You Are Athlete Birmingham: DBs Who Took Over Saturday

Last Saturday I had the awesome opportunity to take a road trip up to Birmingham for the regional You Are Athlete camp.   While out there, I got to meet and watch some of our state's top prospects up close- and man are we lucky with some of our up-and-coming DBs.   These prospects killed it Saturday and are set up for massive seasons this fall, be sure to take a look at the film in the meantime, you won't want to miss out on these guys!    It was great getting the chance to meet and watch [player_tooltip player_id='1625583' first='Kejiaun' last='Johnson'] in Birmingham, he's a seriously impressive 2026 DB who had a terrific performance in camp and all of last season in Woodlawn's secondary. Throughout the camp, Johnson was one of the most impressive DBs- consistently coming away with PBUs during the one-on-one period, and shutting down a wide variety of WRs from all over. I wasn't surprised to see this- I really loved Johnson's tape before making the trip on Saturday.   At 6'2 175, Johnson has elite size and athleticism at DB and can come up with huge stops against the run and pass. Johnson dominates in coverage- using his size and speed to consistently shut down WRs all around the field and make plays on the ball. Johnson is just as good at defending the run- he flies downfield, fills in rushing lanes, and delivers huge hits to the ball down by the line of scrimmage. Johnson had a huge year last fall- finishing the season with 27 total tackles (17 solo, 3 for loss), multiple interceptions, and one forced fumble. With how well he played, Johnson has picked up collegiate attention from some great programs this offseason, picking up offers from Ole Miss and Troy over the last few weeks. Be sure to watch Johnson's tape below, and this fall- he should be on everyone's radar.      [player_tooltip player_id='1626458' first='Cornealius' last='Hudson'] is another dominant 2026 DB out of Woodlawn I got to meet last Saturday. Unsurprisingly, he made a ton of big-time plays at camp just as he did last season- he is such a tough DB to throw against and proved it all day in Birmingham, locking up a wide variety of WRs in several drills.   Hudson is highly athletic- at 6'1 160, he has elite size at CB and plays with a ton of speed and instincts out in coverage. Hudson is terrific at using his size and hands to his advantage, frequently coming away with PBUs and interceptions by utilizing his long arms to get his hands on the ball. It's really impressive seeing Hudson's versatility in the secondary, he can line up and produce in press man, off the line of scrimmage, and in zone against a wide variety of WRs. Hudson is just as productive as a run defender, he flies downfield and is excellent at pursuing after the ball carrier, regardless of where he lined up pre-snap. Hudson and Woodlawn have a massive year ahead, it's going to be seriously fun watching this secondary this upcoming fall.      I watched some of [player_tooltip player_id='657147' first='Braiden' last='Howard']'s tape a few weeks back and was seriously impressed with what he did last fall against a really talented Auburn team. Howard took over that game in the secondary, providing great coverage and making huge plays on the ball against one of the best teams in the state. After leaving Birmingham, I'm even more excited to see what Howard does this fall- he's a really talented 2027 set up for a big year in Opelika's secondary.   Howard is really quick, plays with a ton of speed, and dominates out in coverage. It was easy to see this both at camp and on tape, he consistently matched up really well against some talented WRs, breaking up passes and making life incredibly difficult for quarterbacks. I was really impressed with Howard's ability to adjust to WRs- he isn't easily beaten and wears down WRs physically, making it really difficult for them to haul in passes. What impresses me most though is how well Howard uses his hands on the ball, he's seriously good at breaking up and picking off passes- offenses need to have him circled every down going into next season if they want to move the ball in the passing game. Be sure to watch his film below and next season, it's going to be exciting watching him play out his junior year.      Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find [player_tooltip player_id='716646' first='George' last='French'] at the end of camp- he ended up as one of the top DBs of the camp and caught my eye a ton with how well he performed in drills throughout the day. French is a really gifted athlete at DB who will be a huge factor in Homewood's defense this fall- just watch.   At 6'1 180, French has elite size at the position, plays with a ton of speed, and is excellent at reading and reacting to WRs. French flies to the ball- in coverage, he has terrific closing speed and is great at breaking up passes/instantly making contact on WRs as they catch- it's super impressive watching him break on passes, he's excellent at anticipating where the ball headed. French is just as productive against the run- he's a reliable tackler in the open field and has the speed to pursue and make plays on the ball carrier no matter where he lines up. I'm seriously looking forward to seeing what French can do in his senior season this fall- he's got a ton of potential.      [player_tooltip player_id='409777' first='Jackson' last='Lassiter'] really caught my eye Saturday- the 2026 DB out of Hoover had a great day in camp and is set up for a big season in their secondary this fall. Lassiter was making life hard on WRs- he dominated in press and had a couple of huge reps where he pretty much ran the WRs route for him.   I hadn't watched Lassiter's tape before making the trip out to Birmingham, but after getting back home and taking a look- I'm impressed. He really holds his own in zone coverage, quickly adjusting to different targets all around him and providing great coverage deep downfield, leading to a ton of coverage sacks up front. It's encouraging watching how well Lassiter flies to the ball- it doesn't matter if he's out in the secondary or on special teams, he's a constant threat to the ball carrier with how well he pursues and makes plays. Be sure to take a look at Lassiter's film below and this fall- there's a reason why he's a starting DB in the 7A.

Last Saturday I had the awesome opportunity to take a road trip up to Birmingham for the regional You Are Athlete camp.