2028 Prospect Watch: Western NC DBs

We're well into the offseason, and we're keeping things going ahead of spring workouts and summer practices. Our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/deep-dive-union-county-wide-receivers/">county-by-county Deep Dives</a> (Matt Morrow is hitting the Charlotte area while I take the area around RDU) are going strong and we're nearly the end of our prospect watch series. We've looked at almost every freshman in our system, both ranked and unranked.   We have a ton of defensive backs in our 2028 rankings, so here's part three of three. Last week, I looked at <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/2028-prospect-watch-greensboro-area-dbs/">five guys in the Greensboro area</a>. Then, I took the defensive backs in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/2028-prospect-watch-eastern-nc-dbs/">eastern part of the state</a>. Finally, here's a look at the defensive backs in the western part of the state.    Dollard's skill set is extremely unique, something that should endear him to college coaches. He's only around 6', but his 79-inch wingspan is evident on film, both as a corner and as a basketball player. That's not just a neat party trick, Dollard routinely breaks up passes no player his size should be able to reach. He's already made his mark on Country Day's team and should just get better and better.     Kiehl is an intriguing defensive back and kicker prospect. Right now, we're looking at him primarily as a safety, partially because we don't have many young kickers ranked. He's a tough player and he made 59 tackles as a freshman, several of them after kicking off, a testament to his versatility. He's a guy we're closely tracking over the next few years.     Jones has excellent size and length and some versatility as well. A safety right now, there's a chance he could move down to linebacker, if he gets a bit bigger. He's an instinctual player who had a great freshman season. It gets better: he has a tendency to play a bit high on film, and some easy technical refinement would immediately raise his already high ceiling. I'm excited to see how he develops.     McMullen's primary focus right now is putting on more weight in the weight room to fill out his frame. He's played both sides of the ball in the past, but looks like he's going to be a future corner for Mallard Creek. If he can add some size, the technical aspects of his game are already there and he's got some upside.     One sure thing in Charlotte-area football is that Hough defensive backs are going to be well-coached. But beyond that, his instincts and closing speed are next level. Holloway can give receivers cushion, knowing he can get there when he breaks on the ball. There's some stiff competition for snaps at Hough, but he has the look of a high-level safety and slot corner.     Pratt is one of a number of talented underclassmen at Mallard Creek and one we're excited to see get some more run on varsity in the coming years. He's a bit undersized for a safety now, but that should change as he continues to get in the weight room. He has good closing speed and is a sure tackler, something we love to see from safeties.     Matthews has good size and speed for his age and that shows itself in his closing speed and physicality. Matthews can really thump people, when he gets the chance. Playing mostly at safety, he's one of several talented defenders in Providence's secondary. As he continues to develop, don't lose track of him on a strong defense.    Want to make sure you're on our radar or raise your stock? Sign up for our <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1488/register/combine-series-north-carolina">2025 Spring Combine</a> at Clayton High School on May 4. Use offer code ‘HelmsCombine25′ to get $10 off your registration. Prep Redzone and college scouts will be in attendance to evaluate prospects as they go through combine drills, position work, and 1-on-1s.

We're well into the offseason, and we're keeping things going ahead of spring workouts and summer practices. Our county-by-county Deep Dives (Matt Morrow is hitting the Charlotte area while I take the area around RDU) are going strong and we're nearly the end of our prospect watch series. We've looked at almost every freshman in our system, both ranked and unranked.