Defensive Stock Risers- 2026 DBs Who Impressed Us Last Fall

We have so much DB talent in our 2026 class, today we are taking a look at some of the prospects who put up great seasons last fall and have really impressed us this offseason.   Keep an eye out for our next Rankings Update- these guys are going to move up a ton!    [player_tooltip player_id='1212638' first='Edrick' last='Williams'] is coming off a dominant season for Daphne, making tons of huge plays out in the secondary and shutting down talented WRs all across the state. Williams is incredibly productive over the top at safety- he flies around the field to provide terrific coverage and run support, reading and reacting to plays almost instantly after the snap. Williams plays with a ton of speed and can easily cover lots of ground- frequently on tape his coaches line him up single-high and he excels, seeing the field extremely well and never letting anybody behind him. It's just as impressive watching Williams play against the run- he consistently flies in from deep in the secondary, fights off blocks, and wraps up the ball carrier near or behind the line of scrimmage. Williams had a terrific season for Daphne last fall, ending the year with 64 total tackles (53 solo, 11 assisted, 5 for loss), 2 INTs, 2 FRs, and one punt block and safety. Williams has received a ton of attention this offseason, picking up offers from MTSU, Arkansas State, UAB, and plenty others. Be sure to watch his tape below, Williams has developed into a dominant DB and is set up for a huge season this fall.      [player_tooltip player_id='1226519' first='Kaden' last='Edwards'] has become a dominant DB for Pinson Valley over the past few seasons, he's coming off one of his best seasons yet and made tons of huge plays all over the field against the run and pass. Edwards lines up outside at CB and is excellent at reading and reacting to plays- he flies to the ball carrier no matter where he lines up and consistently comes up with huge stops for his defense by breaking up passes, hauling in interceptions, and stopping the run. Edwards has great instincts and ball skills out in coverage, he isn't easily beat downfield, is great at tracking the opposing quarterback's eyes, and can break on passes and come away with some seriously impressive plays on the ball. I'm seriously impressed with how clutch Edwards is down by the goalline- he singlehandedly stopped numerous touchdown plays last by breaking up passes in the endzone, causing headaches for opposing offenses. With how well he played last fall, Edwards has received offers from Eastern Kentucky, WKU, and more over the last few weeks. Be sure to watch out for him this fall- he has some great film you can see below and is set to have a huge senior season for Pinson Valley's defense.      De'Narrius Crawford was a huge piece of Hewitt Trussville's dominant defense last fall, making some massive plays out in the secondary all year long. Crawford is incredibly versatile and used in a ton of different ways in Hewitt Trussville's defense- he thrives out in coverage, is excellent at playing the run, and can cause tons of problems on passing downs as a blitzer. As a blitzer, Crawford plays with a ton of speed and flies through blockers to get to the quarterback- he comes off the edge incredibly fast and generates huge plays in clutch situations for his defense. Against the run, Crawford is terrific in pursuit- it doesn't matter where he lines up pre-snap, he works his way across the entire field to make tackles on the ball carrier. Crawford is just as valuable in coverage, lining up inside and completely taking away WRs/TEs from opposing passing games. It was easy to see all of these traits last fall, Crawford came up huge for Hewitt Trussville- ending the year with 91 total tackles (8 for loss), 4 sacks, 5 PBUs, and 2 FFs (one recovered). Crawford has had a busy offseason- picking up offers from UT Martin, North Alabama, Kennesaw State, and plenty of others over the last few weeks. Be sure to watch Crawford's film below, he's put together some great film from last fall and is set up for a huge senior season!      [player_tooltip player_id='1626458' first='Cornealius' last='Hudson'] and Kejiuan Johnson were one of the most dominant DB pairings in the state last season, helping Woodlawn's defense create tons of huge plays and shutting down the pass against some high-flying offenses across the state. Hudson is incredibly athletic- he has great size at CB, plays with a ton of speed, and uses his long arms and quick hands to make huge plays on the ball. In coverage, Hudson is a ball hawk that causes so many headaches for opposing passing attacks. He can line up and produce in press man, off the line of scrimmage, and in zone against a wide variety of WR types, and is excellent at using his hands to haul in interceptions and break up passes. It doesn't end there, Hudson is also incredibly reliable against the run- he's a heat-seeking missile that flies downfield to deliver some huge hits to the ball carrier no matter where they're located on the field. I'm seriously impressed with Hudson's film and think he has a massive season ahead of him this fall. Over the last few weeks, Hudson has picked up offers from Eastern Kentucky and Illinois State, with more surely heading his way soon. Be sure to check out his film below, he's seriously talented and has a huge year ahead of him this fall.      [player_tooltip player_id='695078' first='Jaxon' last='Penn'] has made tons of plays on both sides of the ball for Mars Hill the last few seasons but has truly shined on the defensive side as a dominant DB out in their secondary. Penn lines up at CB and can come away with a ton of impressive plays out in coverage- he's incredibly quick, isn't easily beat, and is great at using his hands to break up and intercept passes. Penn thrives in press-man coverage with how physical he is- he wears down WRs at the line of scrimmage, practically runs their routes for them, and frequently uses his long arms to make catching the ball impossible. Penn is just as good at defending the run, he's a strong tackler who can make a lot of impressive plays out in pursuit down by the line of scrimmage and in the open field. Penn had a terrific season last fall, ending the year with 57 total tackles, 2 INTs, and 6 PBUs. Penn picked up an offer from North Alabama a little while back and is surely going to pick up more soon. He's a seriously talented prospect with some great film from last fall you can check out below, be sure to give him a watch! He's heading into a big senior season.

We have so much DB talent in our 2026 class, today we are taking a look at some of the prospects who put up great seasons last fall and have really impressed us this offseason.