2028 Rankings Release: Defensive Back

<!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2028","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"2495","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"2494","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67e1d682aad37"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we get deeper into the month of March, the 2025 high school football season is in full swing! With that in mind, we will now be beginning another round of rankings updates. To kick off this round of updates, we have released our first rankings for the class of 2028. With these rankings being officially posted, I have taken the past week to break them down by position. 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 line and linebackers already taken care of, here our top defensive backs in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1174254"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67e1d682ac507"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1174254' first='Man' last='Robinson'] earned the top overall ranking in the state in his class with a very impressive freshman year. Robinson lined up at corner where he proved to be very reliable in both man and zone coverage. He does a great job of reading routes and putting himself in a position to make a play when playing zone. In man coverage, he uses his speed to run with receivers to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, Man reacts with perfect timing to make a play on the ball, coming away with four interceptions in 14 games as a freshman, returning one of them for a touchdown. He also finished the year with 52 tackles and one tackle for loss, and caught one touchdown pass on offense. Robinson currently holds multiple Power 4/Division I offers and I expect more to come his way over the next few seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1638813"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67e1d76e646a8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1638813' first='Grayden' last='Reid'] is another high-caliber defensive back who stood out as a freshman. In his freshman year at CAL, Reid showed impressive versatility, seeing time at both corner and safety. When lining up at corner, he is very impressive in man coverage, showing the ability to mirror opposing receivers with ease, staying in their hip pocket the whole time. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown the ability to break with perfect timing to make a play. He has also shown the ability to provide support against the run, finishing this past season with 42 tackles and one tackle for loss in 13 games. Grayden currently holds multiple Power 4/Division I offers and I expect a lot of eyes to continue to be on him after transferring to Atherton for his sophomore year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["953600"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67e1d8d5561af"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='953600' first='Kyle' last='Sledge Jr.'] made an immediate impact in the Bowling Green secondary as a freshman. Sledge lined up at safety where he was very impressive in coverage. He showed the ability to read the quarterback and flow through the secondary to put himself in a position to make a play. When the ball was thrown in his direction, he showed great ball skills, coming away with three interceptions in 12 games this past season. He also showed the ability to fill the lane and provide run support, finishing the year with 31 tackles. Kyle doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player who college coaches should have their eyes on heading into his sophomore year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1089873"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67e1d9afdaee1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1089873' first='Andrew' last='Davis'] is a player who recently caught my attention at our Stock Up Showcase camp in Kentucky. Davis was one of the standouts among the defensive backs, truly standing out in man coverage. He plays with a ton of physicality, showing the ability to jam and redirect receivers off the line of scrimmage. Davis has also shown the speed to mirror receivers' routes and then the reaction ability to fight across their body to make a play when the ball is thrown his way. Andrew should be an intriguing prospect to continue to watch over the next few seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1033168"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67e1da41d83f2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">To wrap up our top five defensive backs in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1033168' first='Landon' last='Kirtley']. Kirtley played in mainly a reserve/JV role as a freshman but he put together some impressive freshman year film. Landon lines up at safety, where he is very reliable against the run, showing the ability to come downhill and fill the lane in a hurry then make the tackle in the open field. He has also proven that he can make plays in coverage, showing the ability to read the quarterback and break on the ball to break up the pass. Kirtley is also an impressive returner on special teams. Landon will be a player to keep an eye on as he continues to develop over the next three years .</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->