sessions. Session 1 he spent time at RB showing quick feet, balance to cut, and reliable hands out of the backfield. In session 2 the sophomore participated as a DB. The 6' 186 lbs '27 already has an excellent frame and his ability to play agile in sudden, short areas has me excited for his future. Even at his size, Drew ran a 7.18 L-Drill, jumped 9'1", and had a 4.48 shuttle. Taber played both ways on JV for De Pere and even was able to earn time on varsity. The RB/S brings physicality and athleticism to the field and still has plenty of time for development ahead of him. Keep an eye on him over the coming years.     Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1570252' first='Oliver' last='Davis'] is a recruit to keep your eyes on. He already has a well developed frame at 6' 171 lbs with an elite 6'4.25" wingspan that allows him to get him hands on the ball and gives him a cushion for some error in coverage. The sophomore had a solid 30" vertical, hit a 4.43 shuttle, and broad jumped 8'8". The sophomore has a great base of size and lower body power and burst. As he continues to develop his game and athleticism Oliver could become a very solid prospect in this class.     The 5'10" 150 lbs sophomore DB will be an athlete I keep an eye on after his performance at the Showcase. The '27 has a 6'1" wingspan ran 4.98 in the 40, and absolutely smashed the agility and acceleration tests. His shuttle was 4.19 and his L-Drill was a 7.25 and 7.19. Noah definitely has the agility needed to be play tight man coverage with that body control, change of direction, and explosive acceleration. I went to his tape for a closer look and the sophomore flew around the field playing safety and CB throughout the video. He attacked the ball, was a hard hitter and made plenty of plays on the ball and with the ball after he forced a turnover. Get the '27 on your radars.

Our final position group to cover is one of my favorites from the PRZ WI Winter Showcase. There were so many impressive defensive backs running around the field. Athletes with the confidence you love to see out on an island, and the confidence is warranted. The kids that showed up and showed off put together great days where they showed off the ability to run with receivers, react on an instant, change direction, and play the ball in the air. There are several athletes to know for the coming year and years down the road. It starts with DB MVP Parker Rode Parker Rode 6'0" | 160 lbs | DB New Richmond | 2026 State WI . You can read about his day in the MVP article. For everyone other standout, continue reading! Enjoy!